Portable wants to blow away

[SP180]

What method is everyone using to prevent there portable from blowing away? I bought the screw in type and if that is not a real challenge to use. I lost interest right from the start. Any light weight home grown ideas?

[Bluegill1510]

This might not be light weight but bring a hammer or mallet and bring some screw-in tree steps that bow hunters use for deer hunting. The steps are cheap and all you have to do is knock them into the ice with the rope from your portable fish house wrapped around the step.

[Ron Vroom]

Use a cordless drill to predrill.

[walleyewild]

Ice locks work well for me, drill two partial holes with the auger and lock them in slide the sled tight away from the locks and no movement.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I made 4 "Anchors."

Cut a piece of re-bar, or round stock, or what ever you have about 12 inches long. Tie a piece of clothesline to the middle of the 12" long re-bar. Drill a hole in the ice. Lower the re-bar down the hole to the bottom of the ice. Lift up on the clothesline and the re-bar will grab the bottom of the ice. Do this for all the pieces you cut. You can then tie your portable to the clothesline. When it's time to pack up and leave, take the tension off the rebar and wiggle the line until the end of the rebar is in the hole. Then just lift it up.

[tisosy11]

I set my on the ice/snow and then just go from there...never had any issues so not too worried...

[tisosy11]

My house never takes off alone...

[jwhjr]

I only had an issue once this year with my house wanting to blow away, but there was little to no snow on the ice. We had to make sure one of us was sitting in it at all times so we didn't have to chase it down.

[Sandmannd]

Mine is modified and it's a little on the heavy side now. I've never had a problem with it wanting to blow away. If I'm out in a lot of wind and don't plan on moving much I will put snow around the outsides of it to bank it down.

[SP180]

I was in 30 mph winds yesterday and had the back of my guide facing the wind. Should i be setting it up differently? Or do you face it into the wind? I did not have enough snow to bank it up and the location was not where i could drive and park to block the wind.

[tisosy11]

I will usually put my door into the wind. THat way your back doesn't get so cold in my flipover.

[ozzie]

I am the opposite and always have my back to the wind....then the tarp does not blow in on the door side causeing me t olose sight of some of the ice space in front...also when you go in an dout of the house the door does not blow into the house/heater!!!

[Northlander]

Back to the wind is easier when taking the house down. Everything folds into the tub rather than out of it. I use the screw in ice cleats and never had a problem with them. Use a cordless drill if you have a problem starting them. I also use SNAKORS from http://www.soderbloom.com to hold the skirting down. Great product. Never have a frozen in skirt anymore. I use them when sleding or trucking onto the ice. At early ice I dont bring them or when pulling by hand. Or I just bring 1 for the front skirting under the door.

[mr_jman]

I have a suitcase style portable so when it's windy I usually drill my 2 holes for the house and then drill an extra 2 (or more) about where the back corners of the house will be. This way I have plenty of slush to bank and hold my house in place. It works fairly well provided I can actually get the house set up!

As a bonus I also already have a few holes cut for the Reel Weeds!

[slipperybob]

 Originally Posted By: SP180

I was in 30 mph winds yesterday and had the back of my guide facing the wind. Should i be setting it up differently? Or do you face it into the wind? I did not have enough snow to bank it up and the location was not where i could drive and park to block the wind.

You need to drill for some ice shavings, when you don't have enough snow. The only exceptions is early/late ice when there's not enough ice to drill anyway.

[Eskimoman]

With my flipover I put one of the back corners into the wind. This prevents the canvas from blowing in making my back cold and from it blowing in the front taking away fishing space.