As I look into getting an ice shelter I am finding that I have more and more questions. Maybe you all can help me with the decision.
1. What are the advantages/di
vantages of a shelter with a floor and one without?
2. Is one easier to move when cutting a lot of holes searching for fish?
3. How about setup time?
The quickfish III sounds like a good model, but I am hearing several problems people are having with it. I also have seen the viking lx300 with a floor but have heard little about it. Both are about $200 (about my max funding). Hopefully your thoughts will enlighten me a bit?
Thanks,
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I have owned a shelter for a few years. It is for sale on the For Sale board right now (I posted the ad on KSL.Com classifieds this morning and the phone has been ringing off of the hook!). IMHO, the floor ones are nice, but they are heavy, and can be difficult because of their size, to drag by hand. Many of the floor models (especially ones that are small enough to pull by hand) have less floor space than the pop up ones (Quick Fish and Ice Cube). Also, depending upon the style, the floor ones restrict where one can drill the ice holes. On the flip side, most of the floor models are probably more stable in stronger winds, and can be nice to help keep one up out of the slush. I would avoid buying one that has carpet, because the carpets get wet and that makes them heavier to drag and they also take longer to dry out.
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I second Kents remarks. I have fished out of Kents old ice shack (the one that is for sale right now) and I will admit that once it was hauled out there and set up, it was very nice. But hauling it out there and back was a chore as it was just as heavy as a fully loaded jet sled full of gear...and then you still have to pull your jet sled full of gear! It also took a few more minutes to set up and take down.
My objective in buying a shack was lightweight, portability and quick setup and takedown, perhaps at the expense of a little comfort.
The QuickFish and IceCube style shacks only have 1 door, and no floor/carpeting, but sure are nice to haul out there and setup. Once setup, a nice heater makes all the difference in the world. Takedown is just as easy. I used both the QFII (on Saturday...right before I took it back due to a defect) as well as the QFIII on Monday (replaced the QFII with it). I will say that conditions were just about as cold both days as I'll ever experience. And with a Mr. Heater in there, it was very very nice and comfortable both days.
Also, as kent mentioned, with the Ice Cubes and QuickFish series, you can put your holes anywhere you want in there (no floor), just drill holes and put your shelter over the holes. With the floor style shacks, you always have to drill the holes to match the holes in the floor.
I haven't experienced a wind storm with my new shelter yet, so I cannot say how these lightweight portable shelters do in the wind. They do come with ice anchors which I really like. (Easy in, easy out, ver secure).
Hope this helps,
Randy
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One major problem with the QF111 has not even come up yet.
SNOW and lots of it!
Last year I took my QF111 to the Berry after there was a foot or more snow on the ice. We snowshoed in and got ready to set the tent up. We had a very hard time with the snow. Leaving the tent on top of the snow made it hard to anchor to the ice. We moved to a different location to find the fish and this time we shoveled the snow out of the way. This took quite a while to do We were tired and sweeting by the time we had the tent set up.
We both wished that we had taken the Frabill Hideout instead. It sits on top on the snow with no problems.
The Quickfish III isn't the answer for all conditions!
Kent, you may want to keep your old shelter.
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DKStroutfitter,
Very good point. I've wondered what it will be like using my QFIII in a stiff wind at Strawberry if there was 2 feet of SLUSH! That might be the day I turn around and just go home!
Randy
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Many people seem to like the lack of a floor in some of these newer ice fishing tents. I don't have one of that style, and there are two things I really don't like about it. One is stability: you can't hold the tent in place in a wind by sitting in there (keeping yourself warm as well). The second thing is protection...protection from both cold and water. Keeping your feet up out of the water and slush, even if you have waterproof boots, is one of the biggest things you can do to keep your trip comfortable. Also, having that layer between you and the slush / snow /ice, even if the layer is just a plastic clamshell, does help to insulate against the cold coming off the ice.
The Frabil shack material seems to be as good as, or better than any other at absorbing the little heat coming off the sun, and insulating the heat into the shack. I have been out in some very cold days in my Frabil XL, and been just cozy inside the shack, sometimes even shedding the coat with minimal heat used (Mr. Buddy heater).
Yes, my shack is a royal pain in the....err....you know what I mean...to drag out on the ice, and I'm thinking of getting another Jet Sled to throw the shack on when dragging it since the Jet Sled glides on the snow better (the shack just pushes snow along). However, I think the inconvenience of the shack is out-weighed by the comforts and usability, especially in colder weather.
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[size 1]"Leaving the tent on top of the snow made it hard to anchor to the ice. We moved to a different location to find the fish and this time we shoveled the snow out of the way."[/size]
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[size 1]My new tent won't arrive until Friday, and I haven't looked that closely at the tents that others own, so I may be way off base, but couldn't one just put the tent on top of the snow and shovel out where each anchor connects to the ice? If this makes the anchor ropes too short, couldn't one easily add an extension to each rope?[/size]
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[size 1]"Kent, you may want to keep your old shelter."[/size]
[size 1]I sure hope that I don't end up with seller's regret[unsure] because I have people all lined up to purchase the old shack. It appears that as a minimum I will leave some money on the table.[/size]
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I my opinion- you should do yourself a favor and get a good "flip/clam" shelter with a light tub.
You're going to want to be able to transport all your gear anyway so the fact that the "tent" is light is only a small piece of the picture.
If later you feel the need to travel cross country by foot to get to that special spot- then get a small $5 dollar tarp and a backpack and off you go-
Your family (and in turn you) will be glad you did... PB
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Kent, the QF you can anchor on the inside corners of the tent as well as using the 4 ropes attached to the outside (8 different locations). I don't know about the cube
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Kent, yoy can do that, but the tent will want to slowly settle into the snow and it is just a bit of a pain to readjust it once in a while. My QFIII aslo had a pole breat when we were putting it up in a wind. As I pulled the side out, the wind oushed it back in with enough force to snap the rod at the connector.
Don't get me wrong. I like the tent, but it isn't as easy to use in deep snow as one with a floor.
I once sat in the sled to keep my feet out of the water. It worked but was very confining and awkward.
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Thanks for all the advice. I am still not sure which choice will be best for me, but it does help to hear your experiences with them.
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I have the Eskimo quick flip III. It works great and very roomy but weighs about 108 pounds without my gear. Makes for a very tough climb back to the truck.
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I have one of each (Eskimo Caravan and Frabill 2 man)... The Caravan is much heavier and I only use with snowmobile or 4 wheeler- the Frabill is mush lighter and can be pulled by machine or good ole man power. They both have the needed tubs to carry your necessary gear and are covered for transportation.
All in all they're the "ooonly way to fly"...PB
PS- all fip-up are basically the same- find a good deal on the general size you prefer and make the jump- PB
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which frabill do you have?
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which frabill do you have? [/reply]
I have the Trekker -2- seater... It's light but with a large-enough tub to carry the gear for a larger group, and just the right size if your traveling solo-
PB
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i only asked becasue i just bought the same one. how do you like it?
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i only asked becasue i just bought the same one. how do you like it? [/reply]
It's just right when it's only me- or me and MomaBaruu- But the Grand Caravan is a must when traveling with all the Little Baruu's...
The fact that the chairs are removable made the decision for me over the Quick-Flip II- But it's a good shanty too-
PB
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cool thanks for the info. mine is on layaway but i hope to get it tonight.
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