For those of you without a shelter

[Crm7290]

What do you do to stay warm?

Im pretty new to ice fishing. This is my first season. Ive been fishing for a number of years in Illinois mostly then up here in Minnesota. For ice fishing, unless I am with a friend who has a shelter I am sitting on a bucket on the ice. I layer up really well but I find that I still get cold.

One thing I think that might work would be overalls, but I dont want to spend the money to buy them if I usually have a friend with a shelter to stay inside.

[wayne123]

Good boots, snow pants, underarmor (or something similar), mittens (with light gloves underneath), stocking cap and hood. The funny thing is you can probably buy a cheap shelter for what the warm clothes will cost. Of course the clothes can be used for more than ice fishing.

[Crm7290]

I generally deck myself out with the things that I wear to ski. I have a Cabelas cold weather underarmor (Its Cabelas version of UA) pants and shirt that I wear. I also wear an under armor shirt either on top or under the Cabelas one. I have wool Winona mitts (if you are familiar with them, they are just wool mittens) that I wear with Ice armor neoprene gloves. I stick handwarmers in those gloves. This works pretty well until I have to reel in a fish, but I just pull them off.

I bought a flasher this season. A shelter is next season I think. I need more space to put stuff. I am moving to a different apartment next year and will have more room hopefully for my gear.

I also ski so I have a lot of warm clothes for that

[croixflats]

What works great is a mister heater and stand pointed at the whole adjacent to you that way keeps the whole clear of ice and you can reach down to warm the hands if need be and you get some ambient heat also, not much heat but it does help specially with the hands.

[Crm7290]

What do the mister heaters cost? are they the sunflower ones? Doesnt all of the heat get blown away on windy days? Im going to the big Cs HSOforum to look right after I post this.

[DeeJ]

I would buy a shelter and a sled to haul your gear. I can tough out the coldest cold and the windiest wind if need be, but it sure is nice to not have my line "Bowing" in the wind outside so I can better see bites. Also a nice place to warm up and have a lunch to keep you going longer (Even without a heater, the sun will do wonders when it's out), hopefully catching more fishes. You can find a shelter and sled for $150 easy.

Cheers and good luck!

[Crm7290]

DeeJ that is true about the shelter but I drive a Rabbit, looking at all the sleds and shelters at Fleet Farm and other stores, I really am not sure if I would have room for one in my apartment and in the car. I cant just leave it in the car because I am always up in Minneapolis in the Loring Park area and I don't exactly trust that area with important/ expensive things. Next year I should have a different better apartment that I will be able to keep it in and the girlfriends hopefully changing locations to a more trustable one.

I was out today and between having my hole freeze, my line freeze in an arc shape, and my hands freezing I didnt catch any fish. Luckily I am able to drive on the ice since there is hardly any snow so when I get too cold lately I have just been dipping out into my car and warming up. I learned to leave the heated seat off because that makes me sweat and then I just get colder after.

[NCLaker]

If you don't want to spend any money, IMO the most important thing is that you do something to block the wind. You can use your car, and bank up some snow to keep the wind from blowing underneath it. Also, NEVER wear cotton directly against your body (socks, shirt, etc) - it absorbs sweat and holds it to your body so you will get cold quick. If possible use wool (merino wool is preferred since it is soft and not scratchy), or some sort of "base layer" under garment.

As others have said, for what you might spend to make it more comfy on the ice, you could by a cheap shack. The hub/pop-up style hubs fold up small enough to fit in a Rabbit. I have a 2 person Clam hub shack that fits in the trunk of our Civic.

Speaking of that Clam hub shack ... I NEVER use minecause I tend to use my big Eskimo hub instead. If you want it, I'll be getting rid of it for cheap. Just e-mail me nclaker at gmail dot com.

[Far-I]

HT makes a little wind break thing for around $60.

For that much you could probably find a Pak Shak though, which i have, and use more often than my 1 man frabill when fishing alone, i really like it.

a sunflower heater blasting at you is an option, so is a flask of blackberry brandy, apple pie or mcgillicutty schnapps.

[Crm7290]

Id go the flask option but Im a bit shy of 21 and don't want to get caught with an underage this close to it. NC thanks for the offer but I wont be up in that area at all. Its a good 3 hours from where I live.

Im really really considering buying a Pak-Shak now that I look at it. Its only 60 dollars at Reeds. Have you guys ever used one?

[croixflats]

On windy days it does not help much even goes as far as having a hard time being litt. But on days like today and yesterday it helps a lot. Its not about being blasted by the heat because the way I do it its not pointed at me. The mister heater I think is referred to as a sunflower heater, I get confused on that one also. They come in different sizes and BTU's.

Yesterday I was out the hole stayed clear the line did not ice up and it helped tying on jigs. I did not have it on high except on occasion after dipping my hand in the minnow bucket. The gas ran out and I paid for it. Just enough wind to speed the whole icing over and the hands oh! The hands.

I have a shelter but on days like today and yesterday anything to help me sit on a bucket outside is great. I get to see the wonders things going on around me without peering trough a small window.

[Norm1980]

Find a large cardboard appliance box from a dryer/stove etc.. cut all the way through one side and place it around you in a U shape. Put the lids flat on the ice and bank snow over the lids and against the inside this should keep it from blowing away. You will not have a roof or anything but it will help block wind, and if you do use a heater help redirect some of that heat back to you.

its cheap, should fit in your car once cut, and you don't have to worry about anyone stealing it

Just an idea.. I have never done it but i know my uncle said its what he used to do on windy days when out in the open sitting on a bucket.

[Crm7290]

Thats not a bad idea at all. I had a box from a friends shanty in my trunk for the last week and thought about it but then I realized that the box was only 3 inches deep so that wouldnt work for me.

[Norm1980]

check with a local appliance store i would think they might have some extra boxes laying around they would be willing to part with for free. I would guess you would have more luck at a local mom&pop store then a larger chain store

[Ed Carlson]

A good set of nylon shell coveralls or snowmobile suit will go a long ways to cut the wind.

Another option is to hit the Army Surplus Store, or a like surplus outlet. The Air Force Parka or the Flight Deck Cold Weather suit is a great choice. The Parka and the pants or bibs should be a economic option.

Frabill also made a rig called the "Frabill Ice Shuttle". It was a handy portable shelter option. Hard to find but you might dig one up cheap if you do some looking.

[candiru]

Your head and neck are real important. I always have a nice warm hat and one of those fleece neck gaitors around my neck. A face mask if needed.

[Panfish Guy]

Check the major online auction site for a Pak Shack. Bought one this year and like it. A little noisy in real windy situations.

[Acemac]

buy a house first before the flasher or heater....

[Ebiz]

Quote:

I cant just leave it in the car because I am always up in Minneapolis in the Loring Park area and I don't exactly trust that area with important/ expensive things.

True, but I doubt most of the people in the Loring Park area even know what a fish house is

[leech~~]

I was fishing up on Gunflint lake one time when this whole pack of about 20 people that were local fishing guides and friends pulled up on sleds and they all pulled out these little wind blocks that they had made out of tarps and PVC piping and started fishing. I was in a porty and it was a good -15 below out but they were there for a few hours shooting the breeze sharing wine and having a good old time. The wind blocks seemed like a pretty cheap and portable way to stay out of the wind.

[Jim Almquist]

The idea using the cardboard box is similar to what my dad made up years ago. It was three small pieces of plywood that were hinged and had a tarp that would go over the top and a steel piece that would hold the tarp in place. Then it was just a matter of putting a Coleman lantern in a bucket and keep that between you legs and you were toasty warm. We did that method for years and if you could drive out it was small enough to toss in the trunk. Get out of the wind and a little bit of heat and you should be good to go.

[herefish101]

Buy some bibs and a good coat, even if their carhart knock offs, it will make a huge difference as far as being cold. Plus if you should ever get stuck out on a lake you'll have a much better chance of walking to get help than if you were wearing what ever you can layer. I have just about everything an ice fisherman could want, but you will not find me out there underdressed, I always dress for the nightly low temp, just in case, plus at the same time i'm never cold.

[MinnGuy]

Pak Shak is nice. Comfy chair and all. I like mine for the hikes into the BWCA.

[DT10 Guy]

I have used a Pak Shak for the last three years. Second time out this winter all of the plastic parts holding the chair together cracked and broke off. It was super cold that day so I think it met it cold threshold. I went out and got a Clam Kenai that was on sale at Fleet Farm and I am very happy with it.

[joneshat11]

First wear a layer of some type of underarmor type layer. Second a fleece layer. Third a good pair of merino wool socks. Forth is to pick anyone of the ice suits from any company. Fifth, a good pair of pack boots that are waterproof.

Here is the big secret though, take adhesive body warmers and place them on your underarmor shirt in your kidney area on your back.