new ice shack

I am in need of a new ice shack. Not enough left of my old Hideout. Had it for over 20 years. Thinking of getting a pop over sled type. What do you guys like and why. I like the look of the new Eskimo Eskape 300 but have not been in one, just online. Sells for about $800.

I would go with either a Fish Trap or Otter. PM sent

You’re going to get a bunch of different brands and reasons why people use what they use but in the end you need to buy what’s right for you.

I have three Otter cabins. Reasons why I use em;

*Extremely well built, I guide and beat the crap out of em and at the end of the year they are still in great condition.

*They have a tow bar so you can hook it up behind your ATV or Snowmobile.

*Sleds are heavy duty and DEEP. Perfect for towing long distances, like on LOW, Devils or MilleLacs. Being the sled is deep it can hold a ton of stuff and keep the snow and slush out. I can fit a power auger, three buckets, rods and more all in one sled.

*Light, I can load and unload them by myself. There are defiantly lighter houses out there but then you sacrifice quality.

*They fit two people easy. Three can be done but two is perfect.

*Made right here in Minnesota

Ditto on the Otters!

I’m in the market for a new house too. Still haven’t decided which one yet.

Steve, I’m not the type of guy that puts down every product I don’t use, but I thought you should know I’ve heard of numerous issues with the Eskimo canvas. I know a few guys that had them rip just from a heavy wind. One of the guys contacted the company and he went through two more warranty canvases that year. He said the customer service was pretty good but he sold his house the following year. Just facts to help you with your decision.

I did a ton of research prior to buying my flip. I was so anal about it I sat in every house. I quickley narrowed it down to otter and fishtrap x-series. My decisions were based solely on durability. These 2 houses are built with the heaviest materials. Which in turn means more weight and more $. We put our stuff through hell on ML, LOW, whinnie and red. I went with the otter vs. the FT seties only because I did not like the beam in the FT for the seats.

One thing about the otter that I did have to mod was the tubes(they might have fixed this though now) but I had to file the burrs where they slide togther and then added some graphite oil —Smooth like budda now. For what its worth, if you need a tough product go with one of the 2. I got both my otters on CL used and like new cond. cabbin $300 and lodge $350 both with tow bars and seats– added hyfax to both. the deals are out there just have to find em’ best luck

Thanks Joe. Where is the best place to buy a Otter. I read that the new Eskimo Eskape has a heavier, tougher canvas and a new frame. What I like is the bench seat, if you need to squeeze 3 in. Keep the ideas coming. It is fun reading everyones opinions and I am a long way from making my decision.

I don’t think the Eskimo Eskape’s come with a bench, just seats. The older style Quik Flip series had benches. Otter is the only one that offers a bench

I had an Eskimo Quick flip III. That house had the worst fabric, any wind would rip right through it.

I have had a FT X2 for the past two years and absolutely love it. I have also fished out of many otters and wouldn’t think twice about buying one of those either. The fishtrap has very comfortable seats. I am mixed on the bar in the middle. It does get in the way every once in awhile, but being able to adjust the seats left and right and remove one if fishing alone and sit in the middle of the house is very nice.

My old shack was an eskimo, and I would not recommend one. Very shallow sleds, which made it tough to pull/tow in snow, skinny poles, and the padding on the bench seat was pretty bad. I ended up getting some cushions from an upholstery shop.

Good luck on your new house! I wouldn’t buy anything too soon though, otherwise the ice itch will get pretty bad You’ll find yourself setting the thing up in your garage every couple of days

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Thanks Joe. Where is the best place to buy a Otter.

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I will be putting my otter up for sale this fall. Its slightly used, I picked it up in late Feb last spring. Has tow bar, and 2 seats with cover.

FT fan here. I have fished out of the Otter as well and do not have anything bad to say about them. The otter seems heavier to me and does not seem to pull by hand as well. The few issues’s I’ve had with FT have been resolved right away ( And Free ) by their customer service. I don’t think you could go wrong with either.

Fishthumper, a buddy of mine had a FT Xtrap and it is defiantly heavier than an Otter of the same size. The Xtrap is very hard to load by yourself. He always needed my help to get it in the back of the truck. He sold his Xtrap just because it was a little too much to handle for one guy. Maybe you were referring to a different model?

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Thanks Joe. Where is the best place to buy a Otter. I read that the new Eskimo Eskape has a heavier, tougher canvas and a new frame. What I like is the bench seat, if you need to squeeze 3 in. Keep the ideas coming. It is fun reading everyones opinions and I am a long way from making my decision.

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I know they sell them at Cabela’s and Reed’s, but if you check the site they should have a list of everywhere they’re sold. Also in regards to the bench seat, Otter has a bench seat for all of the multi person models.

http://www.otteroutdoors.com

I’ve got an old Eskimo Quick Flip II pre bench seats. The only problem I have with the canvas is where it slipped under the sled while pulling with an ATV. Still no rips though??? Maybe they changed canvas? It’s light and pulls easy!

I also have a Otter and man is that thing nice…and heavy that is You won’t find a heavier duty unit I don’t think? It stays in the truck or behind an ATV no hand pulling there. Super warm and no wind infiltration with the zippered door. Not cheap but worth it.

Do you want to pull by hand or wheeler?

Ferny.

I have 3 flip shacks the Otter den, an FT scout, and a Frabill two man flip. All of those shacks are good quality. However the frabill is my go to shack I like the removeable windows, modular seating and all of the space it has. The otter can get kind of heavy. The Scout is kind of small. Plus you can load that frabill down and still have no problem pulling it up and down the banks of the Mississippi.

I think it goes something like this. Pull by hand clam, pull by machine or very short distances Otter. I have both and like them both. I don’t have a machine and that otter is pig especially in the snow to hand pull.

Are you pulling by hand or sled/wheeler? That makes a huge difference. I chose the X series by FT. However, it was on sale. It is a bit heavy, but well built. The Otter product is lighter and they make very good shacks also. I would not hesitate to order either one.

I have a 4 wheeler but some of the smaller lakes I fish do not allow them. Is the Otter 110 lb. set up too much to pull on ice and snow by hand? Only one I ever pulled was my Frabill Hideout, even loaded up, pulled real easy. Thanks to all for their help in this ordeal!!

I personally don’t like pulling the Otters or FT X series in soft snow. However, I doubt they are that much “harder” than your current setup. That said, I’d go with the lighter of the two series simply to save yourself.

Thanks Kooty
Very seldom am I pulling in soft snow for very far. The Otter Lodge says it weighs 110 lb. The Eskape 300 says it weighs 140 lb. I emailed them and asked if this was shipping weight or actual weight. Waiting for reply. Might as well use that 30 lb for gear.How much beer is 30lb.?

I like your thinking!!!

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How much beer is 30lb.?

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Four gallons shound be close enough, or four twelve packs. You can figure about 8 pounds per gallon.

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How much beer is 30lb.?

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almost enough for one guy!

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I am in need of a new ice shack. Not enough left of my old Hideout. Had it for over 20 years. Thinking of getting a pop over sled type. What do you guys like and why. I like the look of the new Eskimo Eskape 300 but have not been in one, just online. Sells for about $800.

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The fiance bought me an Eskimo 350 last year for X-mas. If you are a tall dude, go with the 350 instead of the 300. It’s nice to be able to stand up and stretch.

I like the ease of use and the room.

I did have to modify the bench seat as it just wasn’t right and didn’t allow you to sit back. Wasn’t terribly comfortable. Also it’s HEAVY. You pretty much need a wheeler or sled to drag it around or drive right to where you are fishing. 2 of us can drag it, but it’s work. With that being said, I love it.

Thanks Ruger,

It is always nice to talk to someone about a product that he has firsthand knowledge of.
At this point I think I will probably go with the Otter because it is a little lighter. Not 100% sure yet.

Wellll . . .

I’m kinda partial to a self propelled all aluminum tub with a flip over canopy.

But I’m SPOILED.