Do I really need a flip-over shack?

[eskimo roll]

Ok, been looking at flip-overs and I'm starting to wonder if my partner and I can pull the weight.  Are they really worth it?  What fishing advantages other than weather protection are there?  I've been ice-fishing for over 30 years without one, granted there are some days where I don't last as long as I should due to the cold, but generally it doesn't bother me that much.  I've read all the posts about putting them on skiis in deep snow, but are there other ways to make these easier to pull?  I don't have the cash for a 4-wheeler or snow machine and alot of times we don't have the ice to drive on (I fish Iowa and Nebraska, mostly).  What are your opinions?  Thanks for the help, the folks on this forum really are what make this site great.

[duck doctor]

I never had a portable until this past season. I can tell you that I will never fish without one again. Even if I don't use it, it will be with me. The portable extended my wife's stay on the ice from a couple of hours to all day!

[eskimo roll]

So, is the wife staying a positive or a negative?  Just kidding, mine hates walking on the ice, never got used to the idea. 

[james]

If weight is an issue you might consider one of the pop up hub shelters, or even a suitcase portable like a shappell that come with skis that fold into the sled.

[duck doctor]

If weight is an issue you might consider one of the pop up hub shelters, or even a suitcase portable like a shappell that come with skis that fold into the sled.

Like James said, I have a Shappel S3000 that is easy enough to pull on the ice. My 3 year old was dragging it around last season!

[eskimo roll]

I was looking at the shacks, just wondered by the time I add augers, chairs, vex, etc.  how much the weight difference would be? I guess I'd have to put all those in the flip except for the chairs.  The initial appeal of the flip was an easier move??  Maybe I'm wrong on that. 

[slipperybob]

A shelter makes a world of difference along with a heat source.  A flip over would allow one faster mobility for temporary set up. 

[CMMahy]

I do find flip overs are easier to move gear in most conditions. I have a 1 man Fish Trap Pro that get's loaded up with all my gear, including laying my 10" Jiffy, on top and once I added the runners underneath (snowmobile sliders bolted to the bottom) it it very easy to drag around the lake by myself. The one time I had an issue was trying to drag it long distances through 12" of crusted over snow, I'm going to try and wax the bottom of the tub before next year, it should help with the drag in those conditions.

The biggest benefit is the quick setup and take down. I can have mine set-up and ready to fish in under 1 minute, including getting the heater lit, and packed up in just under 2 minutes.

[weavs150]

i started ice fishing on a 5 gal bucket the shelter makes all the difference heat wind shelter easier to feel hits..i have a two man frabil flip over just pack it right so  the front isnt digging down in the snow and i pull it on my own most the time

[Trooper Bri]

I'm sold on the hub style pop-up shacks. I bought a Frabill Outpost last year for 200 bucks. It fits 2 comfortably, sets up quickly, it's compact, and weighs 24lbs. Fits nicely in my JetSled.

[ice--cube]

I had a shappel 3000 for about 8yrs now and i load it up with my power auger,poles,bucket,vex,tackle, bait and what ever else I need and it pulls OK. Last year i finally bought a ski system that they make for that shelter and it really made a huge difference pulling. I built a cage out of PVC pipe that sits on top when i pull it and that keeps everything from falling out while pulling.As far as do i need it well its the difference between sitting in the cold wind,blowing snow and frozen lines, or being comfortableand staying out longer. If i need to move i just throw everything in the shack and pull it while standing if not to much wind.

[wyoutdoors]

Ok, been looking at flip-overs and I'm starting to wonder if my partner and I can pull the weight.  Are they really worth it?  What fishing advantages other than weather protection are there?  I've been ice-fishing for over 30 years without one, granted there are some days where I don't last as long as I should due to the cold, but generally it doesn't bother me that much.  I've read all the posts about putting them on skiis in deep snow, but are there other ways to make these easier to pull?  I don't have the cash for a 4-wheeler or snow machine and alot of times we don't have the ice to drive on (I fish Iowa and Nebraska, mostly).  What are your opinions?  Thanks for the help, the folks on this forum really are what make this site great.

Pretty much in the same boat as you eskimo roll. No sled with no desire to even own one, cannot justify an ATV purchase solely for the ice, and putting my daily driver out on the ice in our area doesn't appeal to me either. Two seasons ago added a vex to my Jet Sled and 5 gal bucket, this season a power auger and flipover are in the plans (leaning toward a Strike-Lite II).

The flip over has given me pause... I don't mind paying for quality, and sitting in the display may or may not give me the right info either. Going too heavy and not wanting to use it is the same as going too small. At this point I'm 50/50 on a flip over and may end up modifying my sled and/or looking to craigslist for a trap or pro (leaning toward a Clam right now) and if I don't like it I can pass it along with little to no $$$ loss.

Fish by myself for the most part. Auger, vex, 5-6 rods, a few tip-ups, 2 buckets, cooler, tackle so the sled works fine, but it does suck to be out on a slow day with the wind on some days too - I'd stay longer with a flip over. Can you tell I'm STILL undecided by this post? LOL

[joesp]

I myself do prefer to have a shanty when I go fishing. I used a pop up shelter for the last few years and it worked great, but now that I fish a lot on my own I made my own flip over shelter by using the plans that were posted in the forum and it only costed me 50 dollars for materials and the price of a jet sled.  The one I built is very light and easy to pull.

[surflizard]

I pulled my Frabil XL Twin for 6 seasons before I got enough money together for an  4 wheeler.  Going with a Portable has allowed me to fish all over the Northeast and Canada !

[Hollywood703]

I have always fished outside, but decided that a 2 person flip over would entice my wife to come out more often as well as shelter for an older friend who doesnt fish often....I loved the easy move what i did hate was dragging almost 200#'s of equipment. the flip over 2 man was ~#125 by itself add gas auger and all other supplies and it was too hard to pull with any snow. I didnt have a wheeler so it was all by hand....

I sold that for what I Paid for it and picked up a 54" (#7) jet sled and a Eastman Ice Cube 4 Man (#16) I added a carpeted wood cover (2 door) (#10) to my jet sled and a divider inside for my shanty. But I also went up from a 10# hand auger to 25#gas auger. So even with the upgrade im almost 70#'s lighter. I can set my ice cube up in 3-5 minutes and use it as base camp only  most of the time......

Unless I get a 4 wheeler I doubt i will go back to flip over. I can also take out the shanty and save another 16#'s if its nice out.

[Get Hooked]

I know you mentioned that you did not want to get a 4 wheeler or snowmobile, but for the same price as a flipover, you could probably find a snowmobile. there are lots of " icefishing" sleds out there for $500 or sometimes less. Check the infamous craigslist out. I really hated pulling my shack out. Even when I was using my older suitcase style shack, i was putting alot of energy into getting it out on the ice, and going to the other side of the lake wasn't even a consideration. the snowmobile will allow you to fish anywhere on the lake.

[holehopper]

Another vote for the pop up units.  I have 2 of them; a Clam "Hub" for when I'm alone and a Clam Thermal Base Camp for when I'm out with a buddy.  I have a 4 wheeler, but I find that I get on the ice a lot more frequently when I don't use it and downsize what I bring out with me.  I usually only have a few hours to fish, so I don't have time to get a 4 wheeler on a trailer and ready to go.  The pop ups work great as you aren't dragging all the weight.  I use a small Otter first ice sled that has a set of kids skis mounted to it.  The skis are on electrical conduit and get the sled about 4 inches off the ice.  Even if there is snow, I can pull it with one hand fully loaded. 

[Gillgrabber]

One thing I like about the flip overs is the plastic base.  I leave most of my equipment in there so it's ready to go.  It also seems to sit on the ice a little better without being blown around and requiring the use of ice anchors.  I looked at the hub style shelter last year and almost bought one because I thought it would be easier to pack into the car or truck than the flip over, but I was worried it would blow away.  I still think about getting one as a backup.

[sled-in]

Here's another vote for a hub style shack, I have a 4 person cube, but I want a flip style shack, but I have a snowmobile.

I agree with some poster's here; you don't have to use the shack (it sounds like you never had one before), so the trouble of setting up a hub style shack isn't necessary at every place you fish. You could be mobile until you find the fish then set it up when your on them. Or you can use it as a "base camp", drill holes in a large area but move into the shack when you need some shelter.

I don't think I would see any advantage to having a flip shelter in your situation.

[BlueDuck]

Heres my story.  I have a FishTrap Guide that weighs about 70 pounds.  I mounted skis on it and that helps. When its loaded with my buckets, poles, other gear and my Eskimo power auger Im sure its well over 110 pounds.  Some times more.  On good ice it pulls easy.  In deep or sticky snow it can be tougher.  On those days I spray a little pam on the runners and that helps.   Over all its not that big of a problem to pull by hand and Im 64 years old.  I fish different ways depending on what Im fishing for.  I like to leave the door open 90% of the time.  I can jig from the seat and watch my tipups or other rods and stay out of the wind.  If Im fishing shallow I can close it down and make it dark inside and see the botom.  Or on those really cold days I can close it down and fire up the buddy heater.  I like it and it works for me. 

[Greg2ha]

You might want to consider each of you getting a single flip-over so you are both pulling something!

[SkeeterJeff]

I have a FT Scout for when I fish alone and a Yukon for when the wife goes.  I have learned to keep both as light as possible, as I don't have a sled, and couldn't use one most of the time if I did have.  Keep the bottoms covered with car wax/Pam.  My wife is an exercise nut so she pulls the Yukon most of the time.  If we are in the Yukon and taking the gas auger, I'll carry it to help keep the weight down.  I have thought about an open sled to offload some of the weight from the Yukon.

To get back to your original question, I love the Scout.  If you don't want to flip it over all of the way, it makes a good wind break.  I keep the support pole in the back of mine when I get set up.  Being a smoker, I flip it open regularly to smoke.  The pole in the back breaks the wind and keeps me from getting chilled.

-Jeff

[Wiener]

The entire reason I bought a shack (clam voyager) was because I didn't want to drive a couple of hours and then leave after an hour because the weather changed.
I have fished in some extreme conditions (-17 and very windy) and had an awesome day fishing in my shack.

If you don't want to pull a heavy shack get a pop up, or you could get one of the pack shacks.

You can use it as a regular chair, but if it gets windy, you can pull the canvas over the top of you.

Here's a pic :




Hope this helps,


Wiener

[TIBS]

Here's my 2-cents.

Get one.

The weight won't be an issue if you're gonna go with a 1-man shelter.  2 man gets heavier, especially in snow.  I would only get a 2-man shack if you've got 2 people walking.  Split your gear between a sled and the flip-over to balance out the weight, so long as 2 people are going.

[eskimo roll]

This is why I love this forum...lot's of helpful advice from folks who know!  Thanks for all the replies.    I'm still looking, good thing is, I have a little time to make up my mind.   

[wyoutdoors]

Yeah I believe I'll go with a one man myself. Has to be better than dragging just a sled alone. Thanks fellers. 

[GAMBELL]

I have 2 flips and love them both,  I have a Clam Yukon and a Clam Kodaik.  If you buy the flips, most of them come with seat built in so there is no need to bring a seat along.  The hub style tents are nice and light but a pain in the a$$ to set up in the wind.  By the time you have your hub anchored, I will already have fish sitting on the ice.  If it comes time to move, more valuable time setting up that hub while I fish away.  The Kodaik is easy to drag even with all my crap in it.  I changed things around and downsized everything to make the load lighter (still too much stuff).  Runner kits for the bottom of the tents make a huge difference. 

[wyoutdoors]

I have 2 flips and love them both,  I have a Clam Yukon and a Clam Kodaik.  If you buy the flips, most of them come with seat built in so there is no need to bring a seat along.  The hub style tents are nice and light but a pain in the a$$ to set up in the wind.  By the time you have your hub anchored, I will already have fish sitting on the ice.  If it comes time to move, more valuable time setting up that hub while I fish away.  The Kodaik is easy to drag even with all my crap in it.  I changed things around and downsized everything to make the load lighter (still too much stuff).  Runner kits for the bottom of the tents make a huge difference. 

Thinly veiled brag! 

[eskimo roll]

I'm leaning towards a two man flip...I never go alone anymore and if I did I probably would just drag my current sled.  thanks for all the help.

[Ryderr]

No, you dont need one, but everyone who has one loves it. We just switched to portable last ice season (2009-2010) from an old Shappel 2 man cabin. I hated that thing. We finally finshed it last year trying to put the poles in the roof and we slipped and the pole shot out and ripped the top of the cabin. By next season it was torn so bad we decided to bite the bullet and buy a flip over. At the same time my buddy was in the market for a shanty so he and I both were looking. He ended up with a two man trekker dlx by frabill. He can pull it by himself, its pretty small, and yet it can fish two people. I and my fiance however went with the Frabill Guardian as when we go fishing, we are usually "base camp"  . We were going to get the predator, however we got a much better deal on the Guardian and there isnt really much of a difference. I dont have a problem pulling it on the ice, and my fiance who is much smaller 5'3" can do it too. Through the snow is tough sometimes, but not impossible. We do have snowmobiles, though the reason is because we travel 4+ miles on the ice to get to our spots. We also didnt spring for the hyfax, we can still pull it, but it does leave marks on the bottom of the tub, which could lead to wear. This season we are going to fasion on some cross country skis that I have in my garage. A cheap suggestion would be the Frabill Recon if you dont mind sitting on a bucket, or the Commando for ultimate pleasure on the ice. As far as a snowmobile, try looking in the paper for an "ice fishing special" I see them all the time, usually around $150-$300 running, just old. I tinker around with snowmobiles in the winter all the time, and I have a little bit of a salvage going on, and I just sold some older Arctic Cat Cheetas for $150/each to a couple of older guys who needed an ice fishing sled.

Guardian vs Trekker dlx


Inside the Trekker dlx