Arctic Armor......Is it worth the money?

[harvey lee]

I look at it this way, if I were to fall through the ice or into cold water, I truly feel that the suit will help me get out as I will stay afloat. I believe if I were to fall into the cold water, without a suit, the fight to get out back onto the ice would be much harder.

The suit might give one that little extra flotation so once one gets their wits back, they could crawl out much easier.

I also know that I am not going to break through to check it out.

How can it hurt to be wearing an AA suit if you were to fall in???

[Rick]

The flotation aspect of the AA doesn't impress me all that much. Yes it floats but the situation has to be just right for it to save your life, much less be a benefit. It provides some peace of mind but will it actually save your life? Not sure. It can't hurt though, only help.

If you fall in open water in the winter you have a serious situation on your hands whether you are wearing AA, a PFD, or nothing at all. If you are out by yourself and can't get back on the ice you are going to die either way. If you are with a buddy they are likely going to be able to get you out of the water either way...again the situation has to be just right for somebody to be able to say "AA saved my life". Hopefully none of us are ever in a situation like that in the first place.

Here are my thoughts on the AA suit and I looked it over very closely:

*Very light weight! I almost bought it for just this reason

*Comfortable!

*Floats!

*Everybody says they are VERY warm, everybody wouldn't lie!

*You get very warm and very light coat that could potentially save your life.

Cons:

*Kinda boring in the appearance dept - not very important but worth noting

*Cost

In the end, if I were on any type of budget I would (and did) opt for a different brand that I am VERY happy with. I thought AA was a better product than most of the others but not $150 better.

If money wasn't a factor I would go with AA.

I highly doubt that anybody purchasing AA would be disappointed...quality product.

Consider this as well:

1. Arctic Armor Floats and therefore keeps you higher making it much easier to kick and roll back onto the ice by yourself.

2. The Arctic Armor insultex not only floats but insulates and is waterproof so will keep you warmer much longer in a hypothermia situation giving you much better odds for survival.

3. You don't get waterlogged with freezing cold-heavy water like the cheap brands, again improving your odds for survival.

$150 more for a warmer, lighter, dryer AND safer suit is well worth it to me and my family. At only $319 for Arctic Armor Parka and Bibs and FREE Gloves it's a pretty good deal in my book.

Looks good too!!

[tsande00]

That camo suit does look pretty sharp.

I wasn't bashing on AA. Great product and the fact it sells like hotcakes despite limited advertising speaks for itself.

[Rick]

I hear ya sir and it's nice to read your perspective on Arctic Armor.

Thank you.

[Steve Foss]

I wonder how many folks have put on their AA and jumped in the lake during open water season. I have. It works.

[Gloomis21]

Hello there from Nebraska!

Hey guys santa is going to be getting me artic armor bibs and jacket for Christmas. I'm stuck on sizing though. I'm 5'10 35" chest, 30" inseam and my sleeve length is 30" weigh in 140lbs. I've been going back and forth between the small and meduim in the red & black set. Harvey sounds like you're the expert on sizing wondering what you think? Any info appreciated. Sounds like a great product. Told my wife, I mean santa about the flotation and that sealed the deal. Usually fish by myself. I like the extra peice of mind for sure. Thanks for the help guys.

[Steve Foss]

FWIW, I'd recommend medium bibs and large jacket.

[Gloomis21]

Thanks for the reply Steve. Also forgot to metion I usually layer with under armour tops and bottoms with fleece liner pants and a hoodie. Sounds like medium or large might be the way to go. Also wondering if it costs more to have the HSO embroirded logo on it? Would like to promote the HSOforum it is an awesome source of ice fishing info. Thanks again for the replies.

[Steve Foss]

Gloomis, it does cost a bit more for the embroidery. I looked at your measurements and made an estimate, but hopefully someone else with your build will chime in. The standard AA and the AA Plus fit a bit differently.

[Gloomis21]

Thanks again for the reply Steve. Hopefully there is someone out there with a similar build. Thanks again.

[PerchJerker]

I'm stuck on sizing though. I'm 5'10 35" chest, 30" inseam and my sleeve length is 30" weigh in 140lbs. I've been going back and forth between the small and meduim in the red & black set.

For the bibs, you'll probably want Medium bibs, although possibly Larges due to your height. For the jacket, you'll want Medium --- at only 140 lbs you could almost fit 2 of you in a Large Jacket . Hope that helps!

[scottie56005]

I would like to say that I wear Spyder gear. Never heard of it? Its for snowboarders and skiers. I have owned my gear for two years now and it is still flawless. No "ice fishing" coat out there today is better then what Spyder sells. (My opinion) All this talk about floating makes me laugh! Im sure everyone on this post has common sense but all this talk about floating makes me think that it is something that you need in your outdoor gear. If your the risk taker then fine, go get it. Let me know how good you float and for how long? That should NOT be a reason to buy gear ever! It's not like it is going to keep you dry and you wont pass out with in 15 minutes. But thank god you will be floating! lol I am not the guy to let egos, or stupidity get in the way when ice fishing. Check the ice and if there is a doubt, don't let your "suit" tell you to keep going. One other point of view that no one has touched on yet is the synthetic material next to a heater. All AA suits will burn up with you in them just like my Spyder gear! Carharts will not and that is a +1 for them. But Carharts are not really water friendly lol. Very tough though they are! I guess all I really am trying to convey is this, go out and shop, try them all on, then ask your self while you have it on if you need this or want this? AA makes boots too so I guess since they make boots you should buy them too? How functional is it? Is it well built? Is it comfortable? What is the price? Is this what I NEED? Ask your self those questions when buying any gear for ice fishing and you will have the right gear for YOURSELF when you do so. ***I guess how cool do I look is another question you should ask*** lol Be safe, be friendly, be sportsman!

[tsande00]

scottie - The ability to float isn't really all that funny. I still have some questions to the benefits but Rick made a great point. IF you fall through the ice having a jacket that floats is not only going to keep you alive longer but will probably make it easier to get out of the water since your sitting higher in the water. Also it won't get was water logged as some of the other gear out there.

It is light weight and warm with a ton of pockets. It's got neprene around the wrists to keep wind and snow from blowing inside your coat. It's flexible and comfortable. It is designed for fishing and it's hard to find anything wrong with AA.

At least you can sleep well knowing you look cool in your Spyder gear. Do you have the whole GS suit and helmet too? (just givin ya a hard time - spyder does make great gear)

[Dylan33]

Scottie- Do you ice fish? if you do, you would know that ice is NEVER 100% safe. if I have a choice between two coats that are both equal, except one floats....I'm going with the floating coat so I can stay alive on the off chance I do fall through. And by the way, no one cares how cool your spider gear looks.

[DTro]

I don’t think anyone is saying that not buying a floating type suit is being unsafe or not smart. I sure didn’t buy mine solely because it floats. It’s actually a SUPER warm suit that gives me 3 seasons of use, the fact it floats is a nice bonus... and yes I will survive more than 15 minutes if I fall out of the boat early spring or late fall. Of course, that is what a PFD is for, but in my case I just don’t wear mine 24/7 and it makes for a good backup.

I mean you could take this a step further and buy a full blow Mustang suit like the Alaskan Fisherman wear too.

There is no one perfect answer.

I had a pair of Carhart extreme bibs before I bought the AA, and they were truly indestructible I probably could have used them for the next 25 years, however the weight of them might have killed me before that. LOL I can tell you this, I sure haven’t caught any more fish, I’ve just been a little more comfortable doing it.

[fishwater]

Im sure everyone on this post has common sense but all this talk about floating makes me think that it is something that you need in your outdoor gear. If your the risk taker then fine, go get it. Let me know how good you float and for how long? That should NOT be a reason to buy gear ever!

[NoWiser]

As someone who has gone for a late-night swim, I think the flotation would be EXTREMELY helpful for getting yourself back onto the ice. In my case, I fell through 3 times before getting back to solid ice. By the third time I was so waterlogged and tired that I didn't think there was anyway I could crawl back up again. My legs kept swinging underneath the ice sheet on me, and I couldn't get a grip on the ice. Finally, my arms froze to the ice and I was able to pull myself up one last time.

Had I had Arctic Armor, I think it would have been much, much easier. Imagine crawling out of a swimming pool. It takes a lot of strength. Now imagine doing it wearing pack boots, soaked bibs, and a soaked parka, and the edge of the pool being covered in ice. I don't know for sure, but I think with AA you would just position your body next to the ice and half roll back onto it. Either way having clothes that don't soak up water alone would make it 10X easier. To say that the flotation is not important is absolutely ridiculous. Sure, if you have someone to pull you out it might be fine, but I was 2 miles from shore at night. Nobody to help. Just being able to keep your entire body high in the water without expending valuable energy would be HUGE. I would have paid whatever you asked for Arctic Armor that night.

That said, I don't think the quality and warmth of the garment is very good at all, judging from the few suits I have seen, and worn, in person. But, the flotation alone justifies the cost in my mind. Whether its Arctic Armor or another brand, my next ice fishing suit will float. No question about that. Oh yeah...and as far as having an ego and being stupid? There was 8-10" everywhere I drilled a hole the day I went through. People were starting to drive vehicles out. I was on an atv and there was less than an inch of ice where I went down.

Long story short. Are there better values in clothes for keeping you warm and dry on the ice?? Yes, I believe there definitely are. Are there better values for a suit that could save your life? Probably not.

[McGurk]

Eyewitness News Report on Arctic Armor:

More videos at HSOshow.com™

Fox News Report on Arctic Armor:

More videos at HSOshow.com™

[Steve Foss]

On the warmth issue, my AA Plus bibs are as warm and functional as any fishing bibs I've ever worn. The coat fits nicely in the body, but the sleeves are not cut generously enough to suit me. The coat isn't beefy enough to keep me warm when it's under 10 degrees unless I'm active, so one needs to put a couple/three layers under it.

That being said, this is the first ice gear I've had with enough pockets. Wearing the bibs and coat together, it's amazing what a guy can get in all those pockets. The loop/rings are great too.

Most often, when I'm fishing out of a shelter or the weather is warmer, I just wear the bibs and a few layers of upper garments under the bibs. The coat I save for when I'm out in the elements for extended periods.

[croixflats]

Quote:

will burn up with you in them just like my Spyder gear! Carharts will not and that is a +1 for them.

Glad you happy with what you have personally those two brands are weigh over priced for what you get. As for Carh not burning those heavy nylon ones melt at feel of anything remotely hot. I gave my Carhs' away after I melted them and bought a cheap set of overalls from F and F for work and bought the AA suit for play best decision I made. Oh I feel the AA suite is just as warm with less weight and not so cumbersome. The cheap overalls still going strong and just as warm. My spydy hoody returned that and got a nice Thorn Brothers rod with a Teca real with that money.

[croixflats]

I don't know if anybody does this or not but I found out the AA suite Folds up real small for storage or putting in luggage when you use those vacuum seal bags.

I just took mine out of the bag last weak from storage over the summer and they went back to normal. I forgot how comfortable they are.

[DTro]

Thanks I just watched those vids for the first time. Pretty cool to see what happens when you jump/fall in.

[slurpie]

After the ice show and purchase of a strikemaster suit i have found a new coat. Purchased the AA suit last year and was upset with the coat. Not once was i warm in it at temps of 20 degrees or less. Been fishing with The strikemaster coat and AA bibs so much better at 5 degree or less. It is great that the suit floats hopefully the bottoms will work by themselves. My brother also purchased an AA suit and he had no complaints on his, thinks it is great.

[Cyberfish]

Another way flotation suits can save your life is if you plunge through in deep water it will keep your head from going under water, which does three good things, prevents instant drowning from gasp reflex, keeps you from drowning from being trapped under the ice, and a dry head will mean less heat loss.

I did a test swim with my arctic armor and though it didn't float me as well as a pfd, there still is no way I will drown with this suit on as long as I am conscious!

[harvey lee]

That's why the AA suit is so great. One gets that extra bit of time without going under and getting wetter.