New Portable

[cold one sd]

I have a two person flip over and I bought a pickup with a short bed. It looks like I will have to go to a popup or hub type shelter this winter in order to have room for my gear. I am also thinking about a one person flip over so I will still have the tub and can pull it with my ATV. What brands and types do you guys have and what do you like best about them????? I don't want to spend a ton of money since I don't get on the ice as much as I used to.

[Ed Carlson]

Most 2 man shacks still will poke into a short bed if not at a slight tilt over the end-gate, but the cover will not be usable. You may wish to dry run your 2 man now and see what fit you get.

In the Hub style pop-ups, there are a lot of options out from many players, depending on your needs and your budget.

If you like a dark shacks, then look at the Frabill pop-ups, they are dark enough to spear in or sight fish from, yet have plenty of windows to let what light you may need. Ventilation with out drifting is a feature to watch for, vent covers are a key feature. Sizes will run from 2 man up to the big bus 6 man units.

The Clam fully insulated Hub is a fine shack too. The insulation proved out very well in some very demanding conditions last winter. Very little weight difference for the added heat retention you get. Moisture absorption was not a factor, ventilation is good, they are fairly bright inside too.

Lots of options out for sure.

[deadeye]

If I were going to pull with a ATV alot I would probably stick with a flip over just because its a all in one setup and works so well behind a atv. You might want to look at used stuff to keep the cost down too.

However if your looking to stay cheap and light a hub is awesome for that. I got a hub last year and so far it has been great. It takes up so much less room than my flipover and is so easy to handle that it has become my go to shack most of the time. I might be crazy but besides the extra room and other things I think it stays warmer than my flipover does. I usually end up running the heater on a lower setting than with my flipover.

Some people will say they are a pain in the wind but if you figure out setting it up its no worse than anything else. I used ice anchors maybe 25% of the time last year. Its really pretty slick once you get out and use it a few times.

Like Ed said there is a ton of options out there so try to check them out in person and see what fits best.

[Get'n Jiggy]

I bought a Canvas Craft insulated 2 man flipover last year. I've had an uninsulated version and couldn't keep it comfortable without burning a lot of propane. The insulated shacks are the way to go IMO. The xtra weight is nominal and you won't need as big a heater. Canvas Craft is a local company and good people to deal with.

[cold one sd]

I guess I forgot to mention that my pickup has a tonneau cover that rolls up into a cannister at the front of the box and hangs down about ten inches and the flip over won't slide under it. My ATV trailer doesn't have room for it either.

[McGurk]

Clam Nanook- 2 person, small and short sled, lightweight, could be a large one-person, and can get it in the standard canvas or insulated. Give it a look.

[Ed Carlson]

The Nanook insulated is not a bad option...just do not bolt the seats down to that goofy front hinge...it is not needed...it is just an inconvenience is all.

Without it/them, you can go from 1 - 2 seats in an instant, and also reverse the way the seat will sit in the sled so your feet can stay inside the sled. You also max you front fishing area that way.

Better yet..the goofy front seat hinges..nail them to the garage wall for an ice auger bracket...just don't use them on the sled.

[TallPaull]

I just picked up a Clam Pro. Small and compact to fit in my Explorer.

[cold one sd]

At this time I have a Frabill XL Twin and it has done well for me and is like new. I will have to check the new portables out and see what there is. I have been very happy with my Frabill for about six years now and I love the seats. I'm getting some good information on here. Thanks and keep it coming.

[Ed Carlson]

I just picked up a Clam Pro. Small and compact to fit in my Explorer.

They discontinued the Pro over a year ago..it was off the line-up last year...but I think they may be bringing it back into the line in 2011?

Did you get one of the new Clam Pro's...if available?

The Nanook is it's closest match to the Clam Pro, size wise, and weight 80 lbs. The insulated version of the Nanook was 90 lbs I think?

[Dark Cloud]

Clam brought the Fish Trap Pro back into this years line-up(smart!). There were a bunch of complaints on last years models.

I have fished out of quite a few "one man" units and for me the Pro is the nicest. Big enough to fish two holes if ya want plus have room for a heater and electronics but small enough to be super mobile.

Last year they took a step back in quality of the seats but went back to better this year. Plus they are light at 52 pounds even with a thermal cover. Which is important to us who hand pull more than bringing the quad or snowmobile.

Also if you need to you can slide the seat to one side and add a bucket or cooler for seating then have room for a second person. Good for taking a kid, and my girlfriend and I can make it work if I dont feel like taking the two-man...

[RiverFish]

Like deadeye I use a hub style shack. I use a 4 man, absolutely love it. Lots of room, I can stand up with plenty of room. 4 man shelters are really for 2 men. I fish in it with two kids and have plenty of room.

I rarely use the ice anchors, just put ice on the corners.

Hubs are cheaper ways to fish, without sacrificing room or comfort.

[Ed Carlson]

I would have to say my favorite for that size and class of 1-2 man portable shack remains the Frabill Trekker DLX.

Very nice high back seating at a good comfortable height (Easily removable second seat), lots of width and front fishing area, durable canvas, a smart venting system, Velcro windows, a zippered cover for quick access to gear, and size and height friendly for short beds and SUV's. And the price is right.

In an R2 Tec version, Uf-Da...this shack would really Rock the ice!

[FishDC]

Check out Clam's HSOforum. They are starting to add their new lineup.

[cold one sd]

The reason I don't think my two man flipover will fit in my short bed truck is that I have a roll up tonneau cover on it that rolls up into a cannister that hangs down about ten inches at the front of the bed. I got so tired of taking my topper off and putting it back on that I went with the tonneau cover for my new truck. My ATV trailer is 5'x8' and doesn't have room for my portable either. I'm thinking that a hub type is the way to go at this time. I have my portable stored in my wheel house so I won't know for sure until I get it home and see how it fits. Does anyone on here have a hub type with the thermal top?

[Ed Carlson]

The Clam Thermal Base Camp Hub tested out very well in very demanding conditions last winter.

Wind siphons off heat on all sides on a shack, not just from the roof, so fully thermal is the best bang for the buck and the technology. It is well worth the few extra bucks to go up from the Base Camp, to the Base Camp Thermal.

I believe in general if you hit and run a lot on the ice a sled style shack will keep you the most mobile overall. Yet the hubs are not too far behind once you get your process down pat, you move very quickly and set up quickly.

The Fully Insulated Hub is not a pain to put up and take down, yet one tends to move more with the sled based shacks then a Hub. You use far less fuel with the fully thermal Hub than with a partially insulated or non-insulated Hub, and they are very comfortable to fish in.

[herefish101]

they make this stuff called rope, or bunjee cords. leave your tailgait down tie the shack in and down the road you go. i just dont understand, i have a large two man flipover, and a shortbed truck, mine fits with room to spare. my buddy has a problem with his super shortbed truck, but he just puts it in, picks up the back end, and shuts the tailgate, simple. sounds to me like you'v got all the toys, now your just trying to come up with a reason to buy the hub shack. just go buy it, there nice.

[cold one sd]

I guess I do have all the toys. I don't think the 2 man portable will fit under the cannister for my tonneau cover and running down the road with the tailgate down kind of defeats the purpose of a tonneau which is to deep rain, dirt and snow out of the box of my pickup. With a hub type portable I should have room for the rest of my stuff under the tonneau also. I think I'll go buy one.

[Torgesom]

Ed--or anyone else for that matter--can you see outside the windows easily in the base camp without craning your neck??--they seem kind of high. I'm thinking of buying one, but I like to fish tip ups and don't want to miss flags if its a pain to check them.

[Ed Carlson]

Kinda depends on the chair you use bud?

The wide angle lens in this photo and Holly Chow being..a bit.."Vertically Challenged"...together they combine to make it look rather high...it really is not. I think you will be OK with most standard chairs or pails.

[McGurk]

The wide angle lens in this photo and Holly Chow being..a bit.."Vertically Challenged"...together they combine to make it look rather high...

That, and using the Inspector Gadget extendo-arms for that huge walleye shot!

On a serious note, get to a store that has one out and climb inside. They are comfortably spacious without being enormous. Thorne Bros will probably have some on display the weekend of Sept 25th for their Portable Fish House event.

[Acemac]

When there is ice remove that tanto cover problem solved.... Why did you buy a truck if your scared for it to get dirty??

[munchy71]

I'm sure you mean "tonneau" cover?

I'm also sure it is more than simply not getting his truck dirty. Heck, I haul gravel, mulch, and topsoil under my tonneau cover all the time, so your logic that a tonneau cover = a clean truck, makes no sense at all.

A tonneau is great beacsue you don't have to worry about stuff blowing out the back of the truck on the interstate. I can slide my gear in under the cover, close the tailgate, and not have to worry about losing a thing between the lake and home.

It's also great for keeping prying eyes off your gear, we often run back into town for lunch at the local greasy spoon, or stop on the way home. A truck with an exposed bed FULL of ice fishing gear sitting in an unattended parking lot is an open invitation to sticky fingers. Outta sight is outta mind when it comes to my gear.

Tonneau coevers also help keep newfallen snow, and rain out of my gear. Getting snow in the zippers of your portable that melts and refreezes, or rain that freezes, can render your shack useless until you can get it into a warm garage somewhere to thaw and dry.

A tonneau is not that different from having a topper on your truck.

The biggest difference is that a truck with a topper can haul stuff that's a little taller than a truck with a tonneau. A plus for the tonneau, however, is that I can roll it back to haul tall items like a fridge, etc., and roll it right back over the bed once the tall cargo is unloaded.

Oh yeah...and tonneau covers can help improve gas mileage too.....

-Munchy

[cold one sd]

When there is ice remove that tanto cover problem solved.... Why did you buy a truck if your scared for it to get dirty??

I find that is is nice to be able to roll my tonneau cover to the front and take my fishing gear out while my buddy is digging his stuff out of the snow drift in the back of his truck. By the time he gets the snow out of his flipover, auger,buckets and the rest, I have holes drilled. My basic question was about going to a hub type of shelter because I now have a tonneau cover instead of a topper on my present truck. It gets used like any other pickup does, but it doesn't need to look like it went through a trash compactor IMHO. I'm crazt enough to have a sprayed in bed liner and it actually gets hosed out occasionally. Any recommendations for a hub type shelter???

[bikeoutback]

My truck with tonneau cover got just as dirty as my truck with a topper, only with tonneau it was easier to clean it at least. I couldn't fit my house under tonneau cover and can only afford one house, my choise was a flip over. I could have bought a 2nd portable for the cost of my topper but I use my topper the other 6 months also, it's all about needs I guess. Prying eyes can still see in my topper but I use my cable bike locks and lock my auger to the side of the bed and have a bolt on the front of my sled so it's also cable locked in the truck. My friends call me paranoid but I already had the bike locks so adding a bolt my dad had around the house to help ensure my ice house stays in my truck is worth the locking and unlocking hassle to me.

As far as hub style my buddy has a clam 5600 that has a floor and folds open, it's nice. If I was in your situation I'd get the following:

Small or medium (medium fits my auger best) team wild sled. I found these to be cheapest sleds for just a winter ice fishing sled. Then not sure what they are called but they have those 4 man or 6 man floorless shelters that pop open like deer blinds. They look slick, I'd like to get one down the road sometime. We fish northern WI with no shelter, think that setup would be slick as wouldn't take up alot of space since we also winter camp that trip need lots of other gear to fit in the truck. Just my thoughts.