Black interior is darker than gray interior shelters.Removable window panels for better ventilation.Easy to transport by hand, sled, or as a backpack in the bag.Collapsed Size: 52 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches folded up in the bag.Space: Two people, or one adult and two kids.It also works well as a cook shack with a larger hub like the Otter Vortex Monster Lodge or Eskimo Outbreak 850XD for bigger groups of anglers. The Eskimo 450XD also set up and tore down easily, even in the wind, and includes a stitched-in instruction sheet inside the bag if you forget. Super warm and ventilated, I was cozy as could be. It’s the perfect size for two cots/mattresses, a camp stove, fishing electronics, various-placed holes for fishing a jigging rod and deadstick (as well as rattle reels at night), and all the gear necessary for a weekend trip sans cabin or hard house. The Eskimo Outbreak 450XD also has room for me, my gear, one kid, and the dog while ice camping. Eskimo Eskimo There’s plenty of room for stretching and three anglers inside the Eskimo Outbreak 450XD. I could also stand up in the hub and stretch, a super nice feature. We all had plenty of room to place our fold-up chairs and fish two holes each. The Eskimo Outbreak 450XD accommodated me, my three kids, and the dog on a recent trout fishing trip. At 75 square feet, it’s the perfect choice for a couple of fishing buddies and a couple of kids. If I had to own just one fish house, this would be it. Price is a leap from two to three person hubsĪfter a ton of testing, my pick for the best overall ice fishing shelter is the Eskimo Outbreak 450XD.Mesh storage pockets stitched in at the top to prevent gear from slipping out or hanging low.Oversized, no-trip door panel that zips down to the ice.Read Next: The Best Ice Fishing Fish Finders The Best Portable Ice Fishing Shelters: Reviews and Recommendations Best Overall: Eskimo Outbreak 450XD They allowed me to give an idea of space with one to three kids in tow, and a chocolate lab who loves being on the ice. I also have three kids-ages 10, 15, and 16-who contributed to some of the testing. I’m 6 feet, 1 inch and 240 pounds-on the larger end of the angler spectrum-so when I refer to elbow room, fishable space, and comfort, our size comes into play. Helping me in the testing was my longtime fishing buddy, “Big Mike” who towers 6 feet, 3 inches and weighs nearly 300 pounds. Many of the larger lakes have a series of roads where you can drive the truck, which makes transporting shelters easier.Īlong the way, I chased walleyes, pike, trout, crappies/sunfish, and even eelpout. Testing occurred in temperatures that ranged from -10 degrees with -30 windchill to mercury in the low -30s. With a snowmobile, tracked ATV, or Snowdog-style machine, it is somewhat easier. By hand and back power, it’s quite a workout. Now that there’s sufficient ice in the northern part of the state, I’ve had to pull out shelters by hand and shoulder harness, behind a snowmobile or Snowdog, and in the back of the truck. For this review, I tested the best ice fishing shelters on the lakes of West Central Minnesota, Lake Winnibigoshish, Upper Red Lake, and some hard-to-reach lakes north of Bovey, Minnesota. In short, all the shacks I’ve owned have gotten a workout. My ice fishing trips cover several locations including my home state of Minnesota into Michigan, Montana, the Dakotas, and Ontario. Over that time I’ve used them all: from the first “Fish Trap” designs by the father of modern ice fishing, Dave Genz, subsequent Clam models, to the latest shelters from Eskimo and Otter Outdoors. I’ve been using portable ice fishing shelters for over 25 years. Testing the Best Portable Ice Fishing Shelters Most Durable: Jason Mitchell XT Thermal.Lightest Two-Person Flip-Over Thermal Shelter: Ice Runner Ice House Explorer.Roomiest One-Person Flip-Over: Eskimo Wide 1 XR Thermal.Lightest One-Person Flip-Over: Ice Runner Ice House Escape.Best for Ice Camping: Otter Outdoors Vortex Pro Monster Lodge.Best for Four to Six People: CLAM X-600 Thermal Hub.Best for Two People: Otter Outdoors Vortex Pro Cabin.Here’s a look at the best ice fishing shelters for different use cases. Brands like Clam, Eskimo, Ice Runner, and Otter Outdoors offer great, problem-solving ice fishing shelter designs-and they seem to get better each year. Like our endless collection of outdoor gear, you need at least a couple shelters to match the specific location, target species, and the number of anglers fishing. A quality shelter keeps anglers and their equipment in the game and on fish-even when the snow flies, winds howl, and temperature plummets.įor serious ice anglers, one ice fishing shelter does not do it all. Once bulky and challenging to transport, today’s ice fishing shelters are light, portable, and highly functional.
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