Good portable for the cheap newbie?

[spasticcp]

Hey there fellow fisherman. I'm in the market for picking up a portable and was wondering if any of you might have some good advice on a nice, yet inexpensive portable shelter. I'm basically looking for a good solid two-man rig, tall enough for someone short to stand in (so about 6' tall), quick easy setup for one person, and under $250 if possible. Something like a Speed Shack. It also has to be something that I won't have to wait for as I want to pick it up this weekend. I have the 3rd off, and I plan to spend some quality ice time. Hopefully the rest of the free world didn't take that day off too so I might have part of a lake to myself. (yeah right) You guys have been spot on with advice in the past, and any more would be greatly appreciated.

[metrojoe]

Menard's had one on the front cover of an ad I got in the mail a week or two ago. I believe it was a 2 man and it was under 200. I don't know anything more about it, but it may be worth checking into.

Good Luck

[Doonbuggy]

Spastic - consider the Eskimo Traveler. I bought mine a couple of years ago for around $150 if I remember right.

It's sled based, folds up nice, and is tall enough so that you can stand up and stretch if you want. Perfect for two. There are others that will open up faster, but it only takes a couple of minutes to put in the reinforcing bars. Because it's lightweight it can get moved around on windy days if you're not careful, however it includes a sideskirt so you can pack snow around it (if it ever snows).

I saw a couple of them at Galyan's Minnetonka on 12/26.

DB

[so haaad]

Check the "For Sale" forum, there were a couple on there. Also, I checked out the shack at Menards. It's very low quality, so it's not much of a deal. The floor looked very cheap, and I'd guess it wouldn't last more than a year.

[gonefishin11]

I would check the classifieds in the newspaper. I found a Frabil super cub that had never been used for under $200. I can put the house up by myself in less than a minute. I think they are like $300 new though so I got lucky but if you are patient enough, you will too.

[spasticcp]

Is the eskimo easy enough for one person to set up? I've seen some portables where you almost NEED 2 people to actually get it set up. Just wanted to see if that was the case here. Thanks again.

[upnorth]

I am on my 3rd year (I am about ready to upgrade) with the Eskimo traveler and for me if there is not too much wind it goes up in about 2 minutes and down in the same. I don't think you can beat it for the price, at least for starters.

You can fish 2 guys in it and it pulls pretty easy for early ice outings. But I will say that if you have 2 guys in there you will need to leave most of your gear outside, heater, minnow bucket and a couple of small tackle boxes and it is crowded.

[Sportland_Bait]

I'd recommend any of the Eskimo Shelters. They are pretty good shacks for the price. The Eskimo 2 man flip over runs $259.00. It is nice and light for walking out early and late in the year. You may want to consider a flip over. They offer the easiest set up but sometimes lack the headroom. I've had both and personally prefer the flip over.

Jason Erlandson