Insulated vs. non-insulated shanty

[Yooper906]

Hello and happy December!

I have had a Clam Nanook flip-over two person sled shanty for years. I have loved it and have gotten tons of use out of it.  I am looking to sell that and invest in a standard shanty probably 4-6 person range and wanted to hear everyones thoughts on brand, size, and insulated vs non insulated

[Scranton Joe]

I definitely  recommend  insulated  over non insulated.  There's no condensation and they're warmer.

I'd get one with the door completely  opens. No more tripping or ripping.

All the brands are good imo

Otter, eskimo, clam, are all decent hub shelters. I'd probably  buy an Otter first.

[quack]

I really like my 949i from Eskimo but definitely not as convenient for being mobile. If you've got spots that you can set up and stay on fish they're great and for sure go with insulated, bit heavier but much warmer and little to no condensation. I haven't used any of the full door models but they seem like a good idea. Also Eskimo offers a discount for any government workers (police, fire, military, but also literally any municipal, state, federal government workers) and I was able to apply that discount on top of the shanty already being on sale. It was a few years ago but it was around or a little less than $250 shipped to my house.

[ont_angler]

I have had both non insulated and insulated.

Its worth it 100 times over to go insulated if budget allows it.

Personally i like eskimo, quality is good, customer service is good and so are the products.

[hardwater diehard]

Features to look for in a hub ..insulated ...removable windows...grommets in the skirt ...good ice anchors ...good tie down straps ...full door . For the most part Clam falls short on most of these features Otter and Eskimo shine . Some of the aftermarket brands have some if not all of the above features . I just purchased an Eskimo 650 XD ...the full door is a game changer . Things you will hate if you try and save a buck ...cheap anchors just suck ..non insulated will be chilly and the wind flap is annoying...straps are superior to cord. Also look at the diameter of the hub poles ...some are very thin. Good luck in the search and purchase. A hub is an investment and size does matter .Buy once cry once.

[800stealth]

Insulated for sure, like already mentioned they're warmer with way less condensation but also the insulation makes a big difference with wind flapping and noise... Well worth the extra coin and weight.

[CL_Outdoors]

I just bought a Clam C-560 insulated hub after selling my Eskimo 949 non insulated. Haven't used it yet, but based off setting it up in my garage there I can already tell a difference in blocking noise and heat retention. My brother and I sat in there for about 10 minutes and just our body heat was making it a bit warm in there.

It is a bit heavier than the 949, but I'm used to lugging around a sled that is 50+ lbs. Plus the price was right, it was on clearance and ended up only paying $200 with a gift card. I'm just across the border in Indiana so hopefully I won't have to wait until february to use it. If that's the case I'm coming to visit you guys lol.

[Kilsdonk]

Features to look for in a hub ..insulated ...removable windows...grommets in the skirt ...good ice anchors ...good tie down straps ...full door . For the most part Clam falls short on most of these features Otter and Eskimo shine . Some of the aftermarket brands have some if not all of the above features . I just purchased an Eskimo 650 XD ...the full door is a game changer . Things you will hate if you try and save a buck ...cheap anchors just suck ..non insulated will be chilly and the wind flap is annoying...straps are superior to cord. Also look at the diameter of the hub poles ...some are very thin. Good luck in the search and purchase. A hub is an investment and size does matter .Buy once cry once.

Diehard nailed it. Also, insulated helps keep more light out so you can see down the hole.

[Yooper906]

I really appreciate everyones input! Thank you all! I'm hoping to pick one up at the ice fishing show at the suburban showcase in Novi they host every year in January. But if a good deal arises ill get one sooner.

Hoping we have a nice cold winter this year. good luck everyone

[3300]

Avoid rain with it.
It takes days to dry out indoors. I've had to allow a large pop up hub shelter to drain in the bath tub before trying to let warm air dry it out. The poly fill holds water like a sponge between two layers of fabric that also hold water. Water makes it very heavy.

I've used water proofing sprays on all of my shanties and it helps for a short amount of time. I concentrate on the skirts and roof areas with several layers.

Non insulted is better for wet days on ice. So I own both types for that reason.

[Kilsdonk]

I use mine for late season elk hunting/spring bear base camp and have had it rained on and it didn't accumulate any moisture but, I also had the buddy heater running in it constantly since the wife and dogs stay inside and at camp during crap weather.

3300: do you not heat your ice house? and how often do you encounter rain while ice fishing?

[theTUGistheDRUG]

Good advice here.  Insulated for sure.  I also liked the Eskimo 949i and still have it, but just upgraded end of last year to the Otter Resort with full door.  Did not have the chance to use it yet, but I am looking forward to the extra space and full door. 

[3300]

I use mine for late season elk hunting/spring bear base camp and have had it rained on and it didn't accumulate any moisture but, I also had the buddy heater running in it constantly since the wife and dogs stay inside and at camp during crap weather.

3300: do you not heat your ice house? and how often do you encounter rain while ice fishing?

Most of the time I don't use shelter. I do use my flip over to haul my stuff including a heater. If it gets windy or if it gets cold I'll sit in it and if it's cold enough I'll heat it, typically after sun set. Otherwise I'm moving about and leave shelter sitting opened.

The time my pop up hub shanty got drenched is when 4 of us were on ice and a rain storm came. 2 didn't have waterproof clothing so I offered to set it up for them. The pop up limits movement much more than a flip over, so I take it for others or for a small group or for my spouse.

One time dealing with a soaking wet insulated huge pop up shanty was enough. I won't set it up in rain again.
I would set up my non insulated in rain tho.

My insulated flip over won't be used as a rain shelter either.

I'm down to 5 shanties.

[smeltbuster]

I bought an Otter 2 yrs. ago & used it for 1 season & sold it. The poles on it buckled but did not break in some moderately high winds on Gull lake. Great shanty for occasional use, but I did not feel it would last for more than a couple of years w/ 40-60 uses per year. Went back to a Clam X 400 . The hubs & poles are much stronger IMO . I would not even think about a non-insulated shanty anymore. The extra weight is worth it. I pretty much fish every night once we get good ice & walk about 800-900 yds. & pull 2 Jetsleds w/ my gear. To go that far & have an equipment failure is not acceptable. Clam gets my nod 100 %.