WHATS YOUR 1ST CHOICE FOR A 2-MAN PORTABLE?

[Dan DAN the fisherman]

Best Quality? Strength VS Weight? Best for the Buck? Longevity? Personal preferences?Etc? I'm in the market for a new 2-man. Please HELP

THANKYOU,

Dan

[fiskyknut]

Otter, the one on the magnum size tub fishes 2 pretty comfy.

fiskyknut

[Bob Horn]

OTTER!!!

[iffwalleyes]

Otter without a question for me.

[thordoggydog]

fish trap voyager. nice material. decent sled. awesome seats, and I can stand up in it ... I 'm 6'4"

[walleye_dog]

I have fished out of alot of different kinds...Otter tops my list.

[GullRock]

The perfect house would be otter exterior and tub with the frabill seats.

I've owned an otter since they've come out approx. 10 yrs. ago and I've got about a dozen patches on it from auger nicks, ice cleats rips and etc. Still ticking! I've go to say that their tubs are indestructable, canvas is thicker than most, but their biggest downfall and I mean HUGE shortcoming, is the fact that they still do not have a decent seating option. Last year I bought the swivel seat with the bars that extend from the front to the back, which holds the seat in place, the first time I hit the ice the bead on the aluminum brace broke.

That week I brought the seat back to GM and the store rep. mentioned they were getting a lot of them back for this same problem.

Because a guy sits so much in the house, this is an extremely important thing to think about when choosing the right house. I suppose a guy could say, OOh well, I'll just put a folding chair in it, but becaue the otter sled had ribs, it makes it difficult to get the seat in a comfortable position, or right where you want it.

To be fair and honest, I'll tell you that I'm not a fan of the Clam either. They have their own set of problems.

1.Fabric more thin than competitors, not the most durable.

2.Tub is o.k., (but not an otter)

Also my buddy had the smaller 2 man. This house plows snow behind his Snowmobile, the house fills with snow and he basically banks his house from the inside out.

3.Seems are single stitched. (Otter and Frabill are double)

Now, Frabill, I've got to say has it's good points and bad too.

Great fabric, thisck/durable, fire resistant, (up to par with Otter and Clam)

2. Excellent seating. Padded/Swivel

It also has levers at the bottom of the sled that slide over the bottom bar that hold the house closed and these bars I will say, are extremely solid, (Iron, I think).

#3. Color of the exterior fabric is black. Can't beat it. It soaks in the sun. Again, I have a dark green otter and on sunny days, unless it's -10 or colder, I never run the heat and can uncoat and be comfortable.

The Frabill is Black, need I say more.

Downfall,

#1 The sides on the tub are dangerously close to the bottom and this same type of sled construction is the downfall to my buddies clam. Maybe someone reading these posts can confirm. If I had my choice of any house, I would put an otter tub on a Frabill liner! There you have it, the perfect house. Just my $.02

[DEADhead]

fish trap yukon, A little bit smaller than the voayger, but plenty big, and at 100 lbs, is easy enough for one man to handle too...

[Wish2Fish]

I bought my Fish Trap Guide the year before they introduced the Yukon. I like my Guide...but I REALLY like the Yukon. The difference in space is amazing. My impressions of both: lightweight but well constructed and durable. Comfortable seats, and the under-seat storage is pretty nice. The Yukon has some nice features molded in, and the link system (allows you to zip two like-model shelters together) is pretty slick! Perhaps if I can find a good home for my Guide, I'll race down to Gander Mountain and buy myself a Yukon!

[Dan DAN the fisherman]

Thanks GullRock and all others that replied. GullRock,have you seen the new Wilderness Series Packages by Team Otter ? If so what do you think of them. Material is Black , but much lighter and a different material. The new material is 600 denier polyester vs 11oz HD breathable canvas. Lets keep this going and maybe we'll design the perfect 2-seater!

[Big Paulie]

I like my Frabill alot. I also think that the sled is too shallow and thin. So I'm trying to think of a way to put my shell on an otter sled...Frabill did come out with some new really nice seats for the houses this year.

[Northlander]

I really like my Otter. Best tub/house combo on the market in my opinion. If your pulling with a wheeler or sled these are what ya want.

[KidWalleye]

I'll also vote for the fish trap voyager.

[icehousebob]

Dan, There's a lot of variables to affect the decision. I like my Eskimo QF-2 because I don't have a snowmobile or quad to pull it with, and its light enough for an old man to load, unload, and pull by himself. The sled is a bit light but runners will save wear. It can fish two but is not as large as others. If you have a tow vehicle and plan to use it a lot, the Otter is great.

[captkev]

Wish2Fish I've been looking for a used Guide at the right price, it's the only 2 man that will fit in the back of my blazer(60") I was about to place a order on a new one when I saw this post If you are serious about selling it please give me a call at 320-760-3815

[Ryan_V]

love my fish trap voyager!!! was going between that and the otter, and went with the trap for 2 reasons. I'll agree that the otter is a better unit overall, but the price reflects it and it is extremely heavy and difficult for one man to load into a pickup.

[Dave]

Quote:

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love my fish trap voyager!!! was going between that and the otter, and went with the trap for 2 reasons. I'll agree that the otter is a better unit overall, but the price reflects it and it is extremely heavy and difficult for one man to load into a pickup.

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Not straying from its top quality, these two areas, weight and cost, are why Otter introduced the Wilderness Series of shelters.

[Matt Johnson]

I use the Otter Magnum Lodge when fishing with 2 people. A lot of room and provides a lot of features like excellent durability through the sled, frame, and canvas. It's my number one choice for a 2-man portable fish house.

The Otter Medium Cabin is nice too. It's also a 2-man model but slightly smaller than the Magnum Lodge. A little more lightweight, but still provides the same level of durablity as the Magnum Lodge. Another great option for a 2-man portable fish house.

[not_nuf_time]

I bought a Fish trap yukon last year for my son to come fishing with me, now he wants to go all the time. Plenty of room, easy set up,(about a minute) and easy enough to load in truck by self. $400-450 fully geared seats, rod holders cup holders and cover. Thought it was the best deal. A selling point over the otter was fishtrap has round conduit for support poles compared to otter (sqaure). So poles dont bind when sliding and if do get bent easy to fix or make own. All maybe b.s. selling points but made sense to me.

[luv2fish]

Matt - I bought a brand new otter Magnum Lodge this year for a sweet deal. I am wondering what others do for seats? I have two young kids, so I was thinking of getting the bench for it. But does that add alot of weight? Is it easier to just throw chairs in it?

Thanks,

Luv2fish

[Matt Johnson]

The bench seat might be your best option with the kids. It won't add too much more weight, not much more (if any) than the seats you'd but for it. It also still allows you to put gear behind you in the sled. If you just set chairs in there you might be a little more limited on space...

[ChuckN]

luv2fish-

The bench seat is constructed of aluminum and is very lightweight. It is also quickly removeable with a couple pins if need be. I've owned others and the bench is the most comfortable IMO and so easy to swing it up and load/unload the sled without obstructions. You will not be disappointed.

[Dave]

I fish with my two boys on the Otter bench. Roomy enough, comfy and still allows gear in the sled.

[schweady]

So, if I go with the Otter Medium Cabin, you're saying that the bench would leave me with more room than having the 2 swivel seats? Or maybe the bench isn't even an option on the medium sled? And what about the relative comfort level, really? Isn't it an upgrade kinda like moving from the bleachers down to the box seats?

And does either option need to be unclamped and stowed in the sled before folding it up?

[Matt Johnson]

schweady,

You will have about the same room with the bench seat as you will with the swivel seats. Both will allow for storing room behind the seat/bench. But you will have more seating space with the bench. What I was referring to in regards to having less room was when you use just a regular fold-up chair of some sort and just set them inside the sled. Both the bench and swivel seats are good options.

Me personally, for the Medium Cabin I would go with the bench seat. However, the swivel seats will work just fine as well. Here's a link to see the different options available for seats from Otter Outdoors...

Otter Portable Fish House Seats

You will want the 48-inch bench (#1530 - 48" Wide Fits Medium Sled) if you're going with the Medium Cabin.

And you can keep both options clamped on when taking down the fish house and the cover will fit over the top. However, you can still choose to unclamp them and store them in the sled if you want, but you don't have to.