# Ice fishing shelter



## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I just ordered a portable Ice Hut through Amazon. Its a Ma-n-Pa company in Wisconsin that's trying to make its way into the industry from what I've researched. The driving factor in my decision to go with this brand, was the price, five star ratting and, it's made here in the good ol USA! 


The hut is a "Thunderbay" and its a little larger than the Eskimo 3 hut and taller. If anyone has one of these, I'd like to see what you have to say about it. 


Check them out on Amazon if your in the market for a new ice fishing shack.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

IDK anything about that particular brand, but it looks similar to the Eskimo's so it should be really nice. Alot of the newer shelters are quilted... mine isnt, and I dont see a need for that. My shelter gets surprisingly warm inside, even on really cold days if the sun is out.

Either way congrats on the shelter. You will love it, it turned ice fishing from "fun" to "a blast". Getting out of the wind is really nice, what I love more is being in the "dark" with the reflective light coming in through the floor. I can see fish swim past pretty darn deep.

Ice fishing is one of those sports the more equipment you add, the enjoyment factor goes up exponentially.

Now throw in a Buddy heater and you can fish through any form of blizzard conditions. 


-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Oh... and buy more ice spikes. Eskimo IMO makes the best spikes, easiest to screw into ice. You need 3 or 4 on the windward side, and a couple on the leeward side to hold things down. I have a 6 man so thats a couple more spikes down the sides. 

I bought a cheap harbor freight speed wrench and welded a 1/4 drill bit onto it. I use that to quickly start some pilot holes for the stakes. I've thought about the cordless drill attachment but frankly it doesnt take much time to stake down a tent the way we do it, and I dont have the added weight of the drill.


-DallanC


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

I got some of those Eskimo spikes and an Eskimo attachment for drilling them in after almost losing my tent at Fish Lake a few years back. A couple years later at Fish Lake again during the tournament a storm came in and decimated most people's setups but my tent with all four Eskimo stakes outside and all four original stakes inside kept us safe and warm. We didn't even know the tournament had been canceled and all participants cleared out until a DWR guy came and knocked on the tent to tell us they were going to stop clearing the road and we had to leave if we wanted to be able to get home.

That day something like 30+ tents were lost, a girl had her nose broken by a tent, gear was permanently lost all over the place. People were finding tents in the trees across the lake the next summer. It was insane bedlam the time I did poke my head out of the tent, tents flapping by one tie down, people running across the lake, people sitting on top of their gear on their sleds so it wouldn't blow away. Always use all 8 tie-downs in extreme weather!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Yea anchoring a couple stakes right at the skirt glues it to the ice. I always hope there is a good 10" of snow when we go as well, i dig a trench around the skirt, then backfill burying it. Wind cannot get under and lift things then.

The company Taxidermist got his tent from seems to be copying eskimo directly. Even the stakes look identical. If the quality is the same, they will have a winner for sure.

I bought my 6man Eskimo on a spring clearance, Eskimo was selling off returns on ebay direct from the factory. Tents were graded A through D depending on wear, dirt etc. I got a "A" grade tent for about 1/3 retail prices. Doesnt help folk right now to know that of course. Now's the time to buy summer gear, then get winter gear in the spring 


-DallanC


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I know all about the wind and what it can do to the "pop-up" tents. I had a quick fish 3 and couldn't even get it open at Flaming Gorge. The wind would sling it around when two of us were trying to set it up. I sold that the next day I got home and got a Frabil Speed Shack. The downside to the "flip over" shelters is they are heavy and a pain to pull without the snowmobile. 


I sold the Ski-Doo so I'm back to this pop up style soon.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

taxidermist said:


> I know all about the wind and what it can do to the "pop-up" tents. I had a quick fish 3 and couldn't even get it open at Flaming Gorge. The wind would sling it around when two of us were trying to set it up. I sold that the next day I got home and got a Frabil Speed Shack. The downside to the "flip over" shelters is they are heavy and a pain to pull without the snowmobile.


 If its windy, I anchor one rope down before I even start to set up. I made "flags" with red and blck duct tape folded over the ropes to mark the ends of our tent. We tie off a end line and let the wind hold that face steady while I set it up letting the wind help pull it rather than push it around. Keeps the kite effect to a minimum.

I had a Quickfish 3 "speed shack", it was a royal PITA. I love the freedom I feel I get from popups. Although moving longer distances can suck. short distances we just lift it and walk off with it.



> I sold the Ski-Doo so I'm back to this pop up style soon.


That there is your best anchor solution with a tent. Orient the sled upwind pointing perpendicular to the wind direction, tie your rope to a ski and another to back bumper... its as solid of an anchor point as you can get. We come out with 3 sleds, set two in a L formation where the tent goes inside the L, ropes on one end from 3 faces all tie to the first two sleds. Other sled goes either at the back... or if its windy and we aren't aligned right to the wind, 3rd sled goes on windward side and rope it all down.

I have permanent ropes attached to every side hub and every corner. On my 6 man, that's 12 ropes we can use to tie off (we rarely use more than 6 lines... but its nice to have options).

-DallanC


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I like your idea of using the snowmobiles for a anchor point. But I'm not rushing out to buy another machine that's for sure. I cant justify the cost for how often I'd use it, even a used machine.


I still have the two industrial sewing machines I used for rugs before I retired from the Taxidermy trade. I'll see how tight the bag is that comes with the shelter when it arrives. If I need to, I'll attach all the ropes to the shelter and make a canvas bag with a full zipper along the length of the bag to fit the shelter in easier. 


I'm for sure, going to use your idea of the speed wrench and drill bit! That brings me to the question - You using a boring bit for that or what?


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Let is know how it performs. 

Just a heads up, product info I saw said it country of origin is China. Not shocking for price point; hard to make a cheaper competitor to Eskimo stateside.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

taxidermist said:


> I'm for sure, going to use your idea of the speed wrench and drill bit! That brings me to the question - You using a boring bit for that or what?


So I was even pretty lazy that day... I just grabbed a 1/4 dull wood bit out of my can of trash drill bits, gave it a rough sharpen on the grinder (ice is pretty soft, so it doesnt have to have all that fine of an edge). I then grabbed a small junk chinese socket. I ground a flat spot or two on the shaft of the socket, then filled the socket with JB weld and stuck the bit in.

Now its a socket / bit combo for cheap. That lets me pull the bit off and use the speed wrench in the off season for other things. But yea, it works great for getting quick pilot holes going in the ice for the stakes to go into. You really dont need to drill down more than an inch or two to get stakes started.

-DallanC


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Thanks Dallan! I have a few old bits/sockets laying around I can use for that. My mig is ready at the moment so, I'll lay a bead down to make sure I don't pull the bit out if the ice decides to poses it.:shock:


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