Largest available portable shelter

[JayDeHay]

I'm presented with a unique and difficult challenge, and I'm hoping to deliver, and I need y'alls help to do it.

My wife loves fishing as much as I do (she's mine, I called dibs!), but we have 3 girls, ages 4, 2, and new-baby-smell that she's not keen on leaving behind when we go out. Last year, we had the 2 older ones out in my 5x5 popup. It was plenty warm for the girls, but there wasn't any room to fish, so it was tip-ups outside. When the ice is thick enough, we do the same thing in the minivan. The girls love it because they can run around till they're blue and warm up inside, and the wife loves it because she can get out and fish. But now with the newborn, the popup isn't a viable family option anymore.

We don't have anywhere to keep a wheelhouse, so whatever we get has to be able to load in the truck and take up as little space as possible in the garage. I've seen some factory suitcase shelters in 8x8 range, and a few homemade looking jobs in the 10x10 range, and then there's the Clam 1660 Thermal.

I'm wondering what you guys know of for XXL portables? Or maybe plans for one. I can get 5x10 sheets of plywood through work at a good deal, and have the tools to do the job at home, just not sure how I'd go about the canvas, or what it would cost to have done. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[B-man715]

One word: Hub

[Fowlmouth]

There may be larger portables available now but I recall clam making a portable called the sleeper I believe, and that thing was huge. Maybe worth a shot checking around on a few of those online sales websites.

[PurpleFloyd]

Not sure if this fits the bill but a guy o another forum built this for his clam bigfoot 4000 and I want to do something similar. Maybe it would work for you? Folds out, has insulated floor and hub attaches directly to it.

[Brad B]

the problem with larger portables is they get heavy and you almost need a four wheeler or snowmobile to pull it with until you can drive the truck out. some of the larger ones are the Clam Bigfoot XL 6000TC, the 1660 thermal six pack like you said. these would be the large hub styles. the only large sled type would either be the Clam X4TC or the Canvas Craft Double Sided flip over. Canvas Craft is the company that make the 8' X 8'suit case style house. I had one of their 4' X 8' suit case houses once. It was one of their insulated models. they are nice houses but if you over build the floor like I did with mine the end up weighing alot.

[Boar]

Ive sat in somenof the largest hubs trying decide which one to get. Im dropping the hammer soon on one. Their huge an take up little space when notin us. I plane on getting a carpet remnant so im not on the snow and cutting holenin it for the ice holes. That way i hwve some ki d of a floor and not sinki g into snow or neeli g in ice or water.

[CJH]

I'd check out a double hub pop up, like the Eskimo FatFish (amongst other brands).

[jigginjim]

I had thought of doing something like that for a 6X12 commander tent. I figured it may work as a deer hunting shack for those trips getting really back in the woods.

[Brad B]

Ive sat in somenof the largest hubs trying decide which one to get. Im dropping the hammer soon on one. Their huge an take up little space when notin us. I plane on getting a carpet remnant so im not on the snow and cutting holenin it for the ice holes. That way i hwve some ki d of a floor and not sinki g into snow or neeli g in ice or water.

a carpet remnant is not a good idea. it will soak up water and freeze and then will become even heavier and unable to be rolled back up once froze.

[JayDeHay]

Thanks for the help guys! I'm thinking a large suitcase might best suite my desires so far, but keep 'em coming!

Was discussing this at work today, and one of the guys suggested I use a Temper Tent. I'd never heard of it, so he pulled it up on his computer. Apparently he spent some time in one overseas in below freezing temps, and said it could be fun to set up on ice (Marine humor I guess). I laughed it off, but upon reflection, I could see it being quite the spectacle on a week long fishing expedition to LOW or such.