Looking for persons who have used this shack and can give me some feedback, durability, who it holds up in wind, is factory anchoring enough for most wind conditions, how well it packs back into factory bag, anything else would b greatly appreciated. Thx Tom 
I borrowed one for a weekend. Didn’t really fish from it as it was an extra shack. We did set it up to warm up a ATV. The ATV fit inside it well and with room for a heater.
Set up easily and packed up well. It’s big and bulky to carry in the bag. But it’s a nice shelter.
I own one of these. I bought and used it last season about 10 times and it worked very well for my needs. Usually my son and I used it but sometimes we would fish with a third guy and it wasn’t too bad. We bring a lot of gear when we fish and we like to keep the sled inside with us and just leave the gear in it for easy access and quick pack up when we are done. The sled and two of us fishing in it was never a problem. I have a Mr. Heater portable buddy heater that I use with it and that has always been enough warmth for us, even when it is really cold outside, so the insulation on this shelter works well.
We fished on some really windy days and the anchoring stakes that come with it worked just fine. You have to anchor the sides that face the wind as well or they can collapse in a gust. This happened to us a couple of times but was very easy to remedy.
Packing it into the bag can be challenging when it gets cold and any snow sticks to the outside, because the fabric gets stiff making it hard to compress enough to zip up the bag. Last year we almost never bothered putting it in the bag and just wrapped some straps around it to bundle it up. This saved a lot of time tearing down and setting up. If you plan to use the backpack straps on this bag you will need to bundle it inside the bag, but if you’re just stuffing it into a truck or car it’s not necessary.
This year we have fished four times but the weather has been mostly good enough to not need the shelter, but last Saturday there was a cold wind blowing so we decided to set it up. When we were setting it up one of the poles shattered, so we were unable to set it up. This bummed me out a lot because when you are in the cold and struggling to set a shelter up you really don’t want gear failure like this to happen.
I bought mine at Joe’s so I mentioned this issue to the guys there and they said they are a warranty center and will replace the pole for me. This is a good thing, but the pole failure has me wondering if I will keep this unit for the long term. I am already researching other options.
Overall I think this shelter is a great value for the cost and performance of it. If I were rating it I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
I had this model and sold it. Things I liked: size (was great for two guys) I found it held up to the wind good(like the above post said anchor the sides and you will be fine) I had no problems with poles breaking. The thing I disliked was how stiff it got in the cold, no chance getting it back in the bag. Also if you pack snow around the skirt it almost welds its self to the ice making it very had to move (had to use a small hammer once). Its a good ice hut, but not good enough for me to keep.
I love mine. The guys are right, it gets stiff in the cold so I never bothered putting it in the bag. I just threw it in the back of my truck after use. Im thinking of using one strap this year and that is all it will need.
The thing I disliked was how stiff it got in the cold, no chance getting it back in the bag. Also if you pack snow around the skirt it almost welds its self to the ice making it very had to move (had to use a small hammer once). Its a good ice hut, but not good enough for me to keep.
Don’t most shacks get stiff in extreme cold? I just use a bungee cord and wrap it around it rather than put it in the bag…Also not sure what hes talking about the skirt welding itself to the ice…It freezes to the ice if you put slush on it which is common sense but I’ve never had a problem with just snow….I’ve had mine for 2 years and I love mine…Last year was a great year for testing equipmentr…The fatfish passed every test…
Love mine. It is harder to get back in the bag when its cold as others have said. But I’ve never left the ice without being able to get it in there. I love how big it is when set up. Holds well in the wind when you fasten the sides down with the string that is included. Also, the anchors they give you are fantastic compared to other pop-ups I’ve set up. They grab easily and screw in quickly. The insulated sides are worth the extra money too. With a heater you have to shed layers even with the temps around 0. I was able to fish with my 3 yr old girl last year on a day like that and she wouldn’t keep her gloves and hat on because it was so warm. I’m not saying its the best on the market but for the $$ I’m extremely happy with mine. From what I understand, Eskimo stands behind their products too… but I’ve never had an issue with the shack or the Eskimo auger so I haven’t experienced it first hand yet.
I’m very happy with mine. Like the others have said getting in the bag on the ice can be a pain. I just wrap an old belt with a D ring around it. Even if it did fit easily I wouldn’t do it while it’s wet. I usually set it up in the garage to dry it out.
Yeah thats a good point belletaine… make sure to dry it out after use.
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