What is your 2 man portable recommendation?

Of the 2 man portables what would be your recommendation and why?

PS remember that cost is a factor and I am staying pretty basic. Also portablility and ease of set up are important.

Thanks

I bought a Frabill XLTwin last season. I love it. It’s not a problem for me to handle by myself. It’s fairly easy to set up too. Price can be an issue. I got mine at Farm & Fleet in La Crosse. They had one left and it was on sale. All I can recommend is to call around and see who has what.

Dave Koonce has an Otter two-man. His has options mine doesn’t. You may want to check them out too. I’ll be making some ‘adjustments’ to mine before I take it out this year. If you are going to be in the Dresbach area, look me up and I’ll show my Frabill.

I have had a Frabill XLtwin for 2 years now, going on 3. These are fairly light weight (90 lbs. empty) and I can get all my equipment in the tub. Pulls real easy and sets up in about 20 seconds. Same for taking down. WIll never go back to the old set up style again. Had 3 of my buddies go buy them last year after going out and seeing how easy mine was. Only draw back is trying to hang a light and if there is no snow, keeping the wind from blowing in right were it connects with the tub. Other than that, I am really happy with it. Cost is around $350-400. Good Luck.

Call me cheap……but this is what I did…..

I went to Cabela’s and bought one of their kits for $100. It is a 6’x5’x6′. You just supply your own plywood. It folds in half, and I made a simple sled out of two cross-crountry skis. I also have a regular otter sled. I put the folded house on the skis, and put my sled and auger on top of the folded house. When everything was said and done, I probably had a total (with tax) of about $150 into it.

I love it. No, it isn’t as pretty and fancy as the sled/shelter combos, but it is roomy enough and the plywood keeps your feet warm. Setup time is five minutes (max).

It is portable?…yes! As fast…NO, but I don’t think that there is a big difference in setting up in 5 minutes vs. 50 seconds. Also, when I want to move, the house is light enough that I can fit it on my skis and drag it over to the next spot without taking it down. When I do this, I can leave everything in the house.

I use a 2-3 man Snowbird, it’s light easy to pull, setup and to use as your sled. Also you can stand in it if you are not real tall. Me only complaint is it is hard to control on windy days, it will blow over if I get out so I sometimes anchor it to the ice in the corners with 8 in. lag bolts. But it still can be a problem on real windy days. I am thinking of trying one of the Dave Genz Pro models they look like they are fairly stable in the wind.

Go with something light if you will be dragging it yourself, I can only say my problem is the wind.

If cost is a deciding factor then you should check out the Shapell line of ice shelters. They are very reasonably priced and a well built shelter. The S3000 and the DX3000 are both two man units. You can find them at any Fleet Farm store. Hope this helps.

Gator Hunter

I really like my Otters. I pull them everywhere by hand as well as behind to ATV. The sleds are super tough and can take a ton of abuse. I love being able to throw everything inside, throw the cover on and go. For me when ice fishing, mobility is the key.

I have used a Shapell 3000 ice shelter for the last 3 years or so and have been satisfied with it. Cost was reasonable and it has been very durable. I can set it up in a couple of minutes and it is lightweight as it only weighs around 42 pounds. One of the downsides would be though is that it can go skating across the ice in a strong wind if you don’t have it anchored properly. Before buying any portable ice shelter however,I would recommend asking the salesperson to show you how to set it up & take it down and then try it yourself. Also, this may sound dumb but I would actually sit inside a display model of the ice shelter while holding an ice fishing rod of the normal length you use to see how much room you actually have inside it. Some of the shelters like the SnoBoat have a section that extends out a ways to give you a little more room which is kind of nice. At times, I wish my Shapell S3000 had an extended section but it doesn’t. Good luck on your search.

EyesHaveIt

I just purchased a frabill xl ranger- a two man shack. It has removable swivel seats a very nice tub for lots of stuff. Its a flip over and will set up in minutes, I will give a further review when I get some ice, but the beer taste good in it even in my basement! It wieghs 90lbs.

My old Frabill three man is 15 yrs strong and still going. weighs 45 lbs., sets up in 30 sec.s, I use a remnant carpet 6 by 2 ft. to protect it from damage when moving.

I am very hard on my equipment and the Otter is one tough portable. You get what you pay for.