Otter House Storage

[walleye17]

I recently purchased an Otter Ice Cabin a few months ago and will be storing it shortly. It will be stored in my garage, and was looking for some perspectives as to how to properly store so that there's no concern for mice, material rotting, etc. Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

[charliepete]

I take the canvas off every year and stick it in the basement. Works for me.

[pathogen]

I put a couple of moth balls in the tub and a few between the folds of the fabric before I put on the cover. Nary a hole from mice ever. I do need to air it out before I take it out though or the moth ball smell can be annoying.

[McGurk]

Check out "THE Portable Mod Thread" as there are a few discussions about this tagged in there. This has been covered this time of the year many times and there is a bunch of good info in there. Check the Mouse deterrant and storage threads.

Page 3 of the Mod Thread

[Tracker55]

Toss a few dryer sheets in the tub. Works the same as moth balls and doesn't smell as bad.

[pathogen]

The brand of dryer sheet might make a difference, I've had rodents chew up Cling-Free sheets and make a nest out of them.

[EBass]

I clean it (don't want dead minnows or old chips in there), dry it, then mine goes on a shelf in the back of the garage so it's off the ground. I do put the travel cover on. So far no mice. I do the dryer sheet deal too, but I've heard that doesn't work, but it smells better than me.

[Northlander]

Best way is to take off the canvas and put it in a tupperwear box or something water proof like that. If you dont put some moth balls and or dryer sheets. Bounce has worked for me but others say the mice used it for nests.

[Willow Sticks]

I hang mine with a rope bike storage lift from the ceiling in the garage. Since the weight is probably at the max capacity for the bike type rope lifts, once in place I put two nylon straps under the tube for addidtional security.

[gonehunting]

I agree with several of the others. I take the canvas off and put it in a large rubbermaid tote with dryer sheets. Takes some time to do but well worth it. Your protecting a big investment.

[ReidM]

This is a copy of what I wrote in response to "portable storage" posted 2/25/12.

I use a system, the Racor PHL-1R Pro HeavyLift 4' by 4' cable-lifted storage rack. Right now Amazon.com has them for $127, which is a good deal as the regular price (for Amazon) is $210. At the time I got mine I bought them at Menard's. If you google them, most people recommended heavier duty screws than they came with, and I followed that advice. You attach the support arms to the rafters in your garage, and the raising is by turning a hook at the end of the center piece. As turning this is slow, I inserted a pole with a loop at one end into my power drill, the loop engages with the hook on the Racor, and the platform moves easily up or down. I think you can also lock it into position.

I have 2 fully insulated portables, a 3-man and a double-wide 6-man, both from Canvas Craft Inc., and I store one on each lift. Fabric is stored in a container to assure mouse-proofing, but probably could have been left on. Can drive car under them once raised. Have been very happy with quality and function.

Good luck.

[BoxMN]

I clean it (don't want dead minnows or old chips in there), dry it, then mine goes on a shelf in the back of the garage so it's off the ground. I do put the travel cover on. So far no mice. I do the dryer sheet deal too, but I've heard that doesn't work, but it smells better than me.

+1 exactly. I don't take the canvas off either, just make sure clean and dry, and its been good for 3 winters so far, in "mice territory" up north as well

[c0untryf1sh3r]

We use dryer sheets in our boat and we store it in a pole barn which is prime mice territory and have never had a problem yet. I would just clean it, make sure its dry and pack it with dryer sheets.

[no bait nate]

I clean out very good, and let it dry while set up for a day or two. Then I put most of my gear inside for the off season, then the travel cover. It is stored against the ceiling on a heavy shelf I have built for it. I keep my Otter Lodge and Clam Kenai up there and haven't have problems ever. I think it would be tough for mice to climb the bare wall.

[harvey lee]

For both the boat and the 3 portables I have, they get all cleaned up and I use 1 box of Bounce dryer sheetes per portable. I put them in the tub, folds of the material and on top and then put the cover on.

The portables are stored in my shed and I do have mice as I use Decon all the time but they do not bother tha portables.

Never have I had one hole or anything in many years.

[picksbigwagon]

I use the raycor lift as well and the last three years I have not taken my canvas off my otter. It is stored inside the garage 10' in the air, there are 10,000 other hiding spots for the mice in my garage if they dare enter it.....

[Eric_Kruger]

Scout gets hung from the ceiling by a bike lift that I modified to fit the scouts tub, i just clean it out, put the cover on and hang it up. Never had an issue yet.