Eskimo Fish Shelters - QuikFish III

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Anyone using the above fish shelter which is new for 2006. It has a 70 x 70 floor area and opens in 60 seconds. It does not come with floor or seats and is light enough to come in a backpack.

It is a little bit like a quick set up tent.

You can see it at ardisam (Contact US Regarding This Word). The particular make is quikfish III.

Any thoughs and opinions appreciated as I am in the market for a fish shelter that is less tha 16 inches high in travel mode.

Thanks

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Bump

[18 inch Crappie]

Sorry, thought you were talking about the Quick Flip III

never mind.

[Ron Vroom]

I bought mine at Fleet for $159.00. Have only used it once and it comfortably fishes 3 guys. Put your holes in the 3 corners opposite the door. I like how quickly it sets up and tears down. Same material as in the Quick Flip II I had which I had no problems with. It only weighs 28 lbs and I like the standup head-room. In my opinion, Ardisam has a real winner with this one.

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Wow......159 is a good price. I saw mine at fleet for 179.

I agree that when packed down, it is very mobile as it is light and can be backpacked. And it really does set up fast and packs fast too. However, because it is so light, you need to anchor it.

I imagine that the quickfish3 is pretty good for mobility fishing as one can backpack it or put it on a small sled. And you get as much if not more space than a clam voyager.

Only badpoints are that there is no floor, no sled, and the door is a single zipper. However, I think construction is pretty good and there are license holders and reflectors and vents and windows.

My only concern now is how well it will stand when the wind is strong. Will it collapse the rods?

[Ron Vroom]

No floor, no sled and no weight of these items. For me, a floor in a portable is non-functional anyway. It does not add any appreciable warmth and restricts placement of holes. I use !" foam glued to a 14"x20" plywood backing board under my feet. I use 3 folding canvass chairs. I always fish from my p/u, so a tub is useless, and a waste of space in the truck. For a fly-in or dog-sled situation the Quickfish is perfect. If you are using a snocat or ATV, I agree, a conventional with a tub is probably the way to go. No question that it must be anchored with the substantial anchors provided for windy conditions, and with the wall anchors in place, there is no way the flex rods will collapse. Just compare the heavy duck tents of yesteryear with those of today, same difference between an Otter and the Quickfish in concept. Otter canvas probably will take more abuse, but it will not provide any more warmth or wind or snow protection. The trick I have found for setting up and taking down in windy conditions, is to put the corner anchors in place before popping the sides and leave them in place when collapsing to take down. Another trick to gain better access for moving equipment in or out of the shelter, is to collapse the non-anchored side of the zipper door and you can then fold half the triangle upward using a shock cord over the upper corner to other wall anchor I think this is an excellent pioneer step into the new future of portable fish shelters. No, I don't work for Ardisam!

[Norsky]

I saw one last week and played with it for a while in the yard. This looks like a pretty nice system. I only wonder how well it would do in the wind. A good anchor system would defineately be needed. It opens and sets up quicker than my otter style house. With a little larger windows and camo fabric, it would also make a good hunting blind.

[catch22]

I have one. I did set it up in the wind and whoa nelly! I had my son along to hold it while I staked it. If you're alone and it's windy be careful, it could fly away. It might be wise to set a stake it in one corner before popping it out if it's windy. There's a small strip with a grommet at each corner. There's 8 ice anchors, 4 for each corner & 4 for the sides. I would suggest a quick clip system for the side tie downs. There's 4 somewhat flimsy tie downs that come with the tent. I bought a pack of the bungy tie downs. I'm going to try this next time out.