Insulated vs Non-Insulated Ice Shelters and Best Brand

[thebigshowshel]

I am looking at getting a larger ice shelter to accommodate my family as my girls are getting to the ages to be able to ice fish with me and I would like my wife to come out more often.  I am wondering if there is a noticeable difference between the insulated ice shelters vs the non-insulated ones.  Does it make a big difference to keep heat in and maintain a good temperature?  My wife gets cold easily so maintaining a nice temperature would be nice if possible. 
When I was visiting Cabelas this past weekend the guy told me that he would rather have a larger non-insulated shelter than having a smaller insulated one but I thought there would certainly be a difference with heat in an insulated one.  He also said the only thing I would notice would be that when your heater quit, the insulated shelter would retain heat for about 10 extra minutes compared to a non-insulated one.  I have the big buddy heater so I think that would help also. 
I was looking at Clam Big Foot XL4000T and the Eskimo Fatfish 949i a little bit.  The Clam shelter has a bit larger fishing area.  Altho the Eskimo would be completely blacked out inside compared to the blue color of the clam (not sure how much that would make a difference).  It's nice that the Clam shelter's center height is 82 inches as I am 6'6" and it's difficult to stand up in most of them.  It looks like the Clam shelter is heavier but has a larger carry bag.  By the sounds of it, the Eskimo is lighter but the carry bag can be difficult to get the shelter back into when it's cold. 
I'm not sure if there are any other models I should be looking at.  I see that there is now an Eskimo Fatfish 6120i which has an even larger fishing area but of course a larger price tag as well. 
I just wanted to see if anyone has any experience with any of these models and if anyone suggests looking at any other options.  I've read good things about the Clam and Eskimo ones both.  One negative thing I read about the Clam model is that the zipper pulls break on almost everyone that has them.  But that's an easy fix for sure.
Thanks for your time and information, it's greatly appreciated.
thebigshowshel 

[nnelzon23]

I am in the exact same position as you. The kids are old enough now and wife wants to tag along, I actually think she will enjoy it, and in need of a bigger shelter. Never had an insulated, but after reading a ton of stuff I think I am going to drop the extra for it. I am down to the Clam 4000 and eskimo 949i myself, after a couple months of research. Of course no stores have either of the set up around me, but I have a good idea of what I am looking at. I have found the Clam for just under 300 and the eskimo for 270 so pretty comparable price wise. I would say I am about 75/25 in favor of the clam at the moment. Besides the zippers, there seems to be very little negative on either. Good luck.

[bushyjr]

Gander mtn has a store brand thermal 8 x 8 with 2 chairs on sale for 250 now and 200 on black Friday great deal and the thermal doesn't sweet and heats much easier

[nnelzon23]

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TOO BITE THE BULLET AND GO HARD WALL!! MORE WARMER ,QUIETER , MAYBE A ICE CASTLE !

If I were located anywhere north of where I am now that would be my choice.

[FrostBack]

Being that this was posted in the Saskatchewan forum, I will assume you are talking shelters available in Canada, and dealing with the Canadian climate.

I have a 949 and I like it a lot. I use it when we have a group on the lake. I have used it with 5 adults all sitting in lawn chairs and fishing at once...That would be about max.

I find that most of the time we have a group of people is on the nice weather days so the 949 is more than adequate, When I heat it I use either my Big Buddy or a single sunflower heater.....both work fine.

I expect the only days the family will join you is on those days the weather is nice....maybe -10 or warmer and not in strong winds....one days like this I will agree with your sales clerk who said "the thermal will hold the heat 10 mins longer", either will heat with no issues.

The Clams are famous for broken zipper pulls and cracked (non-replaceable) windows. The Eskimo give you better ice anchors and replaceable windows as well as 2 large mesh pockets that are great for storing jackets, hats & mitts once you are at room temp.

I have fished in my non-thermal once when the temp was -51c with the wind chill, once you get anchored down and the apron banked up with snow, heating it will not be a problem. Most days I don't even bank up the apron because its not hard to heat.

I hope this helps with your decision.

[Spaz75]

I faced the same problem last year. I went with the Clam Bigfoot 4000. Awesome investment imo.  Feels very roomy when your on the ice and it let's enough light in with the windows closed that you can see down the hole without being in pitch black. Probably a good feature for anyone with kids. It's a warm tent, I found, and it's easy to put away. Another good feature when kids are present as it gets you off the ice that much quicker. I read the zippers are a problem but I haven't had any problems with mine

[The Beachcomber]

Where did you find the 949i for that cheap of a price, Cabelas here in Saskatoon is $499 and the Fishing Hole is $429.  The regular 949 is $369 at both places.

[nnelzon23]

Where did you find the 949i for that cheap of a price, Cabelas here in Saskatoon is $499 and the Fishing Hole is $429.  The regular 949 is $369 at both places.

Sorry, I didnt realize you were in Canada when I replied the first time.

[Mr_Fisher]

Here is my 2 cents.  I've fished in both a ton. They are both great....they keep you out of the wind. The main issue I had with a non insulated one was the condensation build up. We ran a big buddy heater or a sunflower heater and after awhile the condensation would be dripping on us like crazy. It was a serious pain... And made a guy chilled not to mention getting your gear and stuff wet. I also found that when I was done for the day and packed up.... Still wet. So next time I went to use it, it was very frosty. So a pain to set up.... And then when the big buddy went back on it was a rain storm.  Last year we bought an insulated clam. I found a huge difference due to the fact there is no condensation. Makes you feel warmer and dryer. Was well worth the money. 

[The Beachcomber]

Didn't see you were from Iowa, makes sense.  Wow we get ripped off up here in the north.

[DBK81]

I fish allot in my Clam Switchback popup, as well as my 8X12 hardside, and a four hole Koenders shack, when it comes to mobility the Clam is the best by far, you can go anywhere be setup in seconds and out of the wind, with my Big Buddy I can get it to t shirt temp even on the coldest days, but condensation does build, but rarely is it an issue, the issue is my wife, gets cold feet, all the time, so taking her and the kids in my popup is out of the question, if it is mobility and comfort you are looking for, then spend the money buy and Koenders, get it sprayfoamed inside and you will be very happy with the warmth, as well as the ease of pulling it around the lake with a snowmobile. Happy fishing 

[jhepting]

I have a 2 person and had a 6 person pop up both non-insulated and heated them with a big buddy and never had a problem on the coldest days.  Make sure that you have enough venting open to let the water vapours out and fresh air in.  I have seen other people with sun flour heaters and they had major condication problems, but the mr. heaters seem to be better.  What also helps with cold feet is to get some rubber floor mats with the big ruffles and put them where the feet go and it helps keep the cold away from your feet (had many people out in shoes that way).  I built a perm shack  now so I only have the small pop up.  I used to bring all my winter gear and set up the tent and heater then everyone would pile in and I would hand them the rest of the stuff and they would set up while I drilled the tip up holes.  After doing all of that I would then have to strip all my warm stuff and put on a hoody other wise i would seat to death in side.  for take down I would suite up and they would had me the stuff from the tent, I would load, then they would hope into the warm truck and I would take down the tent.  (The people I went with did not have good winter gear).  I have been out on some bloody cold days while blowing hurricane wind and have been fine, in a t shirt actually.  Also I would always turn of the heat and open the doors at the end and let it frost up completely, then beat the walls and knock of the frost before taking it down.

[phishin04]

Does anyone have experience with Costco's The Fish Inn Ice Shelters?  $299 for 4-6 man.  I've heard the straps for the carrying bag aren't long enough, but other than that the price seems reasonable.  Just curious if others have been able to compare the Costco tent to the Eskimo or Clam. 

[JBinSK]

Does anyone have experience with Costco's The Fish Inn Ice Shelters?  $299 for 4-6 man.  I've heard the straps for the carrying bag aren't long enough, but other than that the price seems reasonable.  Just curious if others have been able to compare the Costco tent to the Eskimo or Clam.

Yes, got one last year. Love it!  The black coating (rubber paint?) on the inside is crackling  a little bit, but I don't really care.. It's an ice shelter...
When it's -34, it's not packable. (There were plenty of those days last yr!).. We would just fold it as best we could and throw it in the truck.

Windows cracked on these days too.  One call to the manufacturer, and I had a whole new set of windows the next wk. (windows are replaceable since they are Velcro'd on)

Very happy with the purchase. 
The costco satisfaction guarantee helps with peace of mind too. (If the mfg doesn't stand behind e product, costco WILL.)

[holehopper]

JB made some good points above that I would echo.  Insulated shacks are great when they are up, but for the hub units especially, when it is nasty cold, you aren't going to pack those up very well.  The insulated material gets really stiff when you try to pack them and you end up just throwing it wherever it will fit.  The insulated shacks are also a little heavier but nothing too terrible.  Other than the "pack up" issue for insulated hub shelters, the insulated versions are fantastic.  One other comment I would add is that I prefer a shorter hub shelter vs. those that are 6 or 7 feet tall.  I think the shorter shacks perform better in the wind and are easier to heat.  I also think the poles last longer as you don't have as much stress because they are shorter.  Most guys spend 90% + of their time sitting down in the shack and if you need to stand up, it is probably about time to step out for some fresh air.  All comes down to personal preference but just my opinion. 

[OD0814]

I have had the 4-6 man Fish Inn from Costco for 2 seasons now.  I would echo everything said earlier except my windows haven't cracked yet.  I have two or three spare windows that came with mine from factory in case that does ever happen.  One note, on those really cold days it doesn't pack into the bag, and on those nice days it is still difficult to pack into the bag, so I bought a bag at Costco this year for $30 that is actually for storing your artificial Christmas tree throughout the year.  It is lots big enough for my pop-up (could fit two pop-ups in the same bag) and it has good quality straps and buckles to hold everything tight, a few different carrying handles, and wheels so you can roll it on hard ground (can't imagine I'll ever use them).

The biggest positive for me is the price and the size of the tent, the biggest negative is that the hubs where the tie downs attach to on the outside pulled through to the inside, which was a PITA at first but I just attached some bigger washers on the outside of the canvas so that they can't pull through anymore.

[anglerbrian]

I also have a 6X12 fish inn from costco 3 winters on it so far and no problems. it is 600 denier. Still have the spare windows havent needed them. I did have one crack on my 6x6 sub zero but that was the little ones poking at the frost on a very cold day. Just handcuff the little buggers.
 No need to get cold feet in the pop tents either. I make a quick and easy floor out of the puzzle mats. you can toss your gear on the floor and it stays dry. plus the mats never freeze to the ice.

[The Beachcomber]

So is the one from Costco (6X12) insulated, it says it has a black coating on the inside for added warmth.  I may look into one, not bad price.

[JBinSK]

So is the one from Costco (6X12) insulated, it says it has a black coating on the inside for added warmth.  I may look into one, not bad price.

I would have to say I would consider it "non insulated".  I haven't really wished for insulation unless the wind is way up.... But I have seen guys Velcro reflective insulation (the aluminum bubble wrap stuff) to the inside walls.      Apparently that makes a major difference... Not sure it's necessary though.

[sidescan]

I fish out of both,  plus and minus on both, early season walk fishing popup is good, light, fast setup. But-15C or lower not so good, inslulated better way to go, heavy need a sled to pull very far, but very comfortable and little condensation even when its blowing hard and -25C and lower. I found using a  fan to move the air slowly around is likey the most important to keep condensation down and warmer in either one. /i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l593/dennyfish1/icefish2014006_zpse3b5db9c.jpg[/img][/URL]

[Finnegan]

The Costco Fish Inn is good value for the money. I've had the pop-up and it worked well. I now have the Fish Inn flipover simply because I prefer the flip over shelter. I have had clam products in the past and found that I was more than happy with the Fish Inn product compared to those........and the price was better.

[Larguin]

I have the Clam XL4000 and have been really happy with it. Apparently the zipper pull issue was fixed in last years models. Another feature that I really didn't think about before purchasing but really like is the oversize carry bag. Makes it really nice packing it up when it's -25 and dark.

[rumblefish_1]

Clam Bigfoot 4000 has been fantastic for 2 seasons.  Have had no zipper or window issues yet and the over sized bag is a plus as its always a fit .  I would say the biggest thing with full insulation for me are the no condensation issue. With propane heat ,condensation is always a factor. Nothing worse than being in a comfy warm shack and a gust of wind hits or a buddy bangs into a wall and its raining on you indoors     Now that I have had full insulation I wont go back. I own 3 portables of different styles ( pops and flip) and the are All fill insulation now.   Good luck with your decision.

[Warren_G]

I got the Cabelas 5 sided shack last year and was very impressed with it. As cold as last winter was up here in Canada, my Big Buddy kept it nice and warm. It has an insulated top and non insulated sides. It was on for $349 during boxing week, and was a very good deal. I see they have an even larger 6 sided one this year, and was on sale for $399 recently. I believe the cabelas ones are made by Clam, all black with lots of windows for light control. I looked long and hard at the Eskimo 949 until this one went on sale and I think I would make the same choice again. I was able to put it up and take it down myself with no problem, and in my case I liked the tall height since I am over 6'1. With a larger budget, I would likely look at the flipover style shacks as they have got some amazing features to them now and I usually ice fish solo or with one other person, so I dont need the seating area.

[Finnegan]

Canadian Tire is advertising the Eskimo Fatfish 7 person shelter for $499 starting tomorrow. Regular price listed as $599

[Lprefs]

I got the Cabelas 5 sided shack last year and was very impressed with it. As cold as last winter was up here in Canada, my Big Buddy kept it nice and warm. It has an insulated top and non insulated sides. It was on for $349 during boxing week, and was a very good deal. I see they have an even larger 6 sided one this year, and was on sale for $399 recently. I believe the cabelas ones are made by Clam, all black with lots of windows for light control. I looked long and hard at the Eskimo 949 until this one went on sale and I think I would make the same choice again. I was able to put it up and take it down myself with no problem, and in my case I liked the tall height since I am over 6'1. With a larger budget, I would likely look at the flipover style shacks as they have got some amazing features to them now and I usually ice fish solo or with one other person, so I dont need the seating area.

Did you find that you still had a lot of condensation on the sides?  Did you have any condensation on the roof?

[Extreme Sask Angling]

I recently got the otter pro xt1200 lodge and man is it ever awsome! Pricey! But awsome! Well built! Thick fabric! And warm!! Was out on that -38 windchill day and with my big buddy on half I was able to fish in my shirt, and zero condensation!!

[prairiedog]

I recently got the otter pro xt1200 lodge and man is it ever awsome! Pricey! But awsome! Well built! Thick fabric! And warm!! Was out on that -38 windchill day and with my big buddy on half I was able to fish in my shirt, and zero condensation!!

Any idea how it compares to the frabill thermal predator? I like the idea of the side door on them.

[ran7ger]

 i don't get any condensation in my insulated trekker II dlx.  would have gone with the side doors had i known they were coming out.

[Extreme Sask Angling]

I never owned a frabill shack to know, but I really do like the side door idea! I went with the otter due to much better reviews and the sled is much deeper, and plus the fabric is much thicker! Except to my auger blades, already put a small slice in the inside

And plus the blue is pretty bad a$&