Eskimo Lockout Suit

Got a set of the new Eskimo Lockout suit for Christmas. Definitely a big upgrade over my old-school original blue and black ice armor that Ive had for about 10 years. I have used them 5 times so far, and one of those days it was 24 below with some stiff NW winds in northern MN. I was out of the house for much of the day hole-hopping some deep-water crappies, and stayed about as warm as one can expect in those conditions. So far, I have nothing but good things to say about this suit, with ample pockets and what seems to be a great zipper system. I wanted to ask if anyone else had picked up a set or had any complaints / comments with them so far.

I guess this is a striker-only type community when it comes to suits! Duly noted. Well if anyone is looking at the Lockout suit for a slightly more affordable option, I would highly recommend it. (thus far, at least).

Well….They are a new product out this year……It’s not surprising……
And if this is a Striker only site I’ve been in the wrong place……I use Frabill and Carhartt myself………

Was in a small baitshop out by Villard and low and behold they were a Eskimo dealer. They had the EVO1i I was looking for intensely for last season. Anyways they had that suit and checked it out, seemed real nice, pockets in all the right places, good cuffs, good zippers, etc etc. Seemed real light though, probably my fault for equating quality with weight but for the price something I will definitely be checking out when time to upgrade my suit.

Thanks for the review

How much knee padding do the bibs have, and are the knees really waterproof? I miss my old grey ice armor extreme suit. Upgraded 3 years ago and new suit isnt the same.

From Striker website:

What is the difference between the GUARDIAN, the Striker Ice HARDWATER, Striker Ice PREDATOR and the CLIMATE suits?

The outer shell on the HARDWATER uses a 600D Endura that has a “Carhartt” feel and the Striker Ice PREDATOR uses a 330D Tussor that has a traditional ice suit feel. A Tricot interior (micro fleece feel) is used on the body of the HARDWATER and a Taffeta nylon lining is used on the sleeves. There is 150g of Thermadex insulation is in the HARDWATER garments and 100g of Thermadex insulation in the Striker Ice Predator garments. The CLIMATE has a light 330D shell with removable linings so it can be used as a three-season suit by removing the liners. The GUARDIAN is similar to the PREDATOR but with fewer features and less insulation. The GUARDIAN has Sureflote and 50g Thermadex insulation, and has 600D Endura elbow and knee panels.

From Eskimo website:

SPECIFICATIONS:
600D Endura Outer Shell
Hydrapore® 5000 W/B
100% PU Seam Taped
Sureflote® Flotation-Assist Liner
210T Interior Lining
60g Thermadex® Insulation
360 Degree Reflective Material
YKK® Heavy Duty Front Zipper
Cargo Pockets
Exterior D-Rings for Accessories
Removable Hood with Memory Wire Visor
Velcro Adjustable Cuff Closures
Inner Cell Phone Pocket
Zippered Breast Pockets
Soft Touch Side Hand Pockets
Fast-Drain Hems

The 210t lining just seems to be a fancy term for, well, the lining, not the liner(insulation). Correct me if I’m wrong.

The eskimo matches best up with the guardian suit for insulation except thicker shell, 600 vs 330 respectively. Website says guardian has 50gram vs the catalogue saying 60gram, either way the guardian is msrp $159.95 with the Eskimo at $179.99.

Frabill i2 $149.99 for 300shell and 150gram Thinsulate, no sureflote.

Clam didn’t even have any thermal ratings I could find for their mid level outerwear.

Cabela’s guidewear late season has 200grams but we all know what that retails for….. . And no sureflote.

Hope Eskimo does well. Sure wish I knew how Thinsulate and Thermadex matched up.

FYI, Cabela’s has their late season guidewear clearances out right now online, $200 for parka or bibs, seems to have good selection left.

Well, after fishing in the suit this weekend in northern MN with the temps hovering around -10 to -20, I have no issues with warmth on this suit. It’s lighter weight than some other suits I have seen, but I absolutely love how thick the outer shell is. I was in and out of the house on and off for most of the days, but spent plenty of time on open ice with no issues. As for the knee padding, I find it comparable to the old blue Ice Armor suits. Maybe not as thick as the Grey extreme suits, but sufficient for my taste, and certainly waterproof. Comparing to other similar suits, the prices are probably all fairly similar depending on the sales you can find. Will be interesting to see what people think of them after a few seasons of use!

It would be nice to see someone compare all the different “measures” of insulation that different brands use.

Expedition Outdoors Anorakk Suit is another overlooked option out there. I really like mine, I paid $225 from Marine General for the whole set.

Anyone have updates or reviews on their Eskimo suits?

Still using mine and am very happy with it. I wore it about 3-4 times a week for the entire season last year and it hasn’t shown any signs of wear. It’s a solid option

I know the lockout bib and jacket were made by Striker for Eskimo. I think they are the hardwater, but I’m not sure. I did a lot of research when they first came out.

I picked up the Lockout bibs at the end of last season. No ice in southeast MI yet, so I have no review.

This past weekend I spoke to an Eskimo rep at the fishing show in MI. Eskimo is now making their own suits. There are two new models with flotation, Legend and Keeper. They also have the flag chaser which doesn’t have flotation.

The Legend has 100g chest and 60g arms for the jacket. The Keeper has 80g chest and 60g arms. The material is looks a little heavier for the Legend, but both look to be well built. You can see the details at Eskimo’s website.

Anyway, Eskimo was running a special with the shop offering a discount on either full set with a free storage bag. Perhaps there will be some closeouts on the lockouts.

dexknows wrote:

I guess this is a striker-only type community when it comes to suits! Duly noted. Well if anyone is looking at the Lockout suit for a slightly more affordable option, I would highly recommend it. (thus far, at least).

I think with the crew going away from some of their trusty sponsors you will see this forum start to even out a bit.

As for suits, I’m not sure you can get a bad set anymore if you go with a brand’s higher end suits. I switched from Striker to the Clam Ascent suit and I’ve been just as warm and dry with it as my Striker Preds. Glad to hear you like the Eskimo suit. More companies making quality products is good for the sport.

Is it a fact that a Lockout is a Hardwater or just speculation?

Tried the coat at the ice show, almost bought it, very impressed, not in the budget for this year though.

Thanks for all the input on the Eskimo suits. I am in the market for a some sort of float suit and I’ll be checking the Eskimos out.

On a side note
I did pick up a pair of the Eskimo Flag chaser pants last fall. I wanted something windproof waterproof and some insulation for cold weather boat fishing. I like the pants and wore them boat and all ice season so far. The one dislike about them is the suspenders which attach to the waist via velcro loops. One of the three loops loops popped open every time I wore those pants. The pants do come with belt loops so I just ditched the suspenders that came with the suit and used a belt and regular suspenders instead. No issues after I did that.
In summary, The pants are comfortable, warm and waterproof but plan on upgrading the suspenders if you go with a pair of these.