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Just curious what everyones opinion about ice tents is. Do you guys prefer the tents that have a floor in them or the ones without? Is bigger better? Is one brand better than others?
I've always wanted one but have never gone ice fishing enough to justify the price. Thinking I might do more ice fishing if I had one. Any info helps. Thanks!
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I have an eskimo quickfish 3. its great for my family of 4 as a shelter to get warmed up. and it works perfect for me an a buddy to fish for a day. no floor, just drill holes and I can kick any extra slush or snow out under the flaps. My wife wants the quickfish 6 tent, its basically 2 of mine put together, but if there is any breeze at all, the smaller units are enough to handle, I cant imagine a larger one.
I totally have icefished more since I got the tent and my family of GIRLS is more ready to go knowing we have a shelter they can retreat into if the weather gets iffy or the sun goes away....
I would get one. You just have to decide what type of fishing you do and the main group that will be with you. I planned on my family going, that way I can handle a couple buddies going also...
good luck in your decision.
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Thanks badfish! That is encouraging news! It's always more fun when the girls like to go!
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I have the Eskimo fatfish, 6 man tent. I absolutely love it. The reason I went with a pop up tent vs a shed, is the weight issue. There is a lot more sheds more durable than some Eskimo tents, but availability to just pack in on your back or pull on a sled is so easy. Plus now with this tent, I am able to get my wife involved when I go. She never had desire to go because of the cold, but I put a heater and the tent up, we can be gone all day  .
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What happens in the tent, stays in the tent![blush]
I love it! Thanks for the info!
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If fishing with kids I would not do it without one. This is the forth year I been going up to strawberry with my kid(s) and we fish the whole day in a tent. There have been some days that were so cold or windy that the fishing would have ending very quickly without a shelter.
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I just upgraded from a 3-4 man Frabil with a floor to a cabelas 6x12. Major difference in weight and bulk. Having the floor is nice but not a huge difference to me and my 4 kids. We love the extra space and less weight. Great tent!
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I have a quick fish 3 its great no complaints I love it and it makes the cold bearable for my wife
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I have a fat fish and love it. They help extend a fishing trip when you have kids with. Have fished with myself and three kids in the tent and still had room to move around.
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Quickfish 3. I like not having a floor. I can drill holes, push aside the snow and slush, then slide the tent over the holes. I like the light weight and the quick setup. Just take plenty of buckets, milk crates or whatever to keep things up off the snow. After awhile Mr Heater melts the snow and you're in a puddle, but I have even made some wooden things out of slats to keep my feet above water. It sure beats sitting out in the cold breeze.
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I really appreciate all of the info! It's been nice to get all positive feed back on ice tents. It looks like most of you are using tents without floors because they are lighter; however, do you find that things get slushy in there after awhile? Is your gear getting wet a big enough problem to look at getting a tent with a floor?
Thanks MisterCompletely for the idea of milk crates...
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Do you mean 3 poles, chumming with corn or whatever, no license, and the like? I've heard of people doing that...no one I know.[angelic]
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The Frabil HideOut that I use has a floor and when there is slush or it gets really warm in the tent me and the kids along with the gear stay dry. It is a bit heavier than floorless models but never wet and that is a big plus with kids.
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Does the hideout model come with a sled?
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[quote TheScout]Does the hideout model come with a sled?[/quote]
The hidout IS a sled. I have one too - and yeah the sled has weight from the poles, tent, and floor, plus with a wide flat presentation - it can be a pain to pull. I'm thinking about fashioning a ski-rack system I could strap it onto. Reduce the dreaded F coefficent.
[center][inline IceHole.jpg]
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But it also serves AS a sled - so you can dump all your gear in, and go. And once it's setup - you have a 3-hole, 4 if you wanna get cozy on 'em, zone of open ground. And you sit in the sled, so out of the snow ice. I would recommend an ice anchor. Big winds doth blow!
[inline IH4.Holee-Success.jpg]
One thing I don't love - it having a flat roof, if it's WET out, it'll drip. But I also like having the headroom to stand up freely. Do enough hunching in the chairs!
[inline Ia1.ShackedfromWind.png]
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I have the eskimo quickfish 3. I want the larger one though because I have 4 girls and a wife. We have never been out all together because of limited space. I have loved the shelter though even if it is a bit crowded. Some days when it is sunny, you don't even need the heater because the shelter absorbs the heat and makes the inside plenty toasty.
Although it is floorlsee, I pack my stuff in buckets or drybags. I actually like the snow and sluch to melt, because if it is fresh ice, it gets like glass, and you can see the fish below checking out your bait. It is also a blast to watch them fight as you reel them in. You can't do this everytime, but when it works it is awesome. I have to bring something to set my heater on though. It doesn't like sitting in a puddle too much.
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I have owned both. I did not care for the ones with a floor because when I got them home and had to clean the floor. I have a Quickfish 3 and love it. Only thing I would like now is a Fat 4 made by Eskimo.
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Thanks yote for the pics! That perfectly explained how the hideout is. Do you have enough room in there to set up a collapsible camp table?
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Thanks everyone for the info! From what I'm gathering, the "floor less" models are the more popular...I was set on a floor model but maybe not so much anymore. I like the idea of a floor but the extra weight and cleanup sounds like it might not be worth it.
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I have the fat four. It is quilted and is warm even without a heater. One thing you need to understand about eskimo is that 2 years ago they up-graded their hubs, stitching, and their zippers. The fat design is the tent is fatter at the bottom than at the top. It will fish 4 guys on buckets but fishes 2 guys with all their gear and very comfy seats ( fold up chairs). The boy owns a fat cat six I call it the Tajmahal. I just ordered me the wide one ( the single man tent) it will be here some time this week. I am excited because it is built on the sleigh. I have had 2 man frabils and I have also had a 2 man clam with the sleigh and I wore out an eskimo carivan which is the one with the 6 foot bench seat. I think for the extra $150 for the quilted fat cats are the way to go. They also come with a bag that zips open at both ends which makes it easy to put in and out and has back pack straps so you can pack it on your shoulders. The ones you are talking about with the floors I have seen people have them and couldn't sell them they had to pretty much give them away. if you don't get one coming your way in a hurry you won't get one for this year. I bet they are a real hot item with these cold temperatures. Just my 2 cents.
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