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who has tried insulating a clam pop up ice house?


picksbigwagon

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looking at getting a clam summit, wondering if anyone has insulated the roof of theirs with reflectix or space blankets. I am looking at something a little more managable than the voyager the few times it is more than just me fishing......On the otherside, is there really a need to insulate it? I have a number of propane heating options so I am not worried about not having enough heat......

Thanks

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I haven't tried it yet, but I am thinking of insulating a tent with space blankets for winter camping. The physics of it should work by reflecting the heat back into the interior, rather than creating an insulating resistance to heat flow. The idea being a small heat source would keep the inside a lot warmer than without the reflector. I would put the reflective side of the space blanket on the inside of the shelter and try to leave a small air gap between the two as a radiation barrier. It's worth a try, unless you don't want to watch yourself fish. Let me know if it works :-) FYI, Campmor.com sells some heavier reflective blankets that look like they might hold up better than space blankets.

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I just insulated my Clam Guide and it works well. It only took me a little over an hour to insulate the roof and I took it out last Friday and it is the first time I had to turn the heat down. I like it hot in the shack, so for me to turn it down showed me that Reflectix works. I run the Buddy Heater in my shack and usually it will heat it up enough but is always on the highest setting. It is worth the $10 and hour of your time. It reduced the condensation also. I am heading up to Ely this weekend, so I will get a chance to fish in colder temps. I also put my heater on a piece of Reflectix and that helped with the ice melting around my heater.

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THnaks Bassman, I too have insulated my flip over houses, I am looking for people who have Insulated their pop up/hub style houses.

I have found that if I keep my heater in the sled with me, it really eliminates the melting of snow and ice by your feet and keeps you warmer as well....take a small piece of plywood, set one edge on the back edge of your guide and quick clamp the other side to the middle bar in you ice house. it will sit on there perfectly and the back of y our heater never gets warm so it can touch the back of the tent as well. I run my buddy heater off of a 5 or 20 gallon tank and use the trap link hole in the back to run the house in from outside.....

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looking at getting a clam summit, wondering if anyone has insulated the roof of theirs with reflectix or space blankets. I am looking at something a little more managable than the voyager the few times it is more than just me fishing......On the otherside, is there really a need to insulate it? I have a number of propane heating options so I am not worried about not having enough heat......

Thanks

Just go with the insulated Clam Thermal...don't mess with the add on insulation it will just be a pain to manage and remain portable in the geodesic design of a Hub Shack.

Stu McKay of "Cats on the Red" has been running them this winter and liked them so much he added more. He has them on the ice daily and has nothing but good to say about them and there ease of use. Loves the Thermal quality's and the quite in the wind. His thumbs up means a lot in my book on a product.

The Clam Thermals are now marked down at Gander, grab one while there still available...they are going fast!

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You can pick up Reflectix at any home improvement store that sells insulation. Invest in some aluminum tape also for reinforcing the slits you cut for the Velcro and any joints.

I have a Cabelas Arctic Element (Basically a Team Otter Wild 2 sold under the Cabelas name). I've had my house out twice this year - New years day (-5, no Reflectix) and last Saturday (30's, with Reflectix). On the cold day I had frosted walls and a dripping ceiling, my sunflower held it's own but was on max. Last Saturday my house was as dry as a bone and I could only stand running the 'flower on low for short periods of time. The real test will come the next time I am out in the cold now that I have the Reflectix.

The Reflectix upgrade isn't cheap (About $50 with tax, assuming that you also get the aluminum tape). A lot of guys on here say it's the best money that you can spend - So far my results are promising but I am withholding judgment until it is really put to the test.

If you look at the difference between insulated vs. uninsulated cost when buying a fish house it's usually about $100. I would say that the Reflectix upgrade is a good investment for a guy who already owns an uninsulated house. If you are looking to buy a house maybe it's a better move to just buy an insulated one toward the end of the season when everything is on sale.

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Surreal-thanks for the info-i can't justify buyin a new insulated house when i can do upgrades for MUCH less. Know what you mean by the frost buildup, fish alot of days when it cold and windy, sometimes the sun flower just can't keep up. Thanks again.

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Surreal beat me to it. I got mine at the home improvement store that also sponsers a driver by the same name in NASCAR. It was a little over $10 and I used the aluminum tape to seal the seams and reinforce the slits I made for the velcro. There was one area that the Reflectix and velcro didn't match up where I used sip ties. My shack folds down just about the same, but I do need to move my seats ahead a little bit more to allow the reflectix to fold down.

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I want to get the thermal clam pop up, but not sure if it would be big enough. Can anyone tell me if the thermal would be big enough for one guy and his two kids? I was leaning towards the summit because of the size, but I do like the thermal model.

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I used reflectix in mine works great! Havnt had any problems with frost or dripping when the heat is turned up. This was a great thought. You do however need to reinforce the slits for the velcro other wise after some use they will end up ripping.

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Ed is correct in stating that I am totally sold on Clam's Thermal line-up. I am amazed with just how effective they are for eliminating condensation and vastly reducing how much propane I'm using. I would venture to say that I am reducing my heating costs by 40% or more! What impresses me the most is how dry the material remains. Absolutely no more dripping!!!

Originally Posted By: picksbigwagon
looking at getting a clam summit, wondering if anyone has insulated the roof of theirs with reflectix or space blankets. I am looking at something a little more managable than the voyager the few times it is more than just me fishing......On the otherside, is there really a need to insulate it? I have a number of propane heating options so I am not worried about not having enough heat......

Thanks

Just go with the insulated Clam Thermal...don't mess with the add on insulation it will just be a pain to manage and remain portable in the geodesic design of a Hub Shack.

Stu McKay of "Cats on the Red" has been running them this winter and liked them so much he added more. He has them on the ice daily and has nothing but good to say about them and there ease of use. Loves the Thermal quality's and the quite in the wind. His thumbs up means a lot in my book on a product.

The Clam Thermals are now marked down at Gander, grab one while there still available...they are going fast!

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