Hub shelter condensation problems

[MyDogRyder]

Hello everyone, I just purchased the Eskimo Quickfish 3 on sale as my first shelter for my wife and I who are just getting into ice fishing... Anyways, yesterday the temp was in the mid teens and a light breeze but inside our shelter we had the little buddy heater going and it was comfortable. We did have a lot of condensation on the inside of the shelter. Some areas were even starting to run down the inside of the walls. I want this shelter to last so I set it up when we got home in the house so that i could dry it out.

I am looking for any explanations, tips, or advice to prevent, fix this problem.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading responses.

[paceman]

Condensation is a common issue in both permanents and portables. get a couple battery powered fans. hang them on the ceiling. Moving the warm air around really helps reduce condesation. It won't eliminate it but it will greatly reduce it...

[TruthWalleyes]

I have a smaller buddy heater as well as a QF3...I use my sunflower heater on colder days and keep some air flow. Smaller mr. heater/buddy won't cut it.

[Mike Stark]

An insulated shelter will eliminate most of your condensation problems.

[pulsar_nx]

I keep mine in cold storage and when spring comes, open it up to dry it out.

[Lusid]

Moisture kills fabrics. Since it's winter whatever condensation is inside the portable will freeze and remain frozen. When the weather warms up open the hut up and dry it out.

Condensation will always remain a problem unless you crack open the windows (think of a car when you just get done working out) and get the air moving. Otherwise prepare for build up!

[TroutYammer]

If you have vents or windows in your house open them and let it breath. It is the same as sitting in a cold car and not opening the windows. If you have to open the door once in a while and let it breath.

Buddy heaters (LPGAS) heaters also give off moisture when burning. So in addition to the moisture caused by human respiration the LPGAS burners will emit additional moisture into you house.

After every trip I bring my popup hub house into the basement, set it up and let it dry. Doesn't take very long and the wife's cat loves snooping around inside the popup!

Good Luck!

[NKLCOLT1911]

If you have vents or windows in your house open them and let it breath. It is the same as sitting in a cold car and not opening the windows. If you have to open the door once in a while and let it breath.

Buddy heaters (LPGAS) heaters also give off moisture when burning. So in addition to the moisture caused by human respiration the LPGAS burners will emit additional moisture into you house.

After every trip I bring my popup hub house into the basement, set it up and let it dry. Doesn't take very long and the wife's cat loves snooping around inside the popup!

Good Luck!

i love how you call it your "wifes" cat.

[OnAFly]

I have a Clam bigfoot 4000 thermal and I still get condensation. I slept in it last sat night and when I turned the heater on in the AM I had to move my sleeping bag from the "rain". Next time I will be leaving the vents open over night to hopefully let some of that water out.

[PierBridge]

A computer fan and reflectix insulation have all but solved my condensation issues with my Quickfish 6 pop-up.

I just use cloth-pins and a couple of small plastic clamps to secure the Reflectix. I have 2 pieces with the QF3 you could get by with one.

Good Luck~

[ice_medic]

I have a clam bigfoot 4000 and a fatfish 767. The clam is insulated and i still get some condensation in there it is not as bad but it still happens. As for the fatfish I have learned that if i keep the vents open and one vent on the windward side and the other one open i can get enough air movement in it to really keep the condensation down. This past weekend i was playing around with it and i went from a wet house to a almost dry one. There was still some condensation in it but not near as bad.

[crix]

I have a cabelas pop up basically the same as a clam anyway I got a buddy heater for christmas used it for about 3 hours before going back to the sunflower. the buddy heater made it rain inside my hub like I couldn't believe. I always have both vents open which is a must the buddy heater just didn't get hot enough I think? So i decided to hook up the sunflower again and slowly all the condensation on the ceiling dried up... yes the walls on 2 sides always seem to have condensation on them but I don't mind that as long as it doesn't rain on my head

[Carl Bjorgen]

I have a Shappell Widehouse 5500 and run a portable Buddy, which is the midsized 4000-9000 BTU model.

This heater gets my shack plenty warm. In fact, I rarely even turn the heater up to high, although I've yet to have it out in below zero weather.

Anyway, I get condensation too, but it never occurs on the ceiling. I also run one of the HT battery operated fans to circulate the air, so while the walls get some condensation, they aren't cascading water.

What you do when you get home is the right thing. Set that thing up and dry it out.

If you are able to set it up in your basement, that would be ideal. I can't, so I set it up in my garage when I get home and run a little 1500 watt electric heater inside the hub for about two hours. It dries it up like a bone.

Then I take my hub down, stuff it it the bag, and bring it in the house until the next time I use it.

[chris63]

Or b4 it refreezes wipe off before u pack up for the night.c63

[ClownColor]

I bring a small piece of rubber backed carpet and place it under the heater to help prevent the ice from melting. Helps some.

[BronzeBrother]

I use the combo fan light in my hub. I get a little condensation on the walls but nothing too bothersome. Angle the fan some instead of it pointing straight down. At an angle it circulates the air better...