hookerdown Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Currently my brother and I have been using a home made hut that we use on Simcoe. Its great, warm and roomy. We can fish 5 holes with 3 guys or 2 guys and 4 holes with out any problems. The hut assembles in a few minutes, warms up quickly (with a propane heater) to the point where we can hang our coats from one of the PVC support pipes. Dispite some modifications its faily heavy and bulky to transport. On the occasions where we can't drive out to our spot and end up walking/dragging the sled with the hut on it, it can get hard on our bodies. I have been toying with the idea of getting a manufactured 3-4 man hut. The problem is I don't have $600-$800 to spend on a hut. So my question is what are the advantages/disadvantages to each type of hut? Here is how see some of the advantages and disadvantages as I see them: Pop ups are light weight, quick assembly, have a large fishable area, but they dont have a floor, so I would have to make one out of plywood. No place to hang coats and they need anchors to secure the huts to the ice. Flip up huts are heavier than the pop ups, have limited space, and you can't really stand up and stretch. Some come with comfortable seats. They have built in sleds and are sturdier than the pop-up. You can hang coats and other fishing equipment. They are assembled quickly, essentially you get to the spot, drill the holes, flip the hut over and fish. They have limited floor space and you are ususally limited to 2 people. Bulkier to transport and heavier to transport than the pop-ups, and probably the most expensive style hut. Cabins are sterdier than the pop-up huts, you can hang up coats and fishing equipment. They have limited floor space are heavier and bulkier than the pop-up huts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Yep, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. No need for a plywood floor in the popups though. Some guys use those kids jigsaw puzzle foam mats for flooring while others like me use ice as the floor. Flipovers are great for active run and gun fishermen. I use my popup for early ice when walking on and my flipover once there is enough ice for my sled. They are a pain to pull by hand as are the cabin style huts. With the cabins you really need to build a sled to lift them off the ice as they pull like a brick. If you're walking out definately get a popup. When you are setting it up anchor one side (the windward one) before you pop it up and there are no problems with wind. When collasing it to go home leave the windward anchor in until you colapse it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityfisher Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Yep, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. No need for a plywood floor in the popups though. Some guys use those kids jigsaw puzzle foam mats for flooring while others like me use ice as the floor. Flipovers are great for active run and gun fishermen. I use my popup for early ice when walking on and my flipover once there is enough ice for my sled. They are a pain to pull by hand as are the cabin style huts. With the cabins you really need to build a sled to lift them off the ice as they pull like a brick. If you're walking out definately get a popup. When you are setting it up anchor one side (the windward one) before you pop it up and there are no problems with wind. When collasing it to go home leave the windward anchor in until you colapse it. +1 If you have a sled/quad and a ice fish often... get the flipover...everyting stored in one place.. setup in mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike rousseau Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 Pop up is nice cause they're roomy... But not heavy... You can use it alone or 3-4 inside... If you got a flip over for 3-4 people... You wouldn't want to use it alone... Way to big... Sounds like you should grab a pop up... As far as floor... Just bring a piece of wood big enough to get your feet off the ice... 2x6 or 8. 2-3 feet long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livinisfishin Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 I have the eskimo quikfish 2. I wouldn't want 3 people in there..and I can't stand up fully in it. My friend got a similar sized clam model and you could stand up in it and 3 people in it wasn't to bad. I like my eskimo because it has a backpack style carrying case..a tad heavy after a lengthy walk but it is managable. I find mines a pain to take it down ...haven't quite figured out how to take it down easily but I manage. It cost me a couple hundred dollars but it was worth it to stay outta the wind. I haven't needed to use the pegs because there was always enough snow to hold it down when I would pack it around the perimeter to keep the light out. I have had it out on pretty windy days. With no snow you would need to peg it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 I haven't needed to use the pegs because there was always enough snow to hold it down when I would pack it around the perimeter to keep the light out. I have had it out on pretty windy days. With no snow you would need to peg it down. Having used my pop-up for a couple years, I would recommend pegging the corners every time and not bother with the snow on the bottom flaps at all. A cordless drill with a long 1/4" bit to pre-drill and the pegs go in in seconds, with all four corners secure there shouldn't be any issue with light and it keeps your hut nice and square. Packing snow around the bottom only causes the material to freeze to the ice if you stay in one spot for any length of time. I chased my tumbling hut down the lake one time when I first got it, on not that windy of a day. Ever since I use the anchors. On even a moderately windy day, I'll peg the centre hub or two on the windy side. It doesn't take much of a gust to pop the side in on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livinisfishin Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 I must have been lucky so far lol ill have to bring my small 12 volt out. Any ideas on how to fold it up easy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 I must have been lucky so far lol ill have to bring my small 12 volt out. Any ideas on how to fold it up easy? Pop the roof first and then work your way around the outside popping in the sides. FYI the colder it is the harder these things are to work with. Last year at -40 it took me 10 minutes or so to get mine put away because it was so stiff. I guess the 1/4" of ice on the inside of the roof didn't help much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livinisfishin Posted December 24, 2011 Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 I find I can collapse it no problem . The hard part is to fold it up without it binding on itself . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted December 25, 2011 Report Share Posted December 25, 2011 I've got a pop up and a flipover... the flipover never left the garage last year... my flipover is a 1 man... and ice fishing alone is boring... the popouts are great, and light, but you still need a sled to carry everything out... if you wanna come out with me one day, let me know and you can see how/if you like the pop up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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