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thanks boys strikemaster it is
do you think the floatation is really needed?If the ice is that thin im not on it anyways If only that exchange rate wasnt so terrible right now
do you think the floatation is really needed?
I picked up the Striker Ice Hardwater bibs this weekend. I wanted the tougher fabric because kneeling around holes that have sharp frozen chucks of ice and trekking through bush to get to lakes. I haven't decided on a jacket yet though. Since I usually like to layer up I thought the hardwater jacket might be too hot for running and gunning and setup. I like the removeable liner in the Climate but am also looking at the 100g insulation of Predator. That way running and gunning isn't a sweaty mess. I find it tough to find a happy medium in -30c with wind.
Regarding “floatation technology”, I think a lot of ice anglers end up using that feature as a piece-of-mind but almost to a fault. I’ve seen many many posts here along the lines of “I wouldn’t walk on that ice without my float suit!”. Well, a statement like that leads me to believe that one shouldn’t “walk on ice like that” regardless of what kind of suit they are wearing. I think float suits instill a lot of false security. Meaning, you’ll still float if your dead and a rescue isn’t part of the warranty. I’d rather rely on instinct and use my spud bar than rely on my suit keeping me afloat long enough for someone to drag my dumb ass out of the lake.
Personally, I went with and always will go with flotation assisted clothes when possible or just wear a PFD. There are quite a few stocked trout lakes around me and some are aerated throughout the winter. So at times some of the lake has 3 ft of ice and then some parts are open water all season. Ice conditions change through out the day and although its unlikely that spudding an area in the early AM will have much change throughout the course of a day. I'd prefer to spend the extra $ and have 99% chance of being able to kiss my kids goodnight. Also, my thinking is if im walking around spudding (the whole point is to test and ensure safety) the ice safety is in question. If I drop while spudding I'd much prefer something floating then not.
Your comment literally proves my point about float suits instilling a false sense of security. You wouldn’t feel comfortable walking on that ice without your float suit right? Then maybe you shouldn’t walk on it with your float suit. A float suit doesn’t save your life. It eliminates the need for a diver when your inevitable “just in case” happens. You think “it’s ok because if I fall through my float suit will save me”. That’s a false sense of security that if you didn’t have you wouldn’t decide it was ok to walk on ice you wouldn’t have otherwise. Whether you’re acting like an idiot or not. I shouldn’t have to repeat the mantra of “no ice is safe ice” but a float suit does nothing to prevent you from falling through the ice in the first place. And that’s what most people assume when they hear “float suit” that “I can walk anywhere!”.....No, you can’t. Again, “MOST” people. Most ice anglers aren’t active members on this site and my posts are mostly geared to people new to this hobby so when they do join this site for help and advice their perception isn’t skewed on what’s “safe” and the fact is is that I believe float suits instill a false sense of security because I witness it every single ice season with newbies and seasoned professionals alike. People die doing what we do. Every year. Most people die because they think their gear is made to save their life but the reality is that when you’re alone floating in a frozen lake, nobody is coming to save you and if you’re relying on a glorified “life preserver” (notice they aren’t called “life savers”) you should probably reconsider what you feel is safe to begin with.Also, if you drop while spudding, you weren’t paying attention to your spud very well, going way too fast, or both. You were probably relying on the ol’ “if it doesn’t go through in one good whack I’m good!” rhetoric while walking at full pace. Which is another false sense of security A LOT of ice anglers tend to rely on that I witness every year regardless of ice experience.Nobodies life is worth catching a fish and float suits tend to make people like us think “maybe it is today because my suit floats”. Kind of like when you see a guy in pajamas and flip flops riding a motorcycle but it’s a good thing he’s wearing a helmet. Much like a float suit, that helmet is doing beans to save anything....
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Topic: best bibs? (Read 3674 times)
