# Ice shelters



## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

How do you guys feel about ice shelters. I've been looking at them a lot but every time I've gone ice fishing it has been comfortable outside. I wonder if I got one if it would just be a pain and another thing to drag around making me immobile. Those who have them how often do you take them with you and do you like them or are they a pain? I fished in my buddy's 6 man once but we didn't ever move it and he has left it at home the last two times we went fishing.


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

I just got one for Xmas and have only put it up a couple of times and then for just an hour or so. I can tell you this, if you have kids out on the ice, they make the difference between going home "now", or getting in one more hour of fishing.
They definitely make you more immobile, but not entirely as they are pretty easy to move. More weight in the sled, but you can opt to leave it in the vehicle. If it's windy, it is cold, and the shelter takes the bite of the wind away.
So far I have to say they are worth it. Mine is a 4 man, and I would not have one any smaller. I like company when I fish. Lastly, make sure the ice anchors (screws) that come with it are the Eskimo brand...the short fat ones that normally come with an ice tent are extremely hard to get into the ice.


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## k2muskie (Oct 6, 2007)

Well for us ole gals a tent is an absoulte necessity as we're on the ice all day. So if you have a wife, girlfriend, daughter a tent comes in very handy for mama nature calls. Also as Bears Butt stated with children also a tent will add a longer fishing trip. 

We have the quickfish 3 and have it up staked down in less than 5 minutes...takes time to screw in the stakes maybe a minute...coming down the same...if you want to move they are very quick to take down...so my recommendation is I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it...again with a wife, girlfriend, daughter, and children trust me having a tent is very nice.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Get one. Sportsman's still have some and I think that they may be on sale now.
I take mine on most trips but only set it up once in a while. The pop up tents don't take up much space in a sled and they are light.
Well worth having for the times that you may need one.


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## sparky00045 (Apr 1, 2008)

another thing great about shelters you shut the doors and windows and make it dark inside you lose the glare
on the water on a sunny day you can look down the hole and see the bottem up to 20 to 25 ft, you can even see
the fish playing with your bait, and it also take the glare off your screen if you have a under water camara, 
you have alot better picture out of the sun???

Has anyone else noticed how will you can see below the ice???


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## fishawk (Aug 23, 2009)

Once you get one you'll wonder how you managed without one for so long. We always take ours but don't always set it up. You never know when the wind is going to pick up or the snow will start to fall. A pop up shelter is up or down in 5 minutes and they don't weigh that much. If the wife and kids get bored they can go warm up and have a bite to eat. Or read a book like my wife usually does. +1 on the Eskimo brand anchors. Can't beat ice fishing in a t-shirt!


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

I have one of those mr buddy heaters! I think I'm convinced perhaps I could find a better deal in the off season? I thought about maybe going for a minute today and saw the temperature was - 10 f I'm not that hardcore but perhaps if I had the shelter and heater


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

As if I needed more conviction Thursday's are my day off I hadn't been fishing in a few weeks now. I planned on going today even if I couldn't find anyone to go with me. But I have had a cold the last couple days and when I saw the forecast was 100 percent chance rain and snow I decided I better not with my cold. You bet your sweet *$$ if i had a tent I would be sitting on my butt up there as opposed to sitting on my butt down here! Let me know of anyone finds any steals I'd prob want a 3 man.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

What do you guys think of these? It's so much cheaper than anything at any of our local sporting goods stores! http://www.killzonehunting.com/fishing- ... elter.html


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## fishawk (Aug 23, 2009)

Looks similar to the eskimo quickfish 3. It has good reviews and the price sounds pretty good. Sportsmans should be dropping the price of their quickfish 3's pretty soon if not already. The benefit of the eskimo would the their stakes. Probably can't go wrong with either.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

Anybody else have any thoughts on these? I would probably get the Eskimo stakes if there not super expensive. And I'll go to sportsmans next chance I get!


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## jwalker (Jan 3, 2012)

You've been debating on getting an ice shelter for months. Just get one! You know you want to.


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## freepunk (Sep 17, 2007)

Just bought the Killzone xxl (6-8) man. My thoughts:

Cons:
The stakes are absolute crap. They do not come with any sort of washer to keep the eyelet from coming up and over the stake which is annoying when trying to screw them down. Tore both corners out on the first try out last weekend. The corner ripped on my last ice hut as well (Frabill 2-3 man). All of the eskimo's my buddies own (Quickfish 3,4,6) have not experienced the corners ripping out. Zipper was missing some teeth on the bag and one of the doors which will lead to them eventually failing.

Plus:
Its gargantuan. Noticeably larger than my friends Quickfish 6. Lots of windows and the fabric is twice as thick as anything you will find out there. 

Bottom line is I will be sending it back to the manufacturer for the corners tearing out and the zipper problem. Have been in lots of huts and have yet to find the "perfect" one. Oh well, I will keep looking.

Hope this helps.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

Oh ya I guess it's worth the extra cash for Eskimo from the sounds of things


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

It won't be much more to buy the Eskimo if you have to buy the Eskimo stakes for the other shelters.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

Cabellas has there brand on sale! Those Eskimos need to go on sale for me now!


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## a_bow_nut (Feb 25, 2009)

Call me crazy but I like my Frabill that has the tent mounted right to the sled. Setting up takes no time and it you want to move it takes more time to load your gear than get the tent ready to go. It's best if just two people fish in it so if you like to fish with more than that this wouldn't be the best choice.


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## Bscuderi (Jan 2, 2012)

Just bought a quick fish 3 from sportsmans for 119. They are on sale if anyone else wants them.


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## fishawk (Aug 23, 2009)

Good choice!


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## wildliferyan (Jul 31, 2010)

I love using a tent. If the sun is out you can stay in it in shorts and a tee shirt and not get cold. With the doors and windows closed you can also see further down in the hole. I used to use a two man tent but was to short and small. Just a month ago off glensoutdoors.com I got a six man tent with seven foot clearance for $150 dollars. The site does not have anymore up. It was there own style tent. Have only used one time but loved it. Only problem is that it was really heavy. It is definantly nice drilling holes while in the tent out of the wind.


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