Stay with pop up or go to a 2 man flip over?

Hi,

Trying to decide if I should get a 2 person flip over or stay with my Eskimo 949I. Right now I fish with a 1 man flip over myself absolutely love it for just me I move quite a bit I’m out about 85% with this. The other 15% out with the wife or teaching neighbor kids, other adults. don’t move to much or I go out alone and hole hop weather permitting. The only reason I would like the 2 person is a little quicker to set up than a pop up on windy days and could move quicker if need be. Cons are I have a Traverse I could fit many 2 person houses but not a lot of room left over. No real good off season storage for it. They are very costly. I had one for a very short while but it was so heavy I could not drag it and everything else without dying of a heart attack. they seem to get heavier? Should I move up or stay. A do love the pop up sometimes I like to be lazy and put a rattle reel in one corner jig in the other and stay put on cold days. If it matters I only pan fish crappies and sunnies and sometimes rattle reel or tip up for pike only on nice days.

I can’t answer your question as i am kind of in the same boat as you. I have fished out of hubs for the last 7 years. 1st few was out of a clam 6 pack and now a Eskimo 949i. This summer i picked up a clam 2 man flipover to try out. So i don’t know what works better yet but hopefully in a month or so i will have an answer for you.

If you don’t have something to pull a 2 man sled I would stay with a pop up.

snelson223 wrote:

If you don’t have something to pull a 2 man sled I would stay with a pop up.

Unless you go with one of the smaller ones like the Otter Cottage or Clam Nanook I completely agree. My Yukon is a bear to pull and I know the Otter shacks in the same size class are as well. I’m actually thinking about going from a flip over to a hub…..

I am in the same boat as you. I have my one man for solo trips or fishing with my friends who all have their own shack. I have pop up for when my 4 year old tags along. We usually are not moving much then. It will be several years before I will go back to a bigger flip over when my kid is old enough to really get into it. Most are a bear to move around and store.

Maybe check out an Ice Runner shack, they look like the best of both, I’m thinking of getting one, probably the explorer(?) but I need to see it in person first before I pull the trigger…

I have an otter cottage that i use when its too crappy out.
I use a smitty sled underneath it and it makes a world of difference. Without it i thought no way im keeping it.
Sled is easy to build, just find some cheap cross country ski’s on craigslist or marketplace.

I would be pulling by hand and do not drive on the ice with the car much either.

B T wrote:

I have an otter cottage that i use when its too crappy out.
I use a smitty sled underneath it and it makes a world of difference. Without it i thought no way im keeping it.
Sled is easy to build, just find some cheap cross country ski’s on craigslist or marketplace.

Smitty’s definitely help. But that reminds me, I need to get my snowmobile running well again…..

I have an otter cottage and a 4 person pop up. Use a smitty sled also. Wouldnt be able to manage without one.

It sounds like you already have a good setup for what you wanna do.

Get a smaller flip over when going solo.Use the pop-up when others are going with.They can help pull and set-up,dealing with a pop-up solo is a pita.

mrpike1973 wrote:

I would be pulling by hand and do not drive on the ice with the car much either.

Stick with the pop-up. The bigger flip over houses will absolutely kill you pulling by hand. I’m young and in good shape and if there’s more than a dusting of fluffy snow on the ice it becomes a brick to pull. I’ve got both a pop-up and flip over and will never pull my flip over by hand again….I actually really enjoy fishing out of my 949i when I don’t plan on moving much.

Both have a time and place. I wont pull my shack by hand. So if I’m doing anything with out my atv or truck then it’ll be my hub house. Everything else is my sled.

I have a pop-up and a ski sled my fishing buddy has a flip house. I have fished out of both.

My buddy only wants to drive out on the ice in his Rav and pull his flip house out of the back.

I will walk out pulling the sled and set up the pop-up.

Both have their place.

Since I live on a small lake and generally fish alone it is much easier to put on my Ice Armor Suit and walk out with my sled and not bother with the house.

I am not trying to highjack this thread, but being retired and able to fish most any day. You can find me fishing in my suit on a bucket on many of the local lakes.

If I think I will need a house for shelter against the howling wind & subzero element I am probably not out.

The Brainerd Extravaganza is different story, if it is subzero at noon, I am probably still not out.

The important part is that you are having FUN…Fish On…

When I go solo I use my one man Clam Pro Thermal and if I go with another one or two guys I use my Otter Thermal Pop Up…I carry both in my rig just in case I am out and someone calls and wants to join me. If you have the room carry both IMO.

I have an Otter cabin x-over and the front door version if pulling it is a concern on the 2nd one I put a much longer rope on it and it pulls much easier because I’m not trying to pick up as much weight and keeping the resistance more even across the sled and less on the back. I have hubs and if I’m going to work a spot because of the structure and not search as much the hub is the way to go.

It sounds to me you already have a good setup for how you are currently using them. The smaller 2-man flip ups don’t have that much space for 2 people. I have a Nanook and consider it a spacious flip up for for one person. The larger 2-man are heavier, require more space for transport and storage. If you added a Smitty for the larger sleds it’s one more thing to transport. If you’re not moving that much with the pop up you may find a larger flip up is only a trade off between set up/take down production and bulk/weight/storage. If your thoughts are you want expanded mobility for the 15% multi person outings a larger flip up may make sense. You could also just add an Otter sled with the pop up to gain some mobility. If you’re currently doing a warming house approach you likely don’t need a flip up.

I’m with others on sticking with your current plan.

I run a 1 man flip over and pull it to some pretty remote backwater places where nobody else is in-sight. Having the pop up as your second shack is a great thing for when someone comes along, or if you are setting up shop and targeting roaming fish.

I have both and use the hub more often for a number of reasons.

There’s more space. I can set up a table, bring a zero gravity chair to kick back in and snooze during slow times, I don’t have stuff out on the ice or piled in a sled. I can space holes out, run my camera if I choose, without having a tangled mess.

Also, in addition to being heavy to pull, getting a full size flip over in and out of the box of a truck by yourself sucks.

SW Eyes wrote:

bring a zero gravity chair to kick back in and snooze during slow times,

I like that idea!

Frabill Recruit and Clam Legend XL are big 1 mans that can fit 2. Both are right around 60lbs with 15 of that being the seat assembly

I switched to pop ups over 10 years ago after wrestling my 2 man flip over into truck by myself and feeling a tear in my belly as in hernia ripping. I now have hernia repair with 2 meshes and 35lb lifting restriction for life. So i am staying with pop up.

Mwal

Mwal WOW how Interesting I too have the same condition. Ripped it out 2 times now ouch. I have a Clam legend XL 1 man it works great a little heavy for me to get in the back of the car but it works you can do 2 people but its rough but possible.

Thanks everyone for the advice/help At this point the 1 man and pop up are working great but the thoughts of trying to get a 2 man in the back of the car puts a clink in in for me. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side factors in here if I had an ATV trailer etc. maybe different but until then I’ll stay with what I have.