Arctic Armor Ice Fishing Suit

If you are a run and gun ice angler like the modern ice angler of today often is you need a suit that is lightweight but warm.  That would be the arctic armor suit to a T.  It is not the most warm suit of the array that is on the market today, but it does have an advantage over just about everyone in terms of weight.  And it is plenty warm in its own right.  On top of that, one of the calling cards of this suit is the floating properties of the suit.  If you happen to fall in the suit will literally keep you on top of the water.  A great safety feature that comes along for free!

SnoSuit Ice Fishing Suit

If extreme temperatures are your game, you are best served in stepping up to this suit.  When the temperatures are not getting above 0 in the foreseeable future this is the suit that you want to have in your ice fishing arsenal.  From the Sno Suit website:

200 gram Snocore™ Insulation maintains the body's furnace while a waterproof, windproof and breathable shell insists that winter keep its distance. And all this comfort is yours without carrying the weight of the world on your jacket and bibs.

The trick here is that you are going to pay for this warmth.  Each piece of the Snosuit retails for $300 so you are looking and dropping $600 for the entire suit.  Nonetheless, if you are going to be dealing with extreme cold it is the way to go.

Vexilar Cold Snap Ice Fishing Suit

Here is a snow suit from the makers of Vexilar fish finders.  They definitely know their ice fishing flashers, and looking at their suits they do a pretty good job of making warm suits.  Fully complete with padded knees and elbows, the Vexilar suit is one that is liked by many who have gone this route.  I would put it at a solid third in my ranking.

Frabill Ice Fishing Suits

Another stalwart in the ice fishing world, Frabill makes just about everything from ice fishing tip ups to portable ice fishing houses, ice fishing rod and reels combos, etc.  There suits are warm and reasonably lightweight.  I would rank them on par with the Vexilar suits.

Cabelas Suits

One final note here is the Cabelas brand suits.  In general very good things can be said about Cabelas quality and attention to detail.  And most people that are hard on their gear use this stuff constantly.  My experience with the suits has been a bit poor given that it didn't stand up to my heavy use in the winter.  For the money I would look elsewhere, but I am sure that others have had different results.

What has your experiences been with the ice fishing suits that you have bought?  Any stories you could share with the readers of this site to help make their decision on which suit to buy?

The Cheapest Ice Fishing Boots You Will Find

For a tried and true boot that many people love and continue to wear even today you can't go wrong with the bunny boots.  The bunny boots come in two different types, one that is white and one that is black.  The black boot is the less cold rated of the two, but does well in its own right. These boots are a bit on the bulky side of things, but are great for those days that you are stationary while ice fishing pike and watching your ice fishing tip ups pop all day long.  The best part about these boots is that they are inexpensive and have been proven over many decades to keep your feet warm.  If you are looking to get fashion points on the ice look elsewhere, but these boots do their job very well for a square price.

Military Army Mickey Mouse Bunny Cold Weather Snow Winter Boots 9 Wide NEW    US $37.90

High Quality Ice Fishing Boots For Those That Want Top Of The Line

If you are one of those people that simply want the best thing when they purchase their equipment then you need to take a look at the Baffin  boots.  This company focuses solely on boots so you can be assured that their minds are in the right area when you look to keep your feet warm.  Their reputation proceeds them, but for those that are in the market I would suggest the Titan and the Trapper.  The Titan is the colder rated of the two and is rated to a crazy -150 degrees.  It is a bit heavier and bulky to be walking around for a while, but if you are going to be stationary it is a great boot.  The trapper is only rated to -100 degrees, but is lighter and affords more mobility.

BAFFIN WOMENS ZEPPELIN WINTER SNOW BOOT SHOE ZIP FRONT SZ-9 ( MSRP-$98 )    US $13.49

Gone are the days of yesteryear when it was acceptable to have frozen hands while ice fishing. Today, to go along with the comfort phase of "modern ice fishing" ice fishing gloves have come a long ways.  Back in the day we wore bulky cotton gloves that absorbed water and then turned to ice immediately.  This invariably led to freezing hands and a quick exit from the lake.  The wide array of gloves available these days makes those days a thing of the past.

Given that your hands are bound to get wet while ice fishing, a waterproof glove is paramount to keeping your hands warm.  To that end, this should be a large consideration when choosing the glove that you will wear on the ice.  A thin glove is a must to allow for dexterity while not sacrificing much warmth.  With those two key things in mind, let's look at a few different ice fishing gloves available today to add to your ice fishing gear:

Ice Armor Ice Fishing Gloves

Born from the same great material that makes up the Ice Armor outerwear, the gloves to match the set are an

Ice armor fishing gloves are the top of the line ice fishing glove

excellent addition to any ice anglers arsenal.  The glove is waterproof and windproof.  While a little bit big, the dexterity is still there in this glove.  I would consider this the cadillac of ice angling gloves.  Also available in ice fishing mitts.

Neoprene Ice Fishing Gloves

With the advent of neoprene came the flexibility and warmth afforded by its design.  Allowing for a form fit on your hand, neoprene gloves are absolutely waterproof and allow for great agility.  Unfortunately in my experience they do tend to be a bit on the cold side due to their tight fit.  If you elect for a looser fit you lose a lot of the dexterity.  It is a double edged sword.  I like the price point, but there are definitely some lacking features with neoprene gloves.

Sealskinz

Born out of an idea of using what seals utilize to stay warm, the Sealskinz brand has been around for a few years.  I have use the basic pair for a while, and while very thin and agile as well as completely waterproof, I have found the warmth severely lacking in these gloves.  To combat this they have developed the Chillblocker variety that adds a fleece lining.  To accomplish this the price has been raised to that of the Ice Armour gloves.  I think it is a good glove, but would steer people towards the Ice Armour for comparable price, but better quality.

So there you have it, a break down of the ice fishing glove market.