Name and Address on Portable House

[Guest]

I emailed DNR the other night inquiring as to whether or not a name and address is supposed to be displayed on portable house's in addition to the shelter licence. The return repsonse was yes, no different than a permanent house. My question is how are you guys doing this? In the summer months? Freehand, with stencils. I have seen hundreds of portables especially on Mille Lacs and I do not recall seeing name etc emblazoned on the outside of the canvas. Any thoughts???

[SpikeRoberts]

Bill,
I had the same question when I first bought my portable and the wise folks here suggested that I make up a sign on a word-processor, get it laminated at a local copy shop, and safety pin it to the shelter. I took their advice and even though I couldn't quite make the lettering the required 2" it has worked for me -- I've been checked by COs several times and they've been OK with the identification.
Hope that helps,
Spike

[Guest]

Spike thanks for the return. Do you have any problems when you collapse your house in messing up the lamination? I have a double zip door on the front of my voyegeur which might work, but I roll this up when I tear down. Where did you mount yours?

[say_der]

Depending on the color of your house, all you need is a magic marker. I put my driver's license number instead of address because if I move, I don't have to change it.

My house is black so I couldn't go the magic marker route. I bought a white "paint pen" at an art supply store. I then printed up 3" high letter on my computer, cut them out, traced around them on the house and colored it in. I don't need to worry about the wind tearing off a laminated sign, it's very legible and a C.O. once complemented me on how nice it was. Total investment was under $5 and about an hour of my time all while watching TV.

[SpikeRoberts]

Bill,
My sign has held up well even after much use. Even if it didn't, it only cost 50 cents so if I have to replace it every now and then I wouldn't mind. I've pinned mine on the front of my "fish-trap" style shelter just under the plastic slot built in to hold the liscense.
Spike

[Guest]

Well call me a law breaker! Three years ago I made a nice sign with my name and address and it blew away out in SD. I have not had one since. I have been checked about 10 times since that day. It has never come up once. Infact, I have not even thought about it until you brought it up Bill. I have a trap guide and when the CO comes by I usually have the top open already. Maybe that has something to do with it. But, I have had him announce his presence while I was fishing, still no mention of it. I guess I am going to keep taking my chances.

My question is has anyone gotten any grief from a CO about the size of your lettering or not having one on at all. I am talking about a small portable now.ScottS

[The Crumpler]

I have an Otter with the plastic housing attached and I also just use my DL #. I guess it gives me a little sense of security rather than advertising that I am not at my home address.

Just last week I had a CO on Gull ask if I had a sign with my name and address on it while I was pulling it across the lake. I told him I did, and he didn't bother to look. They were definitely checking some of the permanents in the area though.

[SpikeRoberts]

ScottS,
Like you I often have my top down to greet the COs as they approach, only once did a CO make a request to see my sign; in other cases I've offered to show them (and BTW they were all very respectful and nice guys) & upon seeing it none of them made any mention about the height. I may have mentioned this earlier, but my letters are 96 point -- barely over an inch.
Spike

[ifalls_archer]

I was on LOTW in early January, when a CO stopped and chatted for awhile. He was very polite as he wrote me a warning for not having name or license on my clam. I have since done the laminated sign on Word and stuck my license to it. No problems since.

[Guest]

Every portable house I have owned had a plastic slot on the side of it. I just cut a piece of cardboard to fit in there, wrote my info on the cardboard (last name, city, state) and stuck the sticker license on it. I didn't realize that I needed write my specific address and what not. All the CO's never had a problem with the way I had it. Now I put my driver's license number on my houses, and its so much easier.

[Uncle Grump]

I did the word processing thing - made a
name/address sign up - printed it in landscape mode, then put it inside two plastic sheet protectors, so that the one overlaps the other, and stapled it on to
the end of my homemade shack. It technically
doesn't meet the size requirements for the
letters - they are about 1-1.25" high, but no
C.O. has written me up for it. If nothing else, it shows compliance w/ the spirit of the law.