dry 'yer hub shelter

[WYIfish]

I used my new  quickfish3 and it caught condensation on the inside because I used propane. when I put the tent in the sack, throw it in the back seat of the pick up and forget about it. How do I deal with the condensation?

[Mohawk Garage]

I set mine up in the shop to let it air out for a day or two when I get back home

[WYIfish]

I set mine up in the shop to let it air out for a day or two when I get back home

I haven't made it any easier to put up and down but I think I need to start setting it up in the yard when I get back home. I fear it will milldew if I keep doing what I am doing and it's brand new so I need to get on my game. I may as well go get some 12" spikes and a big hammer and tie it to the wire fence 'til it dries out. I wish it would dry out on the ice before I go home. There must be 8 million other hub owners who use propane for heat....HELP!

[DawntoDusk]

Condensation is something you will always have to deal with, especially if you have an uninsulated hub. Using a gas heater also contributes to this problem, since it has moisture in it. You can lessen this problem by ensuring that you have good airflow through your shelter.  A fan helps. Also I keep my shelter fairly warm inside which seems to lessen condisation also. I also wipe down the inside with a bath towel before taking it down to lessen the drying time once I get it home.

[esox_xtm]

Had an older one that had been stored for a while I had to freshen up with a good bath. I literally hosed the whole thing off inside and out, left it outside for a couple of above freezing days with door and vents wide open and the back off the sled for better air flow. For the most part dried pretty nicely. Following day was going to be below freezing so I moved it to the garage, lit a heater inside the tent and ran a fan to finish the job.

Putting any kind of shelter away wet is never a good thing. Air movement is your best friend. If it's below freezing you need to add some heat.

[zcm_82]

Condensation is something you will always have to deal with, especially if you have an uninsulated hub. Using a gas heater also contributes to this problem, since it has moisture in it. You can lessen this problem by ensuring that you have good airflow through your shelter.  A fan helps. Also I keep my shelter fairly warm inside which seems to lessen condisation also. I also wipe down the inside with a bath towel before taking it down to lessen the drying time once I get it home.

+1 on this. You're always gonna fight condensation heating an uninsulated portable fish house. White gas heaters and alcohol burners do the same thing, so it isn't just propane.

I am running a Shappell DX3000 now with alcohol heat, and I have noticed it does seem to form condensation a lot worse than my old Ins-Tent did, but I think that's mostly because it is a lot bigger, and the tent material is heavier.

I do the same thing as you for drying; just wipe down the inside, then dry it out with a milkhouse heater in the garage after I get home. It is usually dried out in 3-4 hours on low. It also completely dries the floor carpet out, too.

[DR.SPECKLER]

I throw my hubs in the tub to defrost then pop it up over a heater vent to dry out.pain in the rear but has kept my hub shelters like new.i also dont let them get skanky with fish slime and food or bait all over them.

[esox_xtm]

The source of condensation isn't just a heater. We put out plenty of moisture just breathing. The more people in the hub/shack, the more moisture from human respiration.

There is something else you can do to mitigate residual moisture remaining in the enclosure before you leave the ice.  If it is dry outside, open it up as much as you can and run the heater full blast for several minutes before you fold it up. Winter air is very dry, if you heat the inside, warm air holds more water than cold air. Exchanging that warmer moist air for colder dry air can remove a good amount of that moisture before bagging/collapsing it to go home. I usually do that while I'm picking up my other stuff so I don't have to stand around and wait for it.

[POk3s]

I’ve never worried about it much during ice season. If it condensates it’s going to be frozen before you get home and thawed out the next time on the ice. Usually I’ll take my hut out on the last ice day of the year where it’s going to be very nice. Shut the heater off after it starts to warm up in the morning and let everything dry out. If I get it wet while rolling it up then I’ll set it back up at the house.