Does this sound like a good summary?:
1. If you ride on ice, and ice is never 100%, you should have a floatation jacket.
2. They are colder on cold days then a tradtional suit.
3. They are warmer (not breathing as well) on warm days then a tradtional suit.
3. They are stiffer and quite as comfortable.
4. The design hasn't changed significantly over the last 3 or 4 years.
TIA!

I have a flotation suite jacket and pants. It’s an Ice Rider made by Mustang. I love it I would not go on ice without it. It is very warm I only wear a t-shirt and wind pants under it. I can unzip the underarms to vent if I get to warm in it. Its is a bit stiff but with time it should loosen up. I got the jacket and snow pants for $520 cnd thats cheaper than a ski-doo setup that is not flotation. I don’t know why anyone would go with anything else. I hope I never put it to use.

this is the jacket
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/products/pr...hp?id=139&mc=17 (http://www.mustangsurvival.com/products/product.php?id=139&mc=17)

hear is the vid of it in action. (near the end they put a sled through the ice with a rider on it)
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resources/g...os/IceRider.wmv (http://www.mustangsurvival.com/resources/gallery/videos/IceRider.wmv)

I too have an Ice Rider, close to ten years now. And they doo work. I have found them to be extremely warm on the warm days, unzipping the leg side zips, underarm vents, sometimes even the front. Small price to pay for the safety, and fine on cold days.

I would totally agree with Icerider. I also have the Icerider suit from Mustang Survival.
It is the warmest jacket and bibs I have ever owned, and is less expensive than any of the manufacturers suits. Completely wind proof as far as I have seen, but has good ventilation. Check them out on the web, it's pretty cool stuff.

SWRules

I have the Lake Runner Buoy 0 Boy sled jacket and HJC Floatex sled Jacket

I have been wearing floater jackets for over 10yrs

I had one experience of falling through the ice without floater jacket and do not want that same feeling ever again :(

I find my older BuoyO Boy breathes better in warm temps yet the HJC is a touch lighter

I would recommend either one B-O-B or HJC Floatex :thumbsup:

You cn't beat the price on the HJC neither :sly:

I find the Mustang Ice Rider too bulcky :crazy:

BTW I am wearing the HJC in my avatar :whistling:

Originally posted by FreezerBurnt@Feb 14 2005, 03:14 PM


I had one experience of falling through the ice without floater jacket and do not want that same feeling ever again :(

I402031



YIKES did you lose yer sled? What happened? I love letting it rip on ice but I am petrified of water I don’t even swim in the summer I almost drowned as a kid.

Thanks for all the good feedback.
Keep it comin'!
So it sounds like the Mustang is not the way to go???

Got a great deal on a Buoy o buoy suit for my wife. She has a problem with winter. It gets tooo cold for her to go out and play here in Ont and she was born in Winterpeg.
Anyways, she loves the suit and is nice and toasty. I took her out for a ride last winter, -28Deg C when we left, and she didn't get cold. Has some vents for the warm days too. If I was afraid of water I would probably consider getting one, but I am afraid to sacrifice the breathability for that big "what if?"

that what if can kill ya, I think its worth it even if it is hot as hell on warmer days but I don't like water.

My icerider saved me when my sled sank on Little Redstone a few years ago. I cant swim but the suit enabled me to float and swim to shore.

Thanks all.
You've helped make up my mind.
Now to try and figure out which brands?
Any end of season sales out there?

St Onge Barrie Ont, Icerider full setup is $520 not going to do much better than that. I think they had the HJC setup for around $590.

Check www.royaldistributing.com they have both the Mustang and HJC floaters

BTW I paid $130 :D for my HJC Floatex Jacket(reg $180)

The floater pants are about $140-180reg

Bros inlaw paid $260 for the whole HJC Floatex suit 4yrs ago at a clearance sale

that is the reason I decided to try HJC Floatex

You can't beat the price of the HJC Floatex under $400

But for a little more I would try to find a Buoy O Boy Lake runner Jacket/pant combo($400-500) :sly:

My experience going through the ice was not with a sled,I was young and stupid and tried crossing a river with >2inches of ice :crazy: when I was around 15yrs old

Lots of lake and river running up here and it is better to be safe then sorry IMO,that is why I wear my Floater jacket

You should be able to find a good deal on suits as most places are having end of season sales now

Thanks all!
I'll start making calls tomorrow!!!

Royal currently has all their jackets, bibs, boots and gloves on 25% off. I was there looking at jackets today, but then I'm about once a week anyways.

I bought an icerider jacket at Royal Distributing for $170, regular $340. I bought it a couple weeks ago. It was in their 2005 book as a clearance item because it was last years model. I called about it in Nov, and they had none left. I just happened to be in the store a couple weeks ago and thought I would check them out. I was surprised to find one of the clearance ones left. I already owned one for the last 5 or 6 years, but it didn't match my sled any more, plus the newer ones are nicer (more flexible, more pockets,etc). I would never run lakes without one. It doesn't matter how good you can swim or whether you fear water. The bottom line is if you fall in the water far from shore or you are struggling to get back on the ice, you need help and the flotation will do that. You've only got a few useful minutes before your limbs become useless and if you have a regular suit, you will probably be struggling just to keep from sinking. Like people have said earlier, its about the same as any brand name suit as far as cost goes.