I am looking for any info on how to build a ice shack. Something I can pull by snowmoblile or by hand sometimes too. Does anyone have any ideas or pics I could see. I thought if I could not pick up a used one for cheep then I would just build something. I have seen a few examples on the internet but I don't like any of them much. Thanks fellas.
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You should ask Coldfooter about the Hilton.
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Unless you are always going to use your snowmobile or you are considering converting a small tent to be used on the ice, I would suggest that you purchase one. The home-made ones with the plywood floors are heavier than I want to consider dragging out onto the ice by hand.
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[cool]Coldfooter is the man when it comes to that stuff. I believe there's a few threads on here about that very subject. We've got an excellent "SEARCH" feature on this site. Just go to the top of the page and enter in your criteria, and you should be able to pull up some great threads on this from the past couple of years. Happy research!
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Im with Kent on buying one verses building. I have built a few in years past out of wood but they were far from handily portable. Unfortunatly they don`t exactly give them away. If you do build one, make it tough enough to handle the wind. See ya on the hard deck.
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ive also built sevral. do you self a big favor choose easy.... buy one. look for a used one if your on a tight budget.
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I do Both-
Basically we just add a "wing" to an existing shelter. Using heavy duty tent poles we create a nice arc outside the door of an existing shelter. Then we put 2 "ice screws" (screw into the ice to secure your shelter or other things), into the ice a little further from the tent pole arc. Using a rope we go through both ice screws, around the middle of the arc'd tent poles and inside the door of the existing shelter and tie them off to that structure. Using a large tarp we drape it over the pole, ropes, etc. Then using tie down, bungees and more ropes we secure it all up. It actually does pretty well in the wind and makes it comfy to fish 4 people. My base shelter was a Shapell DX3000.
I recently upgraded to the Otter Northern Wilderness shelter and plan to put the same "wing" on it. [cool]
Here's the old one (O4T was there this night):
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Cabela's has a kit for $120. You have to make your own floor from some 2x2's and 1/2" plywood. Only the floor is wood. I bought one last year and have been happy with the results. I modified the plans some to lift the shack off the ice and added runners (DI snow ski's) so it is easy to move once erected. It tows very well by hand sitting on top of my mid size plastic sled that I bought at Sports Warehouse.
I can pull it up the hill at Rockport and the hill at Pineview by the dam. I'm overweight and over 50, sit at a desk all day.
The sled has the shelter, auger, 2 camp chairs, my depth sounder w/battery and a heater with a small propane tank in it as well, along with 6 rods, some beer and a over weight tackle box.
Kind of buy part and build part.
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I just bought the Eskimo III from Sportsman for $160 and the thing is huge and easy to set up
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was there a bunch of them for sale at that price or just one in the bargin cave.
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I just got an Eskimo 3 at Sportsman's too. That was last night. There were about 8 or 10 left. No tax sale until Friday. Can't wait to use it!
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[cool]Yes I was (there), and it was a lot of fun, and there was plenty of space for all. A heater on one end, and a heater on the other, and there was plenty of warmth, room, and good times as well. Although, as I remember it, f4f kicked our butts with the fishcount (gotta get me some of that banana smelly jelly and a Q-tip to insert the stuff into the tubejig[
]) but it was a great time, and the shelter stood up well against the wind that came up that night as well. If I remember right, it was below 0 that night too, but no worries were had by us ('til BassAckward decided to step in an icehole upon packing up...DOH!!!!!!!!!!!)
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$159.99 is the normal price. no sale.
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No floor. It's a tent that you have to stake down to keep from blowing away. Great if you have to hike as it is very lite and portable while packed in it's case that has backpack straps.
The Cabela's model I have mentioned is on sale for $100. I like a floor as I have children that manage to get wet and cold. I can sit them down, change their socks, boots or what ever. Also to move all I have to do is pull the thing, with all the stuff still inside to a new place, drill my two holes and move the shack over them.
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[cool]This sounds like a cool shack. I have 2 small children, so maybe this would be a good option for my family. I'm gonna go over to the cabelas site and see if I can find it...
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Let me know if you get one. I'll take some pics of the floor I built and Tube or Petty can help me get them posted for you. It took me a couple of tries to get the floor so that I could put the ski's on it and have it fit tightly over my Schappell sled like a cover and stay in place while going down the west side hill to Rockport.
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