Shelter Set Up Questions

[thinblueline]

New ice fisherman here so a quick question about setting up a pop up shelter. Do you guys shovel snow down to the ice for the area of your pop up, so you’re not operating around a bunch of slushy snow when the warmth of your heated shelter starts to melt it, or does that just cause you to operate in standing water when the bare ice starts to melt? Also, are you guys calculating the position of your holes and cutting and clearing them, then setting up the shelter around them, or setting up the shelter first and cutting your holes where you need them without the guesswork, then shoveling the mess outside? I’ve only ice fished one morning in my whole life and that was in a hard shelter so I don’t know what’s best.

[btwildfood]

Good question. I'm fishing with my first hub shelter (Eskimo 949i), and I haven't quite figured my methods out yet. Generally speaking, I won't set up the hut until I find the fish.  So, the pop-up process will usually be with at least one hole already drilled. I then position the hut so the hole is in a workable location, stake down as needed, and drill any other holes inside; pushing the shavings aside. So far, I haven't dealt with much snow, so I just left the thin layer of snow, and it doesn't melt in 3 hrs of the Mr Heater going.
   In a no-snow situation, your ice shavings from hole drilling is valuable for packing your fresh fish, and for weighting down the outer skirt of your hub shelter.

[fish/hunt4ever]

If you are worried about the snow look into the mats that lock together and put those down as your floor, makes the shelter warmer as well, you can cut out the ones you want your holes in or just leave a couple out. There are several of the youtubers that show this right off the top of my head would be clayton Schick, jay seimens, minndak outdoors that I have seen use this. Other than that I usually drill the holes since I have a gas auger and then pull the shelter over the top of the holes, I also have the flip over shanty and do the same thing with it.

[slipperybob]

The only time had to ever truly shovel snow was when there was physically about two feet plus of snow and some spots had three feet of snow.  Had to or else the auger wouldn't punch through the ice.  Anyway learned from that cuz some of the other guys shoveled down to the ice and were sitting in puddles of water and slick ice.

For myself I set up shelter then drill holes.  I clear the holes and ice shavings and spread them inside to make a nice levelled flooring and upbank the inside walls a bit.  Sometimes I like to drill a little ice well inside sort of close to the actual ice holes.  Most of the time I don't.  I put down some foam interlocking flooring.  It makes a huge difference in comfort and merely just setting things down on that floor.  It also somewhat provides some flooring insulation. 

[meandcuznalfy]

If there's a lot of snow I clear it out and then put it back over the skirts, on a day with no or little wind that's all you need to hold the shack and keep wind out, I drill holes before I set up the shack.

[Jack978]

Kind of a trial-and-error thing.  I always clear excess snow not all the way to bare ice but close.  If there is enough put snow over the skirts of your shelter to keep it and the wind getting inside down.  ALWAYS stake you shelter because if the wind is not blowing now, it might later and chasing your shelter down the lake when the wind gets it may be funny to watch but not to do.  I always stake all 4 corners through the gromets because the wind can shift and usually does. It is a lot easier to do a little extra work and not have to worry then to do the 100-yard dash on glare ice.

As for mats inside it is a matter of personal choice.  I've seen guys use old carpet strips and also foam mats for exercise that fit together like a puzzle.  If you are on foot every pound counts but if you use a machine to pull the sled you can include more creature comforts. 

[BigDynamite]

It really is a matter of what works best for you.  I have 2 Eskimo hubs and mainly used a Quickfish 3 before getting flip over last year..  I used a silver Sharpie to label a couple of the corner anchor straps so I would know which was next to the door and then another behind it.  I would already have a hole drilled and then position the door so it was downwind (you get a sense of where the corner needs to be compared to the hole).  I always anchor the door corner before popping up the shanty so I have something to pull against and so it doesn't fly away if there is wind.  I typically anchor three corners and then at least the upwind hub.  Bank a little snow if available and you feel needed.  I don't normally shovel unless more than 3 - 4 inches and as someone else said  like to leave a little so I don't have glare ice for footing.

Tight Lines

[MumbleSEED]

Always fish for a hot hole before I set the 949 up.  Then I usually shovel most but not all snow out and use on the outside skirt if needed.  I use a drill so if needed can make holes once set up for maximum space and setup but usually attempt to space some holes out prior. Usually if we are moving it’s quick take down with some other ties or bungees to the next spot.  I like to use a ratchet strap on the wind side of my shack if needed  to an ice anchor for extra support. 

Always run cooking equipment outside your shack so you don’t smell like a boozed up sausage and onion sandwich when you get home. 
 
Stay safe and stay on top!

[cwavs1982]

Agree with others.  Make sure the area you set up in have fish below or signs of weeds if fishing shallow area.  Once you have a hole located, you can set up the shelter.  Orientate the shack to the wind and position the door out of the wind.  Once you have it set up - you can shovel snow on the skirts if available.  I don't like to use ice shavings - they tend to melt and this causes the skirt to get stuck, and rip when taking it down. 

To shovel snow down to the ice or leave it is all up to you.  I like to leave a blanket of snow so that I am not sitting directly on the ice. The snow helps to insulate the ice layer.  Keeping your heater a foot or so off the ice/snow also keeps from forming a pool of water in front.  You also don't have to keep it tropical inside the shelter - but that's my opinion. 

If you chose to use a mat, you can create a spot in front of you to set them, I have found them to be too much trouble unless they are resting on the ice.  This will depend on how much snow you have on the day you fish. 

[800stealth]

The plow stays on the wheeler all winter so if there's snow I plow my self a clearing to set up camp on, the skids on the blade keep it up off the ice a 1/2" so I'm not going down to bare where it will get slick... Sometimes I will also plow paths around camp for my traps depending where I'm set up and how deep the snow is. I always drill holes 1st then stick the shack over them.

[stout93]

Kind of a trial-and-error thing.  I always clear excess snow not all the way to bare ice but close.  If there is enough put snow over the skirts of your shelter to keep it and the wind getting inside down.  ALWAYS stake you shelter because if the wind is not blowing now, it might later and chasing your shelter down the lake when the wind gets it may be funny to watch but not to do.  I always stake all 4 corners through the gromets because the wind can shift and usually does. It is a lot easier to do a little extra work and not have to worry then to do the 100-yard dash on glare ice.

As for mats inside it is a matter of personal choice.  I've seen guys use old carpet strips and also foam mats for exercise that fit together like a puzzle.  If you are on foot every pound counts but if you use a machine to pull the sled you can include more creature comforts.

LOL...that was me a few years back. Dead calm day. Didn't stake. Was outside running/gunning, left doors open in pop up. Gust comes and blows the thing half way across the lake. Not fun running in a foot of snow in a pair of Baffins.....

[stout93]

New ice fisherman here so a quick question about setting up a pop up shelter. Do you guys shovel snow down to the ice for the area of your pop up, so you’re not operating around a bunch of slushy snow when the warmth of your heated shelter starts to melt it, or does that just cause you to operate in standing water when the bare ice starts to melt? Also, are you guys calculating the position of your holes and cutting and clearing them, then setting up the shelter around them, or setting up the shelter first and cutting your holes where you need them without the guesswork, then shoveling the mess outside? I’ve only ice fished one morning in my whole life and that was in a hard shelter so I don’t know what’s best.

So not sure if you go out solo or not. But I had a pop up when I first started, it was just myself. I found it was a royal pain in the arse setting it up and taking it down. Especially in the wind. Alot more work than just a flipover shanty. I made it work for a few years, but finally bought a one man flipover.

Pop ups are better when you have multiple peeps that can help out...