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Can you build a Ice Hut For Colorado fishermen Like me?

4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  dogkatcher 
G
#1 ·
OK i dont have the time to build one, or the big bucks to for a 450.00 Clam so if you know how build them I will buy.Hell others will too. Thats a Good business. Let me know.
 
#2 ·
Cabelas sells a kit for $115. You just ad the flooring, hinges ect. Not too bad of a deal. The only problem with it is it calls for a plywood floor, which would be very heavy.
 
#3 ·
Actually the one form cabellas is really cool...i saw a one at dowdy last weekend and it was reall the only shelter that didnt go flying in the winf. if I didnt have one already I would go out and buy it. if you put some old skis on it it works well...also the two guys really didnt have a hard time lifting it into the truck thaty had. so id say go for it..they even have directions on how to build the base...reall cool
 
#5 ·
I have had one of the Cabelas huts, it is O.K., but the wind will rip it up. It's happened to me.
I have a couple of eskimos, the Traveler and Grand Caravan, but the ones that I have built myself have been the most solid and best in the wind, the only down fall is they are heavy, you need two people and good sled.
I found free plans, same design as the ones I have built, use them for a guideline and customize to what ever size you want. I have built 2, 4'x8' and 1, 4'x6'. The 4x6 was nice, a little cramped for two, but much easier to handle. If I was to build another the floor dimensions would be 3'10"x7'10", this would make it much easier to get in and out of the truck.
Take a look at these plans. http://www.fishontario.com , click on Ice Fish Ontario and look at the How to Built a Hut article. Take Care
 
#6 ·
I drew up some plans for a flip-over style shelter to fit a regular-sized jet sled, but I don't have the time or money to build it, right now. I have some other plans for lightweight, collapsible shelters that could be carried in on top of a jet sled, and set up easily. My plans are all low-profile, low-wind-drag to help keep them from begging blown over so easily.

I could build shelters for an hourly fee+materials, but I'm afraid the price might still come out equal to those you can buy. If I was building it for myself, that's time I am spending on a hobby, so I consider that a gain in experience, rather than a cost in time.
 
#10 ·
Get or borrow a conduit bender, and build a flip-over on a piece of plywood using pieces of conduit and a heavy duty tarp (attach the tarp to the conduit appropriately with zipties), and make all the necessary folds and glue them flat, and you can make a fairly lightweight, and portable shelter, if you have some handy skills. You can make it to fit on top of one of the existing sled designs for transport, or just build some skis on the bottom (you can get used crosscountry skis from many thrift stores that can be mounted on the bottom of a shelter, but make sure you make some holes in them to anchor your setup to the ice before you flip up your cover.
 
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