ice hut question

[duckdog]

Anyone have one of those plywood side huts that you open up with a tarp top? Curious would they last if you left them out for the winter or just tear apart?

[bigugli]

Anyone have one of those plywood side huts that you open up with a tarp top? Curious would they last if you left them out for the winter or just tear apart?

The black commercial tarps would hold up if properly secured.

[Fang]

If you were going to leave it out for the season I would cut 1x4" and screw in on top of the tarp going from the front to the back sides. Probably would take about 40 pieces but its the wind and piled snow that will wreck the tarp. The strapping will also help keep heat in a bit and take any snow load. At the beginning of the season take out the 12V drill and bang them on with one screw in each end and you're good for the season.

 

Last time I looked a 1x4 8'ft long was about $2 at Home depot

[Dabluz]

All you have to do is put some kind of slant on the roof and the snow will roll off. I have no idea of what fang is saying. Putting slats over the tarp will not help support it however making a inverted V shape roof will work.

 

What you must decide before making an ice hut is whether you want it to be portable or permanent. If it's going to be permanent, then go with a solid roof.

 

If the hut is to be very small, I have seen simple wood frames covered with clear plastic that were used as permanent huts every winter for quite a few years. You can even double the walls (plastic outside and plastic inside) so that there is trapped air between the plastic walls. Add some sunlight and it gets quite warm inside the hut even though there is no floor.

 

There are some icefishing sites that show how to make all kinds of huts.