I was in the market for a new hub style ice fishing shelter. For the price I decided to try the Polar Bird 4T. Ordered it Friday morning and was delivered Saturday afternoon, talk about fast delivery. I figure I would give you guys my first impressions. It is well made, with durable materials. This shelter is going to last you for year. I can not find any flaws or poor craftsmanship any where.
Most of the features of the Polar Bird are well thought out. The floor is a great idea and goes in easy. I would not wear spikes on it, but very rarely do I need to wear spike. When I do need to wear spike I will leave the floor out. I like the stability the floor gives to the shelter. The small inlet with flap will be great to run my propane hose out side. The door Velcro's on the inside will be nice when you enter the shelter and want to zip the door back up.
A few features I would like to change. I would love Windows on all four sides. This is not a huge deal for me, because I use Blue Tipz on my tip ups. I wish the two lower pockets where up off the floor about six inches. I am six foot tall and can stand in the center with a few inches of clearance, but near the the edge of the dome my head dose rub. I would of also like to see the whole shelter wider by three inches each direction. It doesn't sound like much, but would add over seven square feet of space.
A few features I would like to add. I would love to see small pockets out side by the hubs to hold your wind tie down straps in. Like I mentioned before is to add windows on sides. More reflective material around the shelter.
My conclusion is this. There is not a shelter out there that you would not like to add or change a few features on. None of them are deal brackets with the Polar Bird. The quality is as good or better then any shelter on the market. If these catch on like I think they will, it will force other makers to step up their game. I am very happy with my purchase. Hope this helps anyone on the fence. See you on the ice... Hopefully next year.
