the LIGHTEST flip-over ice hut?

[akaShag]

Well, I have owned probably twenty ice fishing shelters of one kind or another, from a heavy wooden 10 by 12 foot monstrosity that I put on Lake Simcoe the year the ice all melted on 2 January and when it froze again in February my shack floor was two feet under the ice surface.............to a flimsy ripstop nylon half-dome that weighed about two pounds.   I've made the Ontario out of Doors huts, at least four of them (with and without part-walls), had a big four-man Clam, smaller Rapala shelter with the shock-corded poles, etc etc.

I am ready to go to a one-person flip-over type shelter.  I have a bad back and can't wrestle anything heavy out of, or more importantly back into my truck.  What is the LIGHTEST, decent quality one man shelter out there?  I do not want to wrestle with poles and carrying bags, been there done that.  And for the most part, I will be pulling the thing by hand.  Inside space is a smaller consideration than weight.

Hands-on advice would be greatly appreciated.

Doug

[misfish]

22 minutes ago, akaShag said:

I've made the Ontario out of Doors huts

Have made my fair share of those too Doug . They were the MUST build back then. Got you out of the elements . Wind mostly . Learned about them when I fished the Credit river . Many of the ole byes back in the late 70,s early 80,s, used them. Hell, they left them leaned up against a tree when they came off the ice. No one ever touched them. Always there when they returned.

 

My Rapala 1 man is light. I do use a smitty to pull/push, it out. Makes life much easier. I have found that PUSHING the smitty is much easier as well, rather then pulling.

Edited January 10, 2021 by misfish

[akaShag]

9 minutes ago, misfish said:

Have made my fair share of those too Doug . They were the MUST build back then. Got you out of the elements . Wind mostly .

 

My Rapala 1 man is light. I do use a smitty to pull/push, it out. Makes life much easier. I have found that PUSHING the smitty is much easier as well, rather then pulling.

Thanks Brian.  Do you have a photo of it?

[misfish]

4 minutes ago, akaShag said:

Thanks Brian.  Do you have a photo of it?

Sorry no.

But I can take one this week. It,s in the back of my truck screaming for ice action.

[akaShag]

9 minutes ago, misfish said:

Sorry no.

But I can take one this week. It,s in the back of my truck screaming for ice action.

Is it a flip-over?  Looks like the Rapala CRUZ is a flip-over......  I had the lightweight Rapala one/two man pop-up but it is a PITA to take down in any amount of wind.  But yes it is VERY lightweight!

[misfish]

Yes, it,s a one man flip. I removed the bench seat and use a folding chair. Much lighter now.

Edited January 10, 2021 by misfish

[akaShag]

Thanks Brian.  How about other folks?  Any recommendations?  I used to see a fair number of one-person CLAM shelters out on Quinte...

[Hack_Fisherman]

2 hours ago, misfish said:

Have made my fair share of those too Doug . They were the MUST build back then. Got you out of the elements . Wind mostly . Learned about them when I fished the Credit river . Many of the ole byes back in the late 70,s early 80,s, used them. Hell, they left them leaned up against a tree when they came off the ice. No one ever touched them. Always there when they returned.

 

My Rapala 1 man is light. I do use a smitty to pull/push, it out. Makes life much easier. I have found that PUSHING the smitty is much easier as well, rather then pulling.

Can I ask what a smitty is? I just bought a rapala 4 man

Edit; spell check screwed me. I meant Smitty, I know what smutty is 

Edited January 11, 2021 by Hack_Fisherman
Spelled smutty by mistake

[Dutch01]

1 hour ago, misfish said:

Yes, it,s a one man flip. I removed the bench seat and use a folding chair. Much lighter now.

I sold my Rapala Cruz M1 'cause it was too heavy, but a lot of that weight is in the bench you removed. 

@akaShag The CLAM Kenai is pretty light at 45 pounds, but its tight in there.  I sat in one at Trombly's for a long time and almost bought it (sometimes I still wish I did!)

[akaShag]

1 hour ago, Hack_Fisherman said:

Can I ask what a smitty is? I just bought a rapala 4 man

Edit; spell check screwed me. I meant Smitty, I know what smutty is 

 

[misfish]

9 hours ago, Dutch01 said:

I sold my Rapala Cruz M1 'cause it was too heavy, but a lot of that weight is in the bench you removed. 

YUP

That thing weighed 30lbs LOL

I can pick that hut up and throw it in the truck no problems.

I could not pass on the $100 I paid for it.

Edited January 11, 2021 by misfish

[akaShag]

2 hours ago, misfish said:

YUP

That thing weighed 30lbs LOL

I can pick that hut up and throw it in the truck no problems.

I could not pass on the $100 I paid for it.

I'll give you $200.................😉

[Fang]

I have a Clam nanook as well as a single Frabill recon. Over the years have been able to fish in and around a multitude of other makes with buddies and the lightest and easiest I've ever come across was the Clam 5600. My buddy popped his on top a smitty and it pulled like a dream in all kinds of conditions even with a hand auger and gear strapped on. He used to fasten the clam on the smitty with bungee cords and then a couple gear bags and auger on top. 

I've been looking for one used for a few years but never really found one in good condition or close by. They get bought up fast. It's still around 70lbs in weight but it was way easy to handle than my nanook for 2 people and worth the extra room over a single to fish 2 lines

[AKRISONER]

I agree that most of this is going to be sled design. A nice little smitty that you can strap a bagged 1 man pop up and your auger to would be the way to go. 

Anything with built in seats etc is going to be heavy. Fold out fabric chair, auger, unit, rods and a small tent pop up on a smitty should be easy enough to drag.

Edited January 11, 2021 by AKRISONER

[porkpie]

I have a frabil recon.  It’s pretty light if you pull the seat out and just take a small folding stool or chair.  All depends how comfortable you want to be.  My back is shot from an old injury.  I can hoist it into the truck no problem, but I have to take a decent chair.  Bad back and bucket don’t go well together so any way you look at it I’m pulling the weight of something comfortable to sit in.

[akaShag]

Thanks folks.  Most of you understand my aversion to weight, but I also HATE wrestling with pop-ups (some of which are VERY light).  This is especially the case in windy conditions.  I was thinking that a flip-up would be MOSTLY impervious to wind gusts when it is being put up or taken down.

I have done some "research" aka Google searches, and it seems that most Ontario stores are sold out of one-man flip-up shelters of any make.  That Frabil Recon looked like the way to go, but if a guy can't find one to buy it's kind of academic.  😐  The way this winter is going there might not be much of an ice season anyways - a buddy and I were out on one of the back lakes this morning and fished on about 3 inches of ice, after we detoured around some stuff that was 2" and wet on top........

So I might be looking to buy something this fall for next winter.  Be prepared!

Doug

[misfish]

8 hours ago, akaShag said:

I'll give you $200.................😉

 

1 hour ago, akaShag said:

I have done some "research" aka Google searches, and it seems that most Ontario stores are sold out of one-man flip-up shelters of any make.

Supply and demand

 

$400 LOL

[akaShag]

$400 delivered to Kingston?  😁

[Burtess]

I've had the Eskimo QuickFlip 1 for a few years, the reason I bought it was, at the time, the lightest flip on the market.  It's held up well has a fold up seat instead of a built in one, but I take that with me when I fish in the pop out too.  Its pretty comfortable.

 

[misfish]

DANG, Good to hear from you Burtess . See you are still working on that burger.LOL

[akaShag]

39 minutes ago, Burtess said:

I've had the Eskimo QuickFlip 1 for a few years, the reason I bought it was, at the time, the lightest flip on the market.  It's held up well has a fold up seat instead of a built in one, but I take that with me when I fish in the pop out too.  Its pretty comfortable.

 

Thanks for the input!  Any idea where a fella could buy one?

[Burtess]

Lol Brian... its a big burger.  Ya I still exist 😁

[Burtess]

1 minute ago, akaShag said:

Thanks for the input!  Any idea where a fella could buy one?

Like you said above probably everybody is out of everything.  I bought mine at LeBaron…. I do miss that place!

[porkpie]

6 hours ago, Burtess said:

I've had the Eskimo QuickFlip 1 for a few years, the reason I bought it was, at the time, the lightest flip on the market.  It's held up well has a fold up seat instead of a built in one, but I take that with me when I fish in the pop out too.  Its pretty comfortable.

 

That’s a good one.  I had the original green quick flip 1.  It was very lightweight!

[akaShag]

Sometimes it helps to have buddies in the outdoors industry............turns out a buddy of mine (Vortex optics) knows the sales rep for Eskimo, who knew of a Quick Flip 1 that was in a warehouse somewhere...............and it's on its way.

Thanks for the advice, folks!  Now let's get some of that hard water, eh!

Doug