Best Pop-Up Shelter to Buy

[HandySpence]

I have used the Clam pop out for spearing and the quickflip 3 and they are both good choices for spearing. The quickflip is nice for getting out and setting up quickly. The tools you have are what make each house more viable. Many times I have all my stuff in my malibu with the clam popout, and it fits easily. I have tried throwing the 6800 on the top of the malibu and all I got was a scratched roof. Sled style seems to be the best for my case, but i got a 4x4 last year for cheap so I took the flip out and the popout in my car more than the 6800, so it depends upon what you want to do for fishing. one more variable to consider is the wind. When the wind is whipping I prefer the smallest of the bunch or the flip to enable my beefyness to hold the house where I put it. The popout took a 50 yard dash last year before we could pack it in.

[maddowg1192000]

got a flipover that i use when fishing solo or during wind but i am looking for the best when i plan a night out or a few of us go. As of right now it looks like the thermal will be my choice but that may change once i make it into the store to look at them. thanks for the info so far

[sunniewally]

those of you that have used the pop ups a bit already, did you have much of a problem setting them up the first few times?

[BrdHunter01]

those of you that have used the pop ups a bit already, did you have much of a problem setting them up the first few times?

No, easiest and quickest setup! If its really windy it can be a bit of a challenge. But if you tie one side and srew it into the ice before you pop everything out, its golden!

[deadeye]

those of you that have used the pop ups a bit already, did you have much of a problem setting them up the first few times?

I practiced a few times at home before I set out on the ice and it did help. I could see how it might be a little confusing the first time setting it up. Practice at home makes you look like you know what your doing when you get on the lake. Once you got it figured out its so much faster than anything else. The 2-man flip over I got honestly takes more time to set up when you get done pushing all the poles up and putting all the supports in.

Like mentioned it can be a little challenging setting up in the wind the first time but again once you figure it out your fine. I like to set up with a corner (the corner opposite the door) facing into the wind. Just put a ice anchor in the corner facing into the wind and your set. Unless its really howling I don't bother with the extra support straps on the hub in the middle (i have only used them twice). Again, I don't think its any harder than a flip over once you have set it up a couple times even in the wind.

[servocam]

I found it helpful to set up a few times on the driveway and then found it easier to do on the ice as you can anchor one side down right away so it isn't sliding around on you.

[FISHINGURU]

Canvas Craft NorPac R2 on an Otter sled is an awesome setup.

[niterydr]

A tip for the pop up users is to put a corner into the wind. This keeps from having to have an entire side being pushed on by the wind.

With my Quickfish III, I would quickly pop up the top, pop out two corners (opposite, then grab one of those ropes and put it into the wind (having a buddy hold it also works good if you are fishing in pairs). Stake down the tie down, flip out the other two sides, then grab the next side and put it down into the wind.

Now you have two side anchors aleady in, and they are helping to keep the ice fish house "up". Stake down the inside corner, then the rest of the inside, the other two remaining side tie downs and there you go, already locked and loaded.

Another quick tip is to drill your holes before setting up. My quickfish is 70" x 70" on the inside (before I built my floor). I knew how many boots this would be (or my plastic sled length + x").

[HandySpence]

If the wind is really whipping I usually tie it down or open it up from the inside. For the price they are the most versatile, and definitely nice for carrying, and I plan on still using it for spearing this year. It is always nice to practice in the privacy of your own home so you don't look like a newb first time on the ice with it.

[Ed Carlson]

those of you that have used the pop ups a bit already, did you have much of a problem setting them up the first few times?

1- Simple rule to remember with all Pop-Up Hubs is...First up, and the last Down is the top.

2- In windy conditions, anchor the center of the hub of the first side into the wind opened, after the top, and progress on around, then anchor the downwind side.

Not much to it. But it's amazing to see how many forget the First up last down rule, and get be-fumbled and end up damaging the hubs because of it.

[skee0025]

I only had 2 problems with my Quickfish III. First it was the carry bag, Very cheap. The stitching started to come undone then the zipper went all within a matter of a week or two after purchase. Second- after 3 seasons one of the poles shattered so now im in the market for a new one. Look into soderblooms snaktors. They work excellent for banking if you have little or no snow.

[servocam]

I was at GM tonight, my friend just purchased the Command Post also. That is two that just sold their flip overs and for hubs.

The GM guy said he has the first generation Clam Command Post and also uses the Big Buddy heater to heat and for overnights. He said he doesn't even cover the floor. Sleeps on a cot that is about 20" off the ice and sleeping bag out on Mille Lacs.

I noticed this years appears to have some more holding tension and they did make the storage bag bigger!

[slipperybob]

Actually you'll want one side of the hub into the wind. It's makes a point that keeps the wind pressure off and you'll have that anchor to a line. If you put a floor corner into the wind, you'll have a flat wall with the hub shelter fully setup. It becomes a parachute wind trap and a gusty wind over 45 mph may buckle the poles down. Even with a corner stake in, it's possible to see your pole bend in very odd shapes. These were the days that you'll see huge snow drifts around you just after a few hours of setting up your shelter and parking your vehicle.