With my back issues my Otter Lodge is just getting too heavy for me to get wrestled into the back of a pickup by myself. Looked up the weight yesterday and its 95 lbs. Looking around on the net I see that most of the lighter flip shacks are 80-85 which doesn’t save me much weight. Anyone know of a lighter 2 man flip shack? I don’t really want to go to a hub style but I may be forced to.
might be hard pressed to find a true 2 man for much lighter than what you have. I have an otter cottage which is a big 1 man and that’s 82 lbs on its own.
maybe consider installing a winch in the bed of your truck or possibly a trailer?
slide it up a plank 1×12 6ft x2 onto tailgate. Much easier than lifting
I once saw an older guy use a piece of a roller conveyor track. Looked pretty slick. Easily pushed right up in the truck.
For my fish house, I lift one side up onto the tailgate and then lift the back and slide it on. It gets to be harder when the sled has all my stuff in it like the auger, rods, Marcum, (fish?) and a few pails. I lift the side that’s the front first and just put the lip on it then lift the back and push really hard to get it to go all the way on. I like the roller conveyor track idea!
Eskimo has their new flip/hub hybrid that might be a good option. Although the it’s not a ton lighter I guess.
A quick google search and found you can buy these sections of roller for $40-$70.
Probably cheaper even, that was just one website.
a simple wood ramp is the best solution, just make sure it’s steady enough to support the flipover. You can get cheap caster wheels at Fleetfarm to install every foot or so on the ramp boards…
Which otter lodge do you have? That’s considerably lighter than the xt/xt pro lodges that weight 120lbs/125lbs.
Sorry I mistyped, I have the Otter Cabin with the old black/white camo.
Its not just the loading into the pickup, its pulling around the lake, and etc. All around its a heavy shack, probably because everything is built to last in them.
Why not just go with a one man? I like having the extra room of the 2 man but for me dropping the weight was well worth sacrificing the extra room.
Thought about that but I have 4 kids and 90% of the time I fish with other people.
I used a Nanook for a couple winters and it was not much different then loading my one man clam. It was not the most comfortable shack for sitting all day but it was light and mobile.
I have the Otter Wild2 Cabin, which I think is similar to yours. Mine’s the old Black and orange one. I use to remove the bench seat when I went by myself to save weight. Just used a light bucket seat then. When I went with someone, then I put the bench in.
It comes out pretty easy. I weighed the bench once and it weighs about 25-30lbs. Don’t think you will find a much lighter 2 man. Maybe a Clam Nanook or Frabill Trekker might be a hair lighter, but less room I think. Good luck.
WOW. That’s unique. I can’t believe how much work he did for that. I would use a come along and put an eyelet in my truck and on the fish house and it’d be a lot faster. Or even just mount the winch in the truck.
I posted some ice house options to another thread last week. One of the options was a non-insulated Frabill 2 man that came in around 65 pounds plus or minus. Might be worth checking them out.
New Eskimo two man I think is 85lbs. I will be picking up the new one this winter.
Its not just the loading into the pickup, its pulling around the lake, and etc. All around its a heavy shack, probably because everything is built to last in them.
#1, ramps.
#2, Smitty sled, low profile and perminately attached to 2-man.
Problems solved.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>jerad wrote:</div>
Its not just the loading into the pickup, its pulling around the lake, and etc. All around its a heavy shack, probably because everything is built to last in them.#1, ramps.
#2, Smitty sled, low profile and perminately attached to 2-man.
Problems solved.
exactly
Was doing some research as well and found that the Frabill Aegis 2000 comes in at 53 lbs. and the 2110 with two seats comes in at 60 pounds. Might be some good options.
With my back issues my Otter Lodge is just getting too heavy for me to get wrestled into the back of a pickup by myself. Looked up the weight yesterday and its 95 lbs. Looking around on the net I see that most of the lighter flip shacks are 80-85 which doesn’t save me much weight. Anyone know of a lighter 2 man flip shack? I don’t really want to go to a hub style but I may be forced to.
Frabill Trekker II, 84LBS I believe… Not insulated.
Smitty SLed and put the winch in the back of your truck, run cables up to battery.
Have remote switch at back of truck to winch in the sled
use aluminum ramp that is light, find a fabricator in your area that could make a custom ramp for your truck.
Jarad, I feel your pain. Literally. I use planks or ATV ramps to slide it in the truck bed. Same way I load deer into my truck. Now I just gotta find a much easier way of pulling it around. I do not have a snow machine or ATV.
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