Kenai or kodiak

[Cali009]

I see riverside outdoors has a good sale on these two. What are the thoughts?
$200 for the Kenai and $275 for the kodiak

[ULking]

Kodiak has a bigger fishable area

[JohnnyD]

I own the Kenai. It has been a great shelter for me. The tool tray off the back is great for holding tools, jigs, coffee mug, and it even has rod holders. The rod holders aren't great but they are very handy to hold your rod when tying on a new lure. Another gret advantage is the poles. They are fixed length, which makes this shelter a true instant flip. On the front there is a door. This is good on the cold days when you shovel snow onto the skirt to help hold in the heat. As far as negatives I do have one. There is only 3 windows and they are extremely small. I'd much prefer 4 windows and bigger ones at that. For myself whenever I hear a snowmobile or a quad approaching I like to have a visual so I can confirm its not some drunk idiot and that he is keeping a safe distance maintaining my safety.

Hope that helps!

[Cali009]

Thanks for the input.

i have asked a lot of the same questions. just trying to get the best bang for my buck when i pull the trigger on a shelter. as i will be pulling it.

it is hard to get a good grasp on to what that could be. do i wait until i have a unlimited budget and go all out. or get  a basic model and deal with it for as long as i can.

how is pulling all of these models differ? do most of them use the same sled base?

[JohnnyD]

Id have to bet they all pull similar. One thing to keep in mind is they shelters are pigs to pull when there is snow on the ice.

[Cali009]

Would the pulling harness help? I don't think I will be walking more then a KM.   I saw a photo of a Kenai setup on an other thread times of space inside. What is it like in wind? With one less pole at the top like the rest?

[Cali009]

what does the base of the sled look like? it cant be as bad as the recon.

and when you mean snow? are you talking about 1" of snow or 5" or more?

[Soozookie]

I have a kenai also. I think it does exceptional in the wind. It is a narrow hut so I fish with the wind to my back, i think it cuts it well. I have fished in 30-35 mph winds without any major issues. Like i said though fishing area is small, gets a little tight at times with electronics, heater, etc. For 200 bux though you cant beat that. Hope this helps ya on your decision.

[icyveins]

I really like my kenai it has been a great porty, I am selling it to upgrade to a pro tc because the fishable area is different setup. dragging any type of sled across any snow covered surface can be a bit of a bear. I deffinetly prefer a smitty sled to pull all gear ..unless of course you are using a machine!

[Crash1433]

when in doubt go with the larger fishable area if the money is not a factor. you can always have extra space but you can't make the smaller shanty bigger. Also, just get a deer drag and run the rope for the shanty through that instead of buying the $40 clam harness. I have one on both the scout and the pro that I have and it makes a big difference. Even if you arent going to be pulling it a long distance, having your arms free when you are getting there makes it alot better.

[JohnnyD]

The key to flip shelters in the wind is trying to get the wind at your back. Another thing you can do is put groments into the skirt. This will allow you to anchor you hut down in extreme wind. I made my own ice screws using 6" lags with washer. I tacked the washers on with a welder and bring battery powered drill onto the ice. Makes small work of sercurin any hut.

In follow up to pulling in the snow. If you have 5" plus of fresh snow the hut will be heavy hauling. I have heard of people using the famous Smitty Sled. Having skis will help you glide through the white stuff much better

[Mike47]

I have had my Kenai for two seasons and it`s a great light flipover.