Lightweight materials suggestions

[MaineFishah]

A few of my buddies and I are looking to build a 4x8 hardside shack that is lightweight enough for 3 or 4 of us to lift into the back of a pickup. Not looking for all the amenities, just something to get us out of the wind. So far I'm thinking 2x2 cedar framing for the walls and roof and either 1" foam insulation wrapped in painted tyvek or luan plywood. I already have galvanized metal roofing, 2 small vinyl windows, and a sheet of the white plastic material that they use for the boards of a hockey rink (my skis). I appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks.

[cstolp]

How about fiberglass panels for the outside, the ones used for bathrooms etc available at building centers.

[diabetik11]

how about coroplast for the out side of your shack? so guy on here don't remember who did but it turned out real nice and light. do a search on here for it, i think it is called coroplast shack. i would not recommend the fiberglass for the out side for that as it might crack when it gets to cold out. coroplast is like cardboard but made of plastic and it is alot stronger.

[Mainedog]

how about coroplast for the out side of your shack? ...coroplast is like cardboard but made of plastic and it is alot stronger.

Don't know about it being stronger, but it stays flexible in very cold weather.  I heard that the fiberglass panels get brittle.  No first hand experience with the fiberglass stuff.  Just what I hear.

The coroplast shack is on here somewhere.

MD

[diabetik11]

i ment to say alot stronger then regular cardboard, i could not rip it if i tried but u can cardboard with little effort.

[mattg]

I have several shacks that are made of a wooden base and frame covered in tarp.  they fold open and closed making them fit easily in the back of a half ton.  we even put a wood burning stove in them for the really cold days.  home made

[cstolp]

My travel trailer(29ft) is made with fiberglass on the outside.  I tore another one appart to scrap it and saw how it was contructed and am planning on trying to build an ice shack that way.  They build a lightweight frame 1x2 and 2x2.  Not sure what the process is, but it looks like the foam is applied like the spray foam you see houses being done with.  Anyway the outside is fiberglass and the inside is either fiberglass or ply.

My plan was to build a sturdy base, light weight framing for the walls and then glue a nice veneer ply to the inside framing.  Then from the outside I was going to apply glue to the ply and framing and put tightly fitting 1.5" foam board between the studs.  Then I was going to apply glue to that and apply the fiberglass panels.

The laminated product used in the campers is very strong yet very lightweight.

[michianafisherman]

A 4x8 in the back of a truck going down the road will have to be made half way strong to take the wind. If you make some frames 48 inches wide by however tall you want it then glue the luann on the outside of the frame and put some r-board or pink board on the inside of the frame. Use some PL 300 I think. Its the stuff for foam board. Once you have a frame and glue the foam board in you have a nice wall section that will be strong and lightweight.

[cstolp]

How about doped canvas as used on airplanes?

[JOBBER]

3-4 full grown winter outfitted men, seats, fishing gear, heat, etc. may be pretty tight in 4'x8'. Somebody(s) are going to get pretty tired of moving so other(s) can get in/out.

How about doped canvas as used on airplanes?

Had a friend make a lightweight removable blind for his boat. He used canvas epoxy coated (saturated).

[Snowrd]

I am in the process of finishing a shack with corogated plastic for siding. I ordered 15 4'x8' sheets from Home Depot, I am excited to see how it holds up. this stuff is SUPER light. All 15 sheets can't weigh more than 30lbs.

[MattR]

I keep seeing people mentioning the use of coroplast for shanties. Being in the sign business for almost 10 years I do have a little knowledge regarding the material. Coroplast is great...as long as you keep it out of the sun during the summer and the extreme cold during the winter. This stuff gets very brittle in only a matter of a year or two when exposed to the elements 365 days a year. If you throw a tarp over that covers all coroplast for storage during the summer months, then that will add life to the coroplast. Even storing the shanty in a place that is not in the sun during the summer will help too. Without covering it or taking some other measure to help keep Mother Nature from degrading the lifetime of the coroplast, do not expect it to last too long.

Now if planning on building the sidewalls with coroplast, and then hauling it down the road at highway speeds without placing at least a windbreaking piece of plywood over the front, you might have some new wind-made windows once you get to the lake...lol.

Still dout the coroplast longevity... take a plastic bottle and let it sit outside in the sun and everything nature can throw at it. It gets brittle.

Enjoying all the ideas regarding ice shack building/construction though. Learning a bit and also refreshing memories regarding what works and what didn't work so well..lol.

[TJG]

A few of my buddies and I are looking to build a 4x8 hardside shack that is lightweight enough for 3 or 4 of us to lift into the back of a pickup. Not looking for all the amenities, just something to get us out of the wind. So far I'm thinking 2x2 cedar framing for the walls and roof and either 1" foam insulation wrapped in painted tyvek or luan plywood. I already have galvanized metal roofing, 2 small vinyl windows, and a sheet of the white plastic material that they use for the boards of a hockey rink (my skis). I appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks.

3-4 guys can lift a lot of weight onto the back of a 1/2 ton, tilt, drive under, lift, slide.
My point is, dont spare the wood to save a few pounds. I hv a 6x8 wood shanty, made from
2x4s and 3/8 plywood, me and one or 2 of my buds load that thing on my truck and I alone
unload it on the lake. Weight and counterbalance work hand in hand.

[landman]

how about reflectix insulation panels, 2 in think with heavy alum foil on both sides, very light and ridgid.