Shelter?

[Doozer]

I'm getting back in to ice fishing this year. I'm looking for a reasonably priced ice shelter. I like the ones with the sled attached. You guys have any preferences?

Thanks

[anytime]

If your old and fat like me you'll find the shelter's with sled are a little heavy and tough to pull when there is any amount of snow on the ice. I have one and never use it for that reason. The shelter's that set up and knock down weigh 20lbs. and are an easy pull in a jet sled and have a lot more room in them.

[Sk8man]

You might want to seriously consider the advice anytime  is giving.After way over half a century of ice fishing I have returned to my original  'old school" sled and bucket approach from a two person Clam shelter for exactly the reasons mentioned above. My son uses a one person fold up and down Frabill which he loves and it is lighter weight than my clam (which usually sits either in the back of my vehicle or down cellar). When I first selected my shelter it was all about the room  but it quickly became evident that the main concern is weight and pulling through snow especially the high wet stuff. I got sick of becoming exhausted before arriving at my spots and sweating etc. My sled and bucket approach isn't geared for warmth but rather mobility and the ability to change spots frequently and rapidly something you don't usually do with the heavier shelters or ones requiring a lot of time or energy putting up....something to think about....I've also had tents and popup tent like shelters in the past which can provide some shelter and are not as heavy and  I still keep one for times when it is real bad weather. An additional advantage to not using a shelter is that you can see what is going on out there continually and I learned a lot starting out by watching old timers that way (even when they turned their backs to me and had holes in the top of their bucket to slide the fish in to without folks seeing ). This is my "old school approach" for when it is fairly bad out and it is called a Polar Pal (very light weight and mobile) and it folds up in about 5 seconds and I just throw it in the sled and go. There may be one on Ebay or at a garage sale etc.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Sk8man

[bottom-feeder]

frabill the only way to go

[fishaholic59]

I use a shapple wide house I have used for three years now works great . Went through the same situation myself wanted a flip over myself but decided against it due to weight and size . If you have a snowmobile to tow it with then your okay.

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United

[bassandbucks]

I have used a one man Fish Trap by Clam for along time. The first one was in 1993, the sled was built by a "maniac". lol. It was basically square with a flat front and back, any snow at all made dragging it difficult.  I ended up selling that one to a guy with a snowmobile and bought the newer version, a Fish trap Scout that pulled much easier, but as mentioned above they can still be a bear to drag when conditions get bad. But being out of the wind, not having my guides freeze up, etc. out way the effort. Many people modify the sleds by putting skis on them or runners made out of conduit. I did that to my current Fish trap and made dragging it much easier.

Many of the new model now have insulted tents which increase the weight, so it's something else to keep in mind when choosing one.

[Doozer]

Thanks guys. Good info.

[Finders Keepers]

If you want any info about the Frabill shelters, let me know - I'm pro-Staff for the company. There are pro's and con's to each type (flip-over vs. pop-up). A lot depends on your style of fishing.

[GAMBLER]

I have had Clams for twenty years with zero issues.  I currently have a one man and a two man.  Find a couple people with each brand and check them out before buying. 

[ifishy]

i have a one man flip over frabil that i picked up 10+ years ago i think the model is a scout.  the whole thing weighs 27lbs so its a great compromise.  it also has a lock where i can can set it half way open so i can see my surroundings but get a nice wind block out of it.  I would recomend this to anyone the only down side is its a one man.

[EsoxAC3]

The new hybrid by eskimo is a great shack for the price if u r set on a flip style..... It incorporates the room of a hub style shelter with the convenience of a sled. Worth looking into. If u decide to go with a pop up..... Shappell widehouse is awesome value for $$$. Great features. Nice shelter.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Pantucci]

Not a sled, but the Eskimo 3 popup is very light, inexpensive, and travels easily on a jetsled.  Good for 2 people.  Only downside is, if yer not careful setting up, the wind could send it down the lake pretty quick.