My Ice Shanty.....a work in progress

[Basskicker]

I'm thinking last weekend about how I've always wanted a sleeper hut, so after a couple of weekends I'm almost there.

 

Just looking for some negative/positive feedback or further ideas, got some metal roofing for the top and plan on using 24" rolls of aluminum to wrap the exterior with, it's 8'x12'. Going to insulate and poly the inside, wondering about wood stove or propane. Trying to figure out what to finish the interior with....would like to use tongue and groove pine but worried about weight. Going to use 5 gallon buckets with the bottoms cut out for the holes to help minimize the draft, trailer is solid and I stain guarded the underside of plywood and bolted the wooden frame to trailer.

 

The neighbors are wondering what the hell I'm building.

 

Need to install license plate and wire the trailer lights...a little concerned about traveling down the highway and with any amount of snow on the ice.

 

 

Oh and here's my personal best Brookie in Ontario.

 

[Terry]

it looks like you are doing a great job on the hut

 

but it is staying on the trailer?

 

nice fish

[skeeter]

What lake are you putting it out on?

Like Terry said, are you leaving it out there all winter?

What are you using to pull it out onto the lake with?

[Fisherman]

I'd go with the smallest wood stove, Princes Auto has 2 kinds. Wood heat is dryer, propane gives off a lot of moisture and can give nasty headaches. Interior can be lined with sheets of luan or poplar underlay, only 1/8th thick.

[Basskicker]

Yes it is permanently bolted to the trailer, plan on leaving it on the ice and towing it out with a Suzuki 4x4 once there is LOTS of ice.

[glen]

#1 rule for ice hut is always go light.

 

24" rolls of aluminum for the sides. Use it for the top too.

 

with wood it is too hot or too cold. Use propane.

 

Going to insulate and poly the inside. Thats all you need on the inside.

 

Once you put the aluminum on the outside your hut will be very strong.

[glen]

Nice fish too.

[Terry]

are you fishing from it or just sleeping

 

sorry I am just trying to figure it out

 

I don't see how you fish from so high off the ice

wind would blow in like crazy

on a windy day I can see it rocking back and forth

 

but maybe I am not seeing the big picture

[Basskicker]

are you fishing from it or just sleeping

 

sorry I am just trying to figure it out

 

I don't see how you fish from so high off the ice

wind would blow in like crazy

on a windy day I can see it rocking back and forth

 

but maybe I am not seeing the big picture

 

Hey Terry, yes I plan to fish out of it and plan on using long 5 gallon buckets with bottom cut out as a sleeve that will extend down to ice, sealing off most of the draft from outside

[skeeter]

Terry is right on the money with this one.

To leave it out all winter you must jack the hut up off the ice, tires included.

If you dont , the tires WILL freeze into the ice and good luck getting them out.

[OutdoorDan]

How do the operators get the ice bungalows out on Nipissing?

[Fisherman]

With a small tractor.

[Basskicker]

Terry is right on the money with this one.

To leave it out all winter you must jack the hut up off the ice, tires included.

If you dont , the tires WILL freeze into the ice and good luck getting them out.

Thanks for the insight, maybe I can jack it up remove tires, and then lower it closer to the ice on blocks

[NAW]

Looks like a nice big hut, but I'll echo the concerns about it being so high of the ground, and the tires freezing into the ice. They my run flat if you leave it for a few months frozen into the ice.

 

Be nice if there was a way to remove the tires, or drop the hut off the trailer. But then you'd be getting into a big re-design.

[OutdoorDan]

With a small tractor.

 

I should have clarified that I meant if they get them out on skis or on a trailer and then prop them off.

[Stef]

Looks like a nice hut. Some things to consider include does it require clearance lights at 8' + wide as a trailer(wire them in now before you seal it up). Depending on where it will be sited, will you get a snow load on the roof (minimum slope on there). Wheel height means you start to plow snow with the front and come to a grinding halt when the snow is deeper than that. We have moved wheeled huts using a pair of toboggans under wheels to give it some floatation. Fresh air ventilation with whatever heat you put in (can be dangerous carbon monoxide build up, sleep longer than you ever intended). Tie down eyes for ice anchors on at least 2 corners or you may find it gone when you arrive due to wind (drill a hole, fix a piece of wood crosswise under ice with some rope running up and they will freeze in). Reflective material on outside to prevent snowmobiles from crashing into it. Pails work but cut sections of irrigation pipe or similar better for wind breaks, also see crazy carpet sleds rolled up used, hard to land the fish from a raised hole. Lots of people block them up here and then take off wheels so they don't get stolen. Get some red flagging or such to tie on the exposed hitch end so no-one bangs into it with their legs or machine. Hope this helps......

 

PS... grease the wheel bearings.

Edited November 1, 2011 by West Arm Rider

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

nice speck. i can tell it's big, but how big was it?

[Fishnwire]

It might be too late...but your windows seem a little high. You're going to want to be able to look out of them from a seated position. That way you can monitor an outside tip-up while sitting inside and jigging. Having to stand up every time you want to check if you have a flagged popped is a major PITA.

 

If the height of the hut is such that you can't land a fish by hand, but have to hoist it into the hut from the top of the water with it dangling in free air momentarily...that's eventually going to be a problem if you ever hook into anything with shoulders on light line.

 

Some guys park their huts on sacrificial planks or even big pieces of stove wood. That way, they melt into the ice but keep the hut itself from doing so. If you move your hut frequently...you'll have fewer problems. The longer it stays in one place the harder it will be to move when the time comes. Some operators bring out a "jack-all" every morning and jack up each side of each hut just enough to break the "seal" with the ice.

 

The beauty of a sleeper hut is that if you enjoy fishing first and last light, you can easily be right there at those times. I'm jealous...have fun.

[Big Cliff]

Boy that looks like a real beauty, nice job! Where did you get the aluminum? I just finished building my new deer stand so the next project is an ice hut and I would like to use aluminum for the outside skin.

[Basskicker]

Boy that looks like a real beauty, nice job! Where did you get the aluminum? I just finished building my new deer stand so the next project is an ice hut and I would like to use aluminum for the outside skin.

 

Thanks, I work for a builder. The aluminum I have to pay unfortunately, $180 for a 24" wide x 30m roll, not cheap, but so far this hut has cost only $350 for the trailer, everything else was "Donated".

[Big Cliff]

Thanks, I work for a builder. The aluminum I have to pay unfortunately, $180 for a 24" wide x 30m roll, not cheap, but so far this hut has cost only $350 for the trailer, everything else was "Donated".

 

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind, I'm kind of working on a limited budget so I'll have to see what my other options are as well. I was hoping to get some printer sheets of aluminum but so far I haven't been able to find any.

[johnnyb]

I know nothing about building stuff....but that's one nice speck

[ccmtcanada]

Looks great Jason!! Hope to get out fishing with you at some point soon!!!

 

Oh...and I like the throwing in the "oh yeah, here's a PB...". What a great fish!

[Basskicker]

nice speck. i can tell it's big, but how big was it?

 

....not quite sure, but I took a measurement off my rod last night and it was conservatively about 22-23", how heavy not sure, but it was BIG. Wasn't too concerned about length/weight at the time, by myself in the boat, just wanted a quick picture and release her.

[Basskicker]

Looks great Jason!! Hope to get out fishing with you at some point soon!!!

 

Oh...and I like the throwing in the "oh yeah, here's a PB...". What a great fish!

Not sure how much ice fishing you do, but your more than welcome to join me anytime. I haven't been out fishing in a few weeks. Probably won't have anytime soon with building this hut, so much still left to do.