Sno-Suit by Frabill -what a suit

[harvey lee]

Well, we all know what happened last night for snow and temps, winter set in and boy she came in with a roar.

I looked outside and though I would wait until this afternoon until it warmed up a bit outside to a level I could withstand.

Then, I thought, I have that new Sno Suit in the closed from Frabill and what a great time to put it through the paces and see just how warm it is.

Frabill talks the Warmth of Science, boy that is a understatement.

I went out and blew snow for approx 1.5 hours in sub zero temp and wind chills.

To my amazement after 1 hour of being out in the sub zero temps, I felt like I was in the house in my recliner in front of the fireplace.

Talk about warm, if you enjoy the outdoors and ever have gotten cold and it ruined your day, check out the Sno Suit line from frabill, simply awesome.

http://www.snosuit.com/

[muc33]

I am excited this year to add the Snosuit to my ice fishing gear, I really love the roomy feeling while still being warm. Also, the pocket design and layout are extremely well designed. The outer shell seems incredibly durable yet very movable. I am excited and ready to give it a workout!

[hotrod1]

Ok harvey Lee, I was kinda sold on the Arctic Armour suit and was going to get one soon and because you and so many others have bragged them up so much about their warmth.

Now you are starting to brag about the snosuit, which i have also thought about getting instead.

If the Arctic armour is such a great suit, why would you even consider spending the money for snosuit? What makes the snosuit better to be able to have such a price tag?

I know about the arctic armour keeping you afloat if going through ice.

[muc33]

I own both as well hotrod1, main reason was to have a travel suit as well. When I go on ice fishing trips, I have a.... well lets just say my diet has not worked and I pack a few extra pounds and sweat like a pig, so I used to bring not only my AA, but would also bring my old rain bibs and rain coat and just triple layer underneath and then peel layers if it warmed up during the day so one set could stay hanging in the cabin and dry. I decided to get the Snosuit this year so i had two sets of true ice gear, yes I fish maybe more than the average guys so I can justify two suits. Is it for everyone, maybe not, but I like features of both, and can't say if I have a favorite, but will be able to tell you more in a good month or so. Snosuit offers some great features like I listed below, and I can't wait to hit the ice hard with it. That's my story, but can't answer for anyone else.

[Esox_Magnum]

I want to see your suit when you get it, may be the ticket for the wife if we get a sled

[harvey lee]

Hotrod1

Yes the Arctic Armor is a very nice suit and I own more than one.

They have served me very well for the past 3 seasons and will continue to do so.

I have also owned the Ice Armor suits and now I enjoy using both the Arctic Armor and the Sno Suit.

I realize you know about the Artic Armor's suit and that it could save ones life.

Simply saying that another option for the outdoorsmen or women is they have another choice when it comes to outdoor clothing and that the Sno Suit from Frabill is a high quality and very warm suit.

I enjoy using high quality products and both the Arctic Armor and Sno Suits fit that bill.

I see nothing wrong with owning two quality suits. They will both find a place in my arsenal of outdoor clothing.

[krinkle]

With a Snosuit you would not neede to by a portable.

[Fred_Bear]

From what I've seen Snosuit is the superior extreme weather suit. BUT it doesn't float... I own AA and wouldn't buy anything else.

[croixflats]

Harvey lee thanks for giving us options.

Personaly I had a cold weather suit that was the ultimate but was not meant for ice fishing being leather and all. Came across the AA suite and it suite the bill for the Ice fishing agenda and more.

Now FM gives us another option cudoes for that. If SnoSuit lives up to its claim we all win.

Be intresting to see if the warmth can compare to a leather snomobile outfit.

Buy the way leather sinks even when not holding onto the snomobile.I know by experiance

[harvey lee]

Thats what having these sponsors on Fishing Minnesota is all about.

Bringing new products and a review for the userers.

I do believe the Sno Suit will live up to the talk. Granted its not for all and the price is a bit higher but the Sno Suit is a high quality product to say the least.

[BartmanMN]

I am curious on the quality of the SnoSuit now that it is under Frabill. I have last years SnoSuit Arctic Series Bibs and they are the best built bibs I have ever seen. Way over engineered. My bibs have Thinsulate, Teflon coating, YKK zippers, gators in the legs to keep snow out, etc. I see some sites like Reeds using last years description on this years product, but when I review the new SnowSuit site this year it does not mention all of the awesome products used in last years suit. I am not sure if someone will be able to respond to this since they are a sponsor, but I wanted to know.

[harvey lee]

I will find that out for you BartmanMN

[Ed Carlson]

Quality has not diminished, if anything, the pressure by Frabill to enhance the various Sno-Suit models has increased.

They greatly appreciate all feedback, good and bad, that is how products get improved with user feedback and constructive suggestions.

Feel free to contact them with any comments and concerns.

[harvey lee]

Well, I gave the Sno Suit the ultimate test.

I was on Rainy Lake this past weekend on the Minnesota-Canada border.

The morning temps werre from -31 to-39.

We went out on our sleds and traveled approx 30-35mph. I do not know how to figure wind chills in these extreme temps but I can say that after a 45 miunte ride, I was very warm and toasty. I did have a sweater on underneath along with my long underwear.

The wind chill temps had to be a -80 to -100.

I could not believe that this Sno Suit kept me as warm as it did. I also sat on my sled fishing in these cold temps and faired very well.

I thought the gloves were also very good. My finger tips did get a tick cool but after I turned on the hand warmers on the sled, that cured that.

This suit is the suit I will always wear in the very extreme temps from here on out.

Thanks to Frabill for a suit that will keep one warm under I believe any weather Minnesota can throw at me.

[Northlander]

Like I have said before I wear my AA suit when ice fishing because I like the fact it keeps me warm, its light and it will float me.

If I had the cash to be able to afford another suit for snowmobiling it would be the Sno Suit. Its very well made and VERY warm. Their choppers were some of the warmest I have ever worn as well. My hands get cold very very easy and they did more than I expected in the -40 degree temps we had riding sleds this weekend.

[harvey lee]

I wear my Arctic Armor suit for many outdoor activities but when I am in the extreme subzero outdoor temps, you will see me with a Sno Suit on.

It is one simply awesome suit.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I was part of the same adventure as Northlander and Harvey Lee. I wore the Sno-Suit gloves one day and the mittens the next.

I'm glad I had them on. The mittens are warmer than the gloves as all mittens are warmer than gloves, but I was very impressed at how protected my hands were on the sleds.

[Surface Tension]

Sno-Suit in the BWCAW.

Come along, I'll take you there.

With the deep freeze we are in right now I was able to test out the Sno-Suit inside the BWCAW on a Lake Trout Trip. Up until this point I had used the Sno-Suit for shorter periods out in the deep freeze. Those sort test periods gave me an idea of what layering I'd need for extended use without the aid of a portable shelter while sitting for extended periods.

Ahead was a two mile walk-in in to Trout lake. Day break with temps well below zero and a 15MPH NW wind that bit and stung bare skin. The Sno-Suit bids packed away with gear on a sled. Jacket on but unzipped with all vents wide open.

As a boy I learned my legs will take me anywhere I wanted to go. Together my companion and I head out into a Moon lite sky.

The air is frigid but the walk makes our hearts beat hard and we stay warm. Warm enough to justify 1 minute breaks to cool down every half mile or so. We take that time to chat or just enjoy the view.

7:45AM, like a horse heading home, we increase step as we near the fishing grounds, anxious for Lake Trout. The Nils hand auger makes quick work of plunking holes while checking depths with the ICE-55. Finally we settle on a spot.

It didn't take long for the heat our bodies made to

dwindle as activity decreased and we are exposed to the biting winds. Sno-Suit gets dawned. I feel like a gladiator getting into it. I hunker down back to the wind and drop my lure down the hole. Ahh fishing for Lake Trout again.

Wasn't long and I was marking cisco on the 55, thats a good sign when fishing lake trout.

As times goes by my mind drifts off from fishing and I can't help notice that I have use of some of the best equipment and outdoors guy can have. I sure didn't start out that way but still there was one thing in common. My legs would always take me where I wanted to go. All a while the biting wind is buffeting at my back but I'm warm.

A red mark on the ICE-55 shows up and is making way to my lure. Nudge, bang, I set the hook and connect. He he he, I'm as happy as a little girl reeling up a lake trout. Then out pops the holes is a plump 15" walleye. Err! Not that I wouldn't mind 5 more just like that at another time and place but walleyes are not what I'm there for. It takes a few moments to get the jiggin rap from its lip, my hands are stinging cold and the fish is starting to freeze.

Just a quick review of the SNO-Suit without the technical data.

After fishing for 5 hours, no trout are caught on this trip.

The Sno-Suit preformed very well. 5 hours of close to zero activity in those severe conditions is asking a lot. One thing to note is I had the appropriate layers on and while walking in along with breaks so I didn't sweat. At some point I started to get chilled. All that was needed was to get off the chair and drill a hole and fish it.

The Sno-Suit has some weight and bulk to it. It has to be to tough and warm. However it is not binding, the shoulders, elbows and knees are tailored for ease when bending. Sno-Suit does and excellent job of keeping the wind out. The material is wind and waterproof with all openings able to be shut off. After 5 hours there was none of that clammy feeling by normal water loss that is NOT associated with sweating. Yes, with any clothing you can overheat and sweat if you don't balance activity and layers.