Clam Eskimo or Frabill??

[fishonice]

Hey all, would like some opinion, as I know you all have one! ha
Looking to buy a pop-up style fish house and not sure which brand, all seem nice.
anyones input would be helpful

[holehopper]

I've owned Clam, Eskimo and Eastman.  Never had a Frabill.  I think this is their 1st year in the pop up market.  After owning all of those, I have determined that Clam is my favorite; although all 3 make very good units in my experience.  The reasons I like Clam best are:  Fabric; they use a 600 denier fabric which seems much more durable to me vs. the rest which are a 300 denier.  Second is the carry bag.  Clam has a carry bag that zips open from one end to another.  Eskimo uses a "stuff" type bag that you have to load from one end.  I prefer zipping the bag open to take the shelter in and out.  Eastman also uses a zipper bag.  Seems like a little thing, but the zipper makes a huge difference when setting these up and taking them down. 

[Icejigs]

Fishonice sent you a PM.

[jimmerjammer]

i am a poor college student who loves to ice fish. That being said, when i moved to montana from north dakota, i sold my old permament house i made on a trailer, and thought i would only ski. After i got out here i found out that many lakes do get good ice and had not get some new equipment. I really wanted to get the frabill treker last year, but didn't have any money, so i bought the 2 man pop-up eskimo shelter that folds out instead (way cheaper). I actually do like this shelter for the price i paid, but let me tell you a few things i don't like:

It is a pain in the but to set up in the wind. I dont really know anyone here, so i always fish by myself, and when the wind comes up, you really have to strategize how you put up and take down the shelter. The ice anchors that come with the tent do work great, but each one takes a little time to put in. Because the shack is a pain in the wind, once i do get it up, i rarely like to move, so if the bite quits in that spot, it makes you not want to move and try another spot. i'd rather just jig in my heated house then battle the wind anymore, lol. The other thing i don't like is that it has no floor. it would be a pain to have to haul a floor around, but my feet get so cold. i started carying a piece of plywood that fits perfectly over the top of my sled,to put my feet on when i fish. if it is not windy, then it is not too bad to put up, but definatley not as easy as just flipping over the top, like the trekker.

I hope that helps you at least with the eskimo pop up, pull apart one. If you don't have a lot of money to spend, i would recommend this one, but if you want something a litte better and more convienient, i think i would go for the frabill. i don't know too much about the clams, it was always my impression from looking at them that they were made with cheaper material and shotty craftsmanship, but that is just my opinion, and really i have no fishing exp in one, so i probly shouldn't comment on them. whoops.

Of course the best shelter is one you make yourself on a trailer with hydraulics, so you can pull it with you truck, and they just lower it down to the ice when you drive up to the spot you want to fish. i even used to have a little propane fireplace, stove, kitchen table, tv & dvd, lights,and a tiny mini bar!! Of course Lake Sakajawea and devils lake always freeze over 32in thick, so i don't think you would have too long of a season to use a shack like that here.

I see now that frabill makes a one person trekker this year, wich i have been thinking about buying. (if i go with someone else, then i still  have the 2 man tent as well)

[holehopper]

I agree that having a floor is nice, but usually it comes at a very high "cost".  What I mean is that having a floor; regardless of the type of shelter you have, adds a ton of weight and space.  If you have a lot of space to store a shelter with a floor and have a truck to haul it and have a machine to pull it, a floored shelter is really nice.  Floored shelters do have their fair share of issues in the wind as well.  Any shelter with large, flat sides will be wind sensitive.  There are trade offs with any shelter you buy.  No one shelter would work for every fisherman and they all have pros and cons.  You need to look at how you usually fish, how much space you need, what you drive and how you pull your equipment around the ice.  As far as Clam quality, I can only give you my personal feedback.  I did have one issue with a Clam unit I bought.  I got in touch with Clam and got a new shelter; no questions asked. 

[wingnutty]

I have a clam corp fishtrap guide (2-person, sled based flip open shanty).  Setup is 15 seconds, ok, maybe 5 seconds.  It is all compact on the sled and can function as a windbreak if I choose not to set the shanty lid all the way down (like if the action is fast on tip ups or if it is a nice day and I'm perching with a bunch of tip-downs).  Is easily handled by 1 person, I load it in and out of the truck bed.  Is easy to pull behind a sled or quad and also easily pulled by hand or dog (i hook my pooch up sometimes).

Has 2 seats, I remove one and replace it as needed because I normally fish alone quite often and would rather have the storage space.  it is a good outfit, kinda $, but the quality is 2nd to none.

If you go frabill just watch the weight because the frabills are considerably heavier than the traps, of course the frabills are more roomy too.  If you will pull by quad 75%+ of the time and if you almost always fish with a partner then I'd look at frabills, otherwise I wouldn't want the extra weigt.

[doublehaul]

I own an eskimo quick-flip-3 and I love the crap out of it. Flip overs are the way to go fosho.

[fishincrazy]

Own two shanties both made by Clam:  I own the Pro and the Nanook thermal.  both are the flip over style and I fricking love them.  Its the only way to go in my opinion

[fishinwithbrittanies]

I hated shantys, but bought one last year so my wife would go more with me.  I look at shantys differently I guess.  To me, protection from the wind is the only thing they are good for.  I've been ice fishing since I could remember and never fished in a shack and due to that my fishing strategy is different.  I like to move.  A lot.  My one bone about shacks is once in a shack always in a shack.  When I got one, I wanted one that was VERY fast to set up and move.  If the fish aren't biting I don't like to sit around and "wait for the bite", I move.  All that said I got a quick flip.  Its an eskimo, but I don't think the brand is important.  They all make the quick flip kinds of shantys.  Weight is a big deal, but more or less they are all the same thing.  Fishing with wingnutty last year the thing I liked about his was the seats are removable, again weight, and also storage like he mentioned.  On mine, eskimo quick flip, the seats are not removable and I guess that's a drag but I wouldn't say it slows me down and so far as storage its more of a strategy thing.  I would say it is a pain in the arse to pull by yourself, pull with an atv or sled if you can.  On that note the other day I was fishing a lake with snow on top and a slush layer between the ice and the snow.  The slush froze instantly to the botton of my shack's sled and let me tell you, two of us were pulling it with all we had and I swear I thought I was going to give myself a hernia, not cool. 
Get a shack, they are nice to have around, but do some research about the type you want.  I fished out of my brothers clam four man stand up one with a floor and all that.  I thought it made it harder to carry all your stuff.  I folded up into a sled like thing but your crap always fell off it going across the lake and I thought that sucked.  It seemed like you needed a sled behind your shack to carry your stuff.  Set up was fairly quick but no where near as fast as a quick flip. 

[Shyp]

I also have the Eskimo quickflip and i really like it as far as convience and easy to set up. I was in the sporting goods store the other day and i saw the Frabill Preditor. I think that if i had the extra money right now i would for sure buy one. The material seems to be alot thicker than the eskimo i have and the seats seem comforable cuz as every one knows most ice shacks suck to sit in all day. i dont know if this will help any but i thouht i would try. Good luck

[fishonice]

Thanks to all for your input. It looks like the Eskimo Quickflip 2 or 3 is going to be it for me as they have em here in town for a damn good price. Didn't think much of the frabill's after getting my hand on em. Fabric and zippers don't seem as nice.

Don't know who is carrying clam around here, any ideas???

[wingnutty]

I believe clams are considerably more than eskimos.  I also think clam is higher quality, but i don't necessarily think that the quality is worth the jump in price?  When I bought mine in 04, eskimos didn't make quickflips.  Quickflip is the only way to go, no comparison, imo.  The extra $100 for a quickflip is money that will be well spent.

My quick flip is going on season #6 and it is as good as season #1 and will certainly last for 10 more years or more.

[Mt.Bucket]

I would say go with a Clam or Otter they seem to be able to take the most abuse. In winter I would estimate I fish 95% of the ice season and am going on year 8 I believe with my Clam guide series. It is showing serious signs of wear but it still functions. I put skis on the bottom to help it out another couple years and and when the holes in the canvas start letting in to much cold air I'll patch em up i guess. I've had friends buy Frabil and the sleds break as for the others, Eskimo and Otter would be a good buy. Check out Sunshine Auto in Gfalls and talk to Joe he had some smaller size Otters he had left over for a decent price. What ever you decide I would suggest skis on your sled as it is easier to pull with out a 4 wheeler and when pulling with a 4 wheeler you can drag it on gravel and not have to worry about bottom of sled. A couple other things is that loading the Clam guide is an easy 1 man operation and so is pulling it. The one and only down fall I see with tis shelter is you can't stand in it.

[RobG]

Thanks to all for your input. It looks like the Eskimo Quickflip 2 or 3 is going to be it for me as they have em here in town for a d**n good price. Didn't think much of the frabill's after getting my hand on em. Fabric and zippers don't seem as nice.

I'm certainly not an expert on shanties, but the zipper on the frabill I bought last year barely worked out of the box. It would not zip properly so it would open up half way. I wonder if the other brands are really better -- everything seems to be foreign junk.

[fishonice]

I'm certainly not an expert on shanties, but the zipper on the frabill I bought last year barely worked out of the box. It would not zip properly so it would open up half way. I wonder if the other brands are really better -- everything seems to be foreign junk.

After looking at the eskimo's and my dad's clam the zippers are heavy duty and the frabill's zippers wouldn't work in the store so i know they aren't going to work on the ice

[budman64]

Thanks to all for your input. It looks like the Eskimo Quickflip 2 or 3 is going to be it for me as they have em here in town for a d**n good price. Didn't think much of the frabill's after getting my hand on em. Fabric and zippers don't seem as nice.

Don't know who is carrying clam around here, any ideas???

fran johnsons in butte stocks the clam ice shacks