ARCTIC ARMOR winter suits

I thought with 100 degree weather any dealers that had leftover stock might discount their inventory.
After contacting I.D.I. Gear, parent company for Arctic Armor, they put me in touch with their sales rep for the northern states.
The sales rep suggested I contact PRO FISHING SUPPLY at 612-801-7967 since they are the largest dealer for Arctic Armor up north.
When I called them, they where very helpful recommending the correct size for my height and weight.
Their price is $319.99, free pair of gloves, no sales tax, and free shipping. That is a savings of $70 off the regular price and you get a free pair of $30 gloves.
It only took 3 days for my order to come in. I had to try them on for size. Perfect fit, even though I only had them on for 5 minutes under a ceiling fan with 72 degree indoor temperature I could tell I was getting very hot so COME ON WINTER. I may just have to go up to the local grocery store and see if I can hang out in their freezer to really test them out before December.

Hey Captain thats a really good deal, especially with the gloves included and no tax...I think my order came close to $400.oo. Yes you're gonna love em this winter....aahhhhh winter...sounds pretty good right now.

I just did my monthly maintenance on auger and vexilar yesterday. All this does is open my nose. I definitely cant wait.

same thing here come on hard water

I've been looking at the ice armor would like to hear what people think artic vs ice?

I think they're both comparable as far as quality. I havent heard of any complaints from either one except some people dont like ice because of too many pockets. One nice feature that should look appealing to Kansas fishermen is that artic brand floats. So if you are one that pursues 1st ice or maximize the distance of the season, it might be worth the investment. Ive fallen through twice but was fortunate enough to be wearing a 1 piece snowsuit which I was able to bounce back out of the water using my ice picks. I really want to convert to a 2 piece suit but have elected to spend the money on other accessories such as the FL22 HD. :) I guess if you take anything away from this, make sure you get a 2 piece. It's a lot easier to take on and off as the day warms and cools.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by birddog one

I've been looking at the ice armor would like to hear what people think artic vs ice?

---

The artic armor floats but have read multiple people state that it does not breath well at all, and one ends up sweating heavily after activity. I have the ice armor gray suit and love it for ice fishing or boat fishing, but there are times the bibs are too warm around these parts. Reeds sporting goods often has them on sale. The blue suits are much cheaper but don't have insulation, and alot more people have these and seem to love them, thick windproof shell, waterproof and just layer beneath. If I used a 4 wheeler to lug my gear out on the ice I would buy the floating arctic armor, but hoofing it out on the frozen lake I do not wan't something that does not breath, been there won't do it again.

not to high jack this but what other gear do you live by line jigs rods reels shelters boots gloves socks just what ever you want to share

$%^&*! Sorry Birddog.

I did this the other night and did it again tonight. I typed a long list of itmes I use and then hit the wrong %$# button. I hit the reply to thread at the top when I should've hit the Post Quick Reply. I've lost my long list of items.

Birddog - Here I go again:

Clothing:
Long Johns from Cabelas - Not the heavy duty ones because it makes me too warm
Boots from Cabelas - Not sure the name brand. Spent around $125-$150
Gloves - I try to fish without gloves for the sensitivity. But I like using Hotfingers because I've used them for 25 years with no problems. I tried some army rated pair from Cabelas but they were too sniff.
Snowsuit from Cabelas - It works great but is a one piece. Waiting for my son to get old enough to fit in them so I can get a 2 piece leaning towards ice armor.
Balaclava - from Northface when needed
Ice picks - This helped me pull out of the lake quickly. Cheap investment
Sunglasses and chapstick

Gear:
Strikemaster Lite 4 cycle 8"- starts almost everytime on 1st pull.
Vexilar FL22 HD - I love this unit, however, I wish I wouldnt have sold the FL-12 to a friend because my son wants one and I cant find one for what I sold the FL-12 for.
GPS 76X with inland lake maps
Jetsled - Modified with 8 pole holders
Xtrap when conditions are brutal - Buddy and I fished up in North Dakota when the highs were -40's and we were fishing in tshirts inside this trap. (showing off)
Big buddy heater with a 5' hose extended to 20lb propane tank outside the trap
I like using 5' ultra lights but last year I purchased a couple of 28" ML Berkeley Ice lightning rods from Bass Pro. I tried this out in the Trap and when I fished out of the trap, I really liked the feel of this rod. I didnt use anything else the rest of the ice season.
As far as line, I've tried multiple lines. I like the Fireline Micro-ice 8lb test/2lb diameter (I think) but I alos like having colored line for contrast
For most part, I just use 1/16 oz jigs red body and green tail, but I also have an abundance of lil cleos, kastmasters and swedish pimples.
And last a camera to help keep my buddy honest!

The only thing I would love to have is a 4 wheeler to haul the equipmentl. Difficult to justify the cost for 7-10 days of fishing.

Hey Birddog, I notice you live in Olathe too. Maybe we can hook up this winter. I'll start getting ready in December hoping to get ice early but will play it by ear.

You have any equipment favorites?

And dont forget about the cleats

I've had the heavy duty stabilicers for around 10 years. They cover the whole boot sole. There is no slipping on the ice with these cleats. One disadvantage is the weight of them. I've had some friends buy the cheap lightweight ones but they're lucky to have them last through the season. However, another option which I know at least 3 guys have tried with huge success is running short machine screws through the bottom of the foot making sure to space them along the perimeter of the boot with a few inside the perimeter. I would only do this if the boot was exclusively for ice fishing though. I'm running screws for my son this upcoming season.