pop up shelters

[diabetik11]

i am thinking about getting one just do not know what one or brand. i like the clams expidition and there new prospect, i am looking for a smaller one, for one person maybe two people. how hard are they really to put up and do they take a lot of energy. and are they pretty solid when set up or do they flop in the wind alot when it is windy. sorry for all the questions in one post but any help will be great  , pros/cons of the shelters and

[Tainterslayer]

I've used a clam base camp. By far the worst part is putting in the ice anchors... all of them are horrible and kind of hurt your hands. you might want to bring something to drill a pilot hole in the ice. or some people buy ice anchors for ice climbing (kinda expensive)
You have to use them if there is any wind, the shack is so light it will flip over in 5 mph. Haven't used it in heavy winds, but I assume its pretty stable, might be tough to get set up by yourself.

I believe they require more effort than most shacks if you have to put in the ground anchors the old fashioned way. Get a pilot hole drilled for the anchors and they will go in easily and save a lot of trouble...

[jasond37]

I've fished from an Eskimo Quick Fish 6, alot bigger than what you are looking for.  I know the setup of the tent itself was easy.  It didn't seem like the anchors were that bad to put in, at least he didn't complain about it.  They are necessary though.  This one can be put up in about a minute.

[highsparks]

   The Frabill pop ups are very well built .  Their hub system is very sturdy and the canvas is both windproof and water repellent . They are very easy to set up and very quick , less than a minute .  Only draw back is the wind , set up and take down when windy could be dicey .  But then most flip overs are a handful in the wind . 

    At the St Paul ice show last year someone had an ice anchor that was cordless installable . Really looked like a nice unit .  I dont remember the name , but maybe someone here will .

[highsparks]

http://foryourshore.com/index.cfm?action=ViewDetails&CartToken=K0KWP82120509091121&ItemID=147

  This is an excellent anchor .  I have one and it holds tight .  i use when stuck with the wheeler for an anchor for the winch .

[Bellybuster]

I've got the Ice Cube 4 man and love it. I've been using it 4 seasons now I think.
  I don't find the anchors hard at all and setup is a breeze...once you get the technique down pat.
  I wouldn't recommend the smaller 2 mans, the 4 man is just right for 2 and even better for 1 man

[ice dawg]

I have one on order at this time and I have many years of experience working in a popup tent during the winter. They can be difficult to set up in the wind so most people put an anchor in the corner toward the wind before they pop them up so they don't turn into a tumble weed on the ice. Once they are set up ya need to put some snow or ice on the bottom flap to seal the wind out. There is a loop on the outside of each hub and you need to tie this loop to an anchor on very windy days to keep the wind from collapsing a hub. Once the hubs are anchored they don't flap in the wind. Eskimo seems to have the most aggressive anchors and they screw in pretty easy and also have a washer welded on them so you can screw them in vertically instead of at an angle. Clam makes a tool to use in a cordless drill for turning in anchors, but it only works with clam anchors from what I understand. I have a two man flipover that I have been using which can be a real pain in the wind and needs to be anchored also. My new tent only weighs about 30 lbs and I think it will be an improvement over my flipover. Judging from the posts that I have read, most folks say that they love their popup shacks. I guess I will find out this winter. I'm looking foreward to being able to collapse my tent, throw it on my ATV and move when I want to instead of having to put all my gear in a tub, put the cover on it and towing it behind me.

[diabetik11]

ice dawg,
what shack did you order/get. and why did you chose the one you got over any other kind.

[ice dawg]

diabetik11, I have an Eskimo Qwickfish 4 ordered. It is a four person shack and measures 78"x92" and has an insulated panel that can go in the top of it to prevent condensation and help keep the heat in. The people that I know that have Eskimos around here seem to like them a lot. It also comes with eight anchors. I wanted something that has plenty of room for about three people to fish in and I was thinking about a thermal shelter, but I haven't been cold in my flipover shack and I think this one should be warm also. Some of the stores around here aren't going to sell clam shelters because they sold three times as many Eskimo shelters as Clams last year. That may have something to do with the difference in price. Most places are getting $249 or $259 for this shelter and I found it for $210. I was going to buy a Qwickfish 3, but decided to go a bit larger. About the only shelters that I see for sale locally are Eskimo and Clam and I think they are both good tents. It seems like different areas of the country seem to have preferences when it comes to brands. I really like the idea of being able to collapse this thing into a small bundle and throwing it into my pickup or onto my ATV and moving without having to load everything into a tub and dragging it behind my ATV. 

[slipperybob]

I'm about the only person who's crazy enough to set up an Ice Cube 4 all by myself in high winds of over 25 mph to gusts in excess of 45 mph.  One time it took me like a 45 minuntes to totally set the Ice Cube up.  Fighting the wind, holding a big parachute, anchoring and having the wind implode the pop in shelter is a total challenge.  I've never seen fiberglass poles bend in a contorted spiral shape ever before until this one day.  After it was all set up, it was stable enough, but once in a while a high gust would try to vacuum my shelter off it's bank.  Crazy day, no one was on the ice that day either.  I snapped one pole, well only cracked some, but have now electrical tape repaired it.  Well all my side poles now have electrical tape wrapped them.  Still works and poles seem to be stronger now.

You have to be gentle and firm with these pop up shelters and they will take care of you.  Take down has never been a problem for me, unless the shelter has frozen down on it's bank.  I like the fact that I choose the bigger shelter so I can stand up in it.  I fish like a spacious king size portable.  Small one may be good for one man and heat retention, but I don't always feel like stepping outside to stand and stretch some.

[Bellybuster]

I've set mine up in high winds and the first time it was difficult. I've now got sort of a system for windy days and it is no longer an issue. Once the season starts maybe I'll make a video on a windy day to show it

[ice dawg]

I'm about the only person who's crazy enough to set up an Ice Cube 4 all by myself in high winds of over 25 mph to gusts in excess of 45 mph.  One time it took me like a 45 minuntes to totally set the Ice Cube up.  Fighting the wind, holding a big parachute, anchoring and having the wind implode the pop in shelter is a total challenge.  I've never seen fiberglass poles bend in a contorted spiral shape ever before until this one day.  After it was all set up, it was stable enough, but once in a while a high gust would try to vacuum my shelter off it's bank.  Crazy day, no one was on the ice that day either.  I snapped one pole, well only cracked some, but have now electrical tape repaired it.  Well all my side poles now have electrical tape wrapped them.  Still works and poles seem to be stronger now.

You have to be gentle and firm with these pop up shelters and they will take care of you.  Take down has never been a problem for me, unless the shelter has frozen down on it's bank.  I like the fact that I choose the bigger shelter so I can stand up in it.  I fish like a spacious king size portable.  Small one may be good for one man and heat retention, but I don't always feel like stepping outside to stand and stretch some.

I'll bet having all that room is really nice. What do ya use to heat your Cube?

[slipperybob]

Big buddy heater.

I sometimes bring out the lounge lawn chair and just kick back.   

[ice dawg]

I have a regular buddy and for the colder days a Paulin sunflower. I'm gonna have to dream up something comfy for the kickin back part. I'm gonna enjoy having more room so I don't burn my line off so often with the Paulin also.

[servocam]

diabetik11,

Last year I purchased the Clam Command Post (6' x 12') pop-up and love it. I have no issues setting it up by myself, however, I have not been out on a day with wind any more than ~10mph.  Put anchors in the windward side first.  I use the BigBuddy to heat it w/o any issues last year.  The anchor can be difficult to get started.  I carry a hammer and give them a few smacks to get started, then screw in eaisly by hand.  Take down is very easy, however, stuffing it back in the bag, in the dark, sub zero, is sometimes not so easy.

Two of my neighbors are getting rid of their flip-overs and giong with pop-ups.

[torgesom]

Ice Dawg--you got a Quickfish 4 for 210--mind me asking where?  Looking to pick one up for the season

[ice dawg]

Ice Dawg--you got a Quickfish 4 for 210--mind me asking where?  Looking to pick one up for the season

I sent ya a PM. If it doesn't come through, let me know and I will post it. Dawg

[ice dawg]

My Qwickfish 4 was on my back porch this afternoon so I set it up in the driveway. I think I'm gonna like all that room and the ice pooch seems to like it too. I can see where setting it up in the wind could be fun.

[Bellybuster]

practice makes perfect with the pop ups when it comes to setup.

[Grumpyoldman]

Get the eskimo QF3 or 4.
Everything is hard to do in the wind, just do it.

In heavy wind:
Put one screw in the ice first.
Attach the windward grommet before you set it up in wind.
Close the door immediately after opening the shelteror or the wind will break your hubs.

[ice dawg]

practice makes perfect with the pop ups when it comes to setup.

I hope I get to use it enough this winter to get pretty good at it.