We’ve told you how warm the new Pyre Bib and Jacket are. We’ve explained that this set was born for the cold treestands of Wisconsin or the icy blinds of Michigan’s UP. We’ve watched as people have tried the Pyre on, in stores and at our various show booths, only to suddenly be overcome with heat.
But you wanted more. You needed more evidence that the Pyre was the roasty-toastiest set of camo duds you could put on for a day out in the cold.
OK. We hear you.
That’s why, in the name of science, we headed out for one of the coldest activities going (outside of sitting on a metal grate in a tree for six hours in November). To prove Pyre’s ability to keep you warm, we spent a few hours sitting on a bucket… In February… On a frozen lake.
Ice fishing—also known as competitive “Who’s Nuttier?”—is one of our favorite activities whenever we can’t use a bow or rifle. Granted, our trips generally involve heated huts, comfy chairs and a bottle or two of liquid warmth.
This time, we went full run-and-gun with nothing more than our poles, a Humminbird Helix 7 Ice unit and the classic plastic bucket.
The ice was hard, the fish were hungry, and the buns were warm. Despite the north wind rolling over the dam, we were unconcerned. The bibs kept the draft from blowing up the back of our jacket, and thanks to the handwarmer pockets we were able to leave the gloves stowed.
While not designed for the rigors of the lake, the waterproof fabric kept us dry all day. We put it to the test, too. From kneeling on the snowy ice to getting splashed every time we punched a new hole, we stayed dry as a bone underneath our bibs. The jacket was just as dry, and every fish we released thanked us by kicking up a face-full of icy water.
Since we were doing serious sciencing, we kept the variables to a minimum. Not only did we leave our shelters and heaters behind, but since we claimed that this was a “work event,” we also left all the warming liquid behind. Turns out, we didn’t miss it a bit.
All in all, it was a great day on the lake. We caught more than enough fish for everyone, and no one was skunked. We didn’t miss the hut at all, thanks to the warmth of our Pyre.
Now, if we can only figure out how to apply this really cool fish-finding technology to elk hunting…
