Is trekker to heavy to pull?

[Tmaida17]

Hey guy!! I'm about to buy my first shanty and I found a few good deals but I'm leaning toward a Frabill Trrkker I found for sale . My question is to those who have or had one over the years. I don't have anything like a snowmobile or Wheeler to pull it out on the ice with so I'll be pulling it by hand with a friend. Is it that much of a pain to pull out on the once with snow on the ice? Would a Smitty sled make that much of a difference? Your opinions would be helpful and appreciated so I hope to hear from you. Thanks for reading people.

[Derrick NY]

I have a Trekker II and I love it. When the snow is less than (4-5") its cake, but anything over that can be extremely hard to pull by hand at times. I would use a long rope, seems to do the job. 

[Tmaida17]

Sorry guys I just realized there are two different trekkers. I was referring to the lower model trekker  not trekker Max.

[Tmaida17]

I have a Trekker II and I love it. When the snow is less than (4-5") its cake, but anything over that can be extremely hard to pull by hand at times. I would use a long rope, seems to do the job. 

Derrick is the trekker 2 one of these? http://frabill.com/portable-ice-shelters/flip-over-shelters.html?occupants=9

They just say trekker and trekker max.

[hardwater diehard]

I have the Adventurer that I modified with  a boat seat .That can get heavy if loaded(which I often do ) Bait bucked, 8 in Auger,Vexilar.Rod case, knap sack   etc... I added Hyfax ruuners ...help alot ....then added a Smitty sled ...fully loaded its a dream to pull ....a Trekker with seats and loaded I'd guess can get quite heavy ...I've since got an HT folding chair to lighten the load ...FTR love the shelter ...easy up easy down hardly use my Buddy heater as it heats up quite well

[Tmaida17]

I have the Adventurer that I modified with  a boat seat .That can get heavy if loaded(which I often do ) Bait bucked, 8 in Auger,Vexilar.Rod case, knap sack   etc... I added Hyfax ruuners ...help alot ....then added a Smitty sled ...fully loaded its a dream to pull ....a Trekker with seats and loaded I'd guess can get quite heavy ...I've since got an HT folding chair to lighten the load ...FTR love the shelter ...easy up easy down hardly use my Buddy heater as it heats up quite well

Good to know. Thanks for the info. Ya, I'll have two guys gear in there so it'll probably get heavy. I may have to look into getting a Smitty sled to make life easier. I just talked to the kid and he said its a Trekker Dlx in good shape for $400 with cover. How's that for a deal? Lol

[hardwater diehard]

Good to know. Thanks for the info. Ya, I'll have two guys gear in there so it'll probably get heavy. I may have to look into getting a Smitty sled to make life easier. I just talked to the kid and he said its a Trekker Dlx in good shape for $400 with cover. How's that for a deal? Lol

      Might be a great deal if its a thermal .....do yourself a favor and build a Smity ...my wood working skills are nothing to be desired ...managed with a drill and a jig saw .....important thing is a long rope ...16 feet or more ...also keep weight towards the back used 2"x3" for cross bars (instead of 2x4) for less weight and 2x6 for risers ....good luck

[Tmaida17]

      Might be a great deal if its a thermal .....do yourself a favor and build a Smity ...my wood working skills are nothing to be desired ...managed with a drill and a jig saw .....important thing is a long rope ...16 feet or more ...also keep weight towards the back used 2"x3" for cross bars (instead of 2x4) for less weight and 2x6 for risers ....good luck

Don't think it's a good deal if its not thermal? It's 600 denier from what I read online and I know they arebobvioudly worth more then 300 denier. The kid owns a bait shop so if it's junk I can go back and complain lol. He said he'd build me a Smitty for $25. I didn't think that was bad seeing as how I'd have to buy the product and build it myself right? Lol

[Sawtooth]

I bought my new 300 denier Trekker II this year for about $370.  It weighs about 71 lbs w/o my gear.  Can pull hard in snow, so I have built a Smitty, and it is much easier to pull.  Nice to have another person help tow, but I can do it by myself.  Love the shanty itself.

[hardwater diehard]

Good deal if 600 denier ...Great deal for Thermal ....Hyfax will cost you $ 45.00 ...so $25 ait bad .....I would  have just built a Smitty and not added the Hyfax if I knew how much they really truly worked ....but the Hyfax in early season on glare ice is like a greased rocket ..LOL...oh save yourself some time and money Eskimo Ice anchors are the way to go ...and always anchor ..lil gust of wind can be as small as a mess of gear or as bad as a run away shanty .

[Tmaida17]

Good deal if 600 denier ...Great deal for Thermal ....Hyfax will cost you $ 45.00 ...so $25 ait bad .....I would  have just built a Smitty and not added the Hyfax if I knew how much they really truly worked ....but the Hyfax in early season on glare ice is like a greased rocket ..LOL...oh save yourself some time and money Eskimo Ice anchors are the way to go ...and always anchor ..lil gust of wind can be as small as a mess of gear or as bad as a run away shanty .

Haha I was wondering how well them Hyfax work. Good to know I'll have to get one of them too !! xD. Smitty it is for know . I'll have to look into them anchors. What do those normally run? Maybe I'll remember to park whatever way the winds blowing that way I can put a sail on it and ride the shanty back to my car haha.

[just_a_beer_man]

I got my trekker dlx 2 years ago new for that price, might be able to get him down some?  It dosnt pull terrible but I will be bulding a smilly sled for it after this season. 

[hardwater diehard]

Found them at Blains Farm and Fleet ....normally run $15.00....I've tried them all ...even with a tool ....Eskimo's go right in ...even used them in the hard pack that we have now ....also I added eye bolts back side of the sled to anchor to...eybolts front and rear to pull from an atv or sled and to choo choo train my small jet sled when/if I do .
sent ya a PM

[fishin716]

Have a trekker dlx thermal that I got a few months ago and I pull it all over loaded with stuff by myself. Usually only pull it 2-4 hundred yards havent taken it miles out on lake Erie yet.

[bullpine]

I have used the Trekker 2 for 3 seasons now and it is first and foremost well built and it goes up and down quick and easy.  I pull it by hand anywhere I want to go on ice with little or no snow.  Once the snow piles up to 4 or 5 inches it is harder to pull and I pop it onto the Smitty Sled I made for it.  After a foot of snow you can't even walk easily so I don't pull in that kind of snow ever.
The seats are heavy and I only bring one whereas it someone is going with me they drag the other seat in a separate sled or help pull the Trekker sled.  Frabill makes smaller sleds that weigh less if you are fishing by yourself.  I like the room inside the Trekker 11 even when fishing alone.   I also don't pull by hand wrap the drag around me and walk and pull with my body.  Lots easier that way.

I yeah I am 58 years old too.  So if you are much younger than that you should be okay too.

[AyrshireBoy]

I have a Trekker II and I really like it.  I pull my gear and my 6 yr old son in it all the time.  I put a runner kit on it which did help some.
I really like it for the fact that you can easily take the seats out and it's then light enough to throw in the back of your truck by yourself.
good luck with it, you won't be disappointed.

[Tmaida17]

I have used the Trekker 2 for 3 seasons now and it is first and foremost well built and it goes up and down quick and easy.  I pull it by hand anywhere I want to go on ice with little or no snow.  Once the snow piles up to 4 or 5 inches it is harder to pull and I pop it onto the Smitty Sled I made for it.  After a foot of snow you can't even walk easily so I don't pull in that kind of snow ever.
The seats are heavy and I only bring one whereas it someone is going with me they drag the other seat in a separate sled or help pull the Trekker sled.  Frabill makes smaller sleds that weigh less if you are fishing by yourself.  I like the room inside the Trekker 11 even when fishing alone.   I also don't pull by hand wrap the drag around me and walk and pull with my body.  Lots easier that way.

I yeah I am 58 years old too.  So if you are much younger than that you should be okay too.

I'm 28 along with my buddy I go with and both in decent shape minus the cigs I smoke so maybe it won't be as bad as I thought especially with the Smitty sled. Normally where we live there has been 3-5 inches of snow and we been using a plastic container bin and it's been awful haha. Normally we'll have ropes wrap around shoulder like a back pack and tow it much easier then by hand.  It's our first year out and we are slow accumulating ice fishing gear. I haven't seen anything but good reviews for it so I think everyone has sold me on it. I feel bad for the kid bc he has to sell it due to a divorce so I told him he could come along just bring the bait haha.

[Tmaida17]

I have a Trekker II and I really like it.  I pull my gear and my 6 yr old son in it all the time.  I put a runner kit on it which did help some.
I really like it for the fact that you can easily take the seats out and it's then light enough to throw in the back of your truck by yourself.
good luck with it, you won't be disappointed.

Sweet!! Thanks for then info.. How's your kid like ice fishing? I wish I started at his age.

[AyrshireBoy]

Sweet!! Thanks for then info.. How's your kid like ice fishing? I wish I started at his age.

he's hooked!!! LOL!!  there would have been no way he could have gone with me this year without a shanty.  I put a buddy heater in the sled between each seat and it only takes a few minutes and its comfortable.

[Tmaida17]

he's hooked!!! LOL!!  there would have been no way he could have gone with me this year without a shanty.  I put a buddy heater in the sled between each seat and it only takes a few minutes and its comfortable.
(Image removed from quote.)

Hahaha look at his smile.. he's loving life!! That's awesome!! Good for him.