Gerbing's heated suits: any good?

[Cooling off in MN]

Hello!
Have any of you fellow WCrs used one of the Gerbing heated suits? I am intrigued by the idea of a battery-heated top and bottom suit and would appreciate your feedback.
We fish open water twelve months a year in Minnesota at Pool 4; it's not difficult to imagine many other great uses for an effective heated suit.

Thanks!
Waiting for winter in Minnesota!

[Hollis UL]

You might check a few posts on http://www.nybass.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=7

[Golden]

I have used one... and during Spring Valley MWC it was COLD... but I plugged in and everyone in the boat was jealous... I was toasty.

They are a little bulky, but no more than normal heavy winter gear I suppose.

It's my understanding that they have licensed the popular camo patterns and will be putting out a line of camo pretty soon.

It will keep you warm, it's thermostat controlled, it does what they say it will do and it's waterproof to boot.

I will be putting together a "Guess the Weight" contest for the upcoming Championships with the Gerbings suit as one of the prizes (we'll have some pretty good prizes for those) and we will have them scheduled for an online chat sometime in September.

Hope that helps.

If you have more questions, the guy to ask is Dan Karst and his email is: karstd NOSPAM @direcway.com

Remove the spaces and the "NOSPAM"

Scott

[Terroreyes]

Question: Can one thermostat control both the jacket and bibs?

[Golden]

Yes, one thermostat for both

It's not too bad if you don't have to move around much... and if you move, just unplug and plug back in when you get back to your seat.

They are toasty.

Scott

[Gerbings Heat]

Scott and gang,
We're actually creating a magnetic clip (size of a quarter) that will be used with the pro-seat as the power source. With less than 1/4 lb pull away you'll be disconnected from the power with no wires or connections. Very ergonomic.
At the helm, we're providing a 12V cig adapter with coil cord so it's easy to connect.

The Temp Controller has settings from ambient body temp to 125 degrees and can be adjusted in minor increments depending how cold or warm it is. The heated liners can also be removed totally (zip-out) so the shell is an excellent rain suit for the Summer months.

Dan @ Gerbing's

[John in Mn]

All I can say is "I WANT ONE!!!"

[Waconia Walleye Guy]

I ordered my Gerbing's heated suit yesterday and can't wait to try it out. It will also be a good "trip saver" for my son and bride when some warmth and encouragement is needed...
Michael in Waconia MN

[Gerbings Heat]

That's one of two key points right there!
Younger anglers and our better halves can really enjoy the sport if they're comfortable.

The second is productivity.

How many of us have just literally had to head in due to lack of sight (face swelling), lack of dexterity on light line, or just plain miserable.
This gear is not a comfort expense, it's an adaptation of technology for us to use to keep us out there longer.
Any of you ever light line using jigs in the early season? I have and it's miserbale if you can't concentrate.
As soon as I get on plane these days, the affects of the bitter cold don't hurt anymore. When I get to the point of chilled or not fishing anymore...I plug in and can stay the duration.
That's what this is about.

Dan @ Gerbing's

[Warm suits]

My experience with the suit is that they work very well but it was a large drain on the battery. The one I saw used was an older model and it took a fully charged battery down to less than 10 volts in a short time and the cord itself got very warm. Is that normal and what is the typical deep cycle battery life on these suits?

[Gerbings Heat]

Since the Element Edge is brand new I'm guessing your referring to different technology that someone was using on a boat.

Our liners (pants/jacket) have been out for 30 years with no current or over heating issues when properly used with a DC system (battery). A few European clothing companies' products we've seen have had overload (warm cords/hot spots in the garments) due to lack of engineering for proper DC voltage.

If you have a Deep Cycle battery that is fully charged (stand alone) in the bow, you'll get roughly 6-7 hours of maximum heat out of our full suit. Most people opt for the portable temperature controller so you can dial down the heat as the day warms. When you really need the full 125 degress is when you're running at 60 MPH in March for about 10+ miles. As soon as you stop and either troll or cast, typically the wind chill isn't as bad and you can easily dial down to 90-100 degrees for warmth. If used with a temperature controller and (stand alone) battery, you could feasibly get 10-12 hours out of one charge. So for the ice fisherman that uses a sled and has the way to tote a large battery..the whole suit would offer 6-8 hours on high.
(Stand alone) means a battery that is not hooked up to the outboard or alternator. If you use the helm connection or battery used with your main power source (starting battery), you could stay out all day and all night as long as you get the voltage in the system charged once in a while. Most every current outboard over 75 HP offers at least 90 amps. Any outboard over 125 you can get closer 120 amps. If you consider your electronics, lights, and any other accessories, you can still use two full suits that run off the main charging system all day.

Hope that answers some questions.

Dan @ Gerbing's

[Gerbings Heat]

Sorry guys...brain fart on the Amps. Been a long day.

Most outboards 75-90 HP offer 20 Amps or better.
Most outboards 100+ have at least 45-60.

Considering our full suit draws less than 12 amps on high we still have more than enough left for the entire day...especially if you use the main power source and are properly rigged.

Dan

[CJD_DvlLkND]

Gerbing sent me one last year to demo. It worked great. The only bummer was I didn't get it until after our EXTREME cold in the area had ended. I'm looking forward to using it this winter when the extreme cold hits.