Ultralight pop-up shelter

I remember seeing these crazy pods on Shark Tank years ago, and they popped up in my ongoing search for finding some alternative methods for keeping me out of the wind without having to haul around a heavy hub/shelter. Anybody ever used one of these things on the ice (or anywhere else)?

OriginalPod XL 1-Person Pop-up Tent

It specifically mentions “ice fishing” in the product description, so I took the bait. It could be a semi-expensive waste of money ($120), or it could be a sweet 7 pound shelter that it is easy to setup/take down that will keep me out of the wind if I want to stay on a spot for a spell. Either way I’m about to find out.

I’ve also been experimenting with a nylon tarp wind shelter using a single trekking pole and ice stakes which is actually pretty cool, but I’m hoping I can avoid stakes completely if this pop-up is easy enough to take up and down (I’m most worried about take-down part, by far.)

I’ve seen your other posts and I do wonder if you are over thinking all this. I believe someone earlier mentioned the Kenai which weighs 50lbs. By the time you account for a sled, that shelter/tarp and a seat you are at the same weight in all reality but not nearly as easy to setup to do true run and gun fishing. Seems like you are overthinking this but I’m all for thinking out of the box.

What about a hunting ground blind? There pretty light

Whatever you do not put a heater in that thing. Or at least a buddy heater.

Man, you guys are a tough crowd. I’m not overthinking anything, I’m just having fun with gear, and trying to see exactly how light, how cold, and how long I can go without a true shelter.

As I said in the other thread the Kenai is an intriguing option, but my hope is to not need a shelter at all 90% of the time. The length of early ice and late ice weather combined make that within the realm of possibility in my area.

But having an easy, 7 lb option (or 2 lbs in the case of tarp) sitting in the bottom of my sled to get out of the wind for an hour or two would be pretty slick. I figure the key will be how quickly I can learn to collapse the dang thing.

For what is worth, the lightest traditional hub on the market comes in at 21.6 pounds (eskimo) but it takes up half-a-sled, and requires full staking. In my ideal world, I can pop this thing up in front of my hole, and sit on my bucket without ever staking anything out.

Coletrain27 wrote:

What about a hunting ground blind? There pretty light

I did look at those, but most seemed awfully cramped, and/or much heavier and difficult to set up than this thing. Again I have no idea how well it will operate especially in the cold I’d want it for — I remember my daughters had a toy growing up that was a long, spring-loaded “tube” that was supposed to collapse in a manner similar to this thing. I never could get that damn thing back in its bag.

Also, for what it’s worth, I do already have an icerunner explorer that weighs in at only 49 lb and it is an AWESOME setup for a single person and I have no intention of getting rid of it, so I’ll still have that when necessary.

I’m just keen on dialing in an ultra light approach that will allow me go for miles so that I can start actually hunting fish and getting my old ass back in shape instead of drinking a six-pack of IPA and hoping for a fish to swim by — very different than my normal approach but there is room for both

We use a privacy shelter of similar construction, and even with 8 stake-out points a slight wind collapses the shelter. And, I can get the quickfish 2 in the bag faster than that privacy shelter. I would never try using on the ice. However, if that shelter works….let me know and I will happily get one tomorrow!

The Quickfish 2 is not perfect, but the best solution that I have found for a quick/light/compact pop-up. Drill attachment for ice anchors makes set-up quicker and faster for me.

But, 90% of the time when fishing solo, I will opt for a one-man flip. I only carry the QF2 when it is a long hike and I know that I will not be moving after set-up, or if I plan to primarily fish outside.

As others have said, I would look more into a single man flip over and put it on a smitty sled. You can keep everything needed in the tub and quickly flip it over hole to hole. People have even constructed auger mounts on their smitty’s so you could have a permanent and quick place to put it after drilling holes.

Don’t be so concerned about the listed weight when working with a smitty sled. I’ve been using one to pull my otter lodge flip over with all my gear (heater, 20 lb propane tank, rods, 2 flashers, case of beer, etc) all early ice and I could damn near pull that thing with one finger if I wanted to.

Single man flip over, smitty sled, and a long pull rope would be the go to for run and gun

It’s been about 10 years but I did see a guy with a refrigerator box out on the ice . I get what you’re after though , even a 30 lb hub is kinda annoying !

A run and gun shelter is a good jacket and a couple hand warmers. Sounds like you are going to need an atv for the run part..

I would go with the Clam Kenai or the Eskimo quick flip honestly and get a small Buddy Heater. I think it is still very possible to be very mobile like you want with this setup. If there is one thing I have learned with buying ice gear. You get what you pay for and you generally want to avoid going cheap.

Even with the weather coming up next week very cold temps I think you will find you will be limited with the days you can fish and how effective you can fish without a shelter. Not that every day is super windy but yesterday that shelter would have been ripped to shreds with the wind we had out on the ice. Like others said go with the smitty sled and 1 man flip.

I remember a topic from 4-5 years ago about fishing on Lake Superior/Duluth Harbor. I searched for it but can’t find it. It was traditional to use a canvas and wood frame teepee. Four sided like a pyramid. Set up was simple and portable. Maybe somebody else can find it. But you still have to stake it down in even a light breeze. Which I think your pop up shelter would need in any case. Plus if I’m remembering correctly, my kids pop up tents would fold over in a light sneeze! I’m not dissing you but I think there’s a better option. Good luck!

Gregg Gunter wrote:

It was traditional to use a canvas and wood frame teepee. Four sided like a pyramid. Set up was simple and portable.

That sounds awesome if anybody remembers, and has me thinking of ideas. I could see some light canvas or even nylon, cut to fit a teepee that sets up just by separating the legs (and maybe even building self-anchoring, sharp points into them.)

You are all probably right that this gadget will be a giant fail, but it was worth the $100 for me to find out, and I guess I can always return if it is a worthless piece of junk.

They’re called bobbing tents or bobbing teepees.

You still see some guys use them, especially in the Apostles while bobbing for lakers.

I’ve never been in one or set one up, but I don’t think they really tie them down (or need to)?

B-man wrote:

They’re called bobbing tents or bobbing teepees

Awesome, thank you. I was able to find pictures and a few forum posts in a Michigan UP forum where they are apparently also common. It sounds like they are typically homemade using (4) 2x2x8s and some hinges and are popular for all the reasons I’m after except one which is weight/size (they are typically used with snowmobiles or other transport according to these posts I found.)

And, they are not typically staked — pull out the the legs and you are done. I’m now considering ways to replicate but with 8′ aluminum shock poles and thick nylon

edit: this ain’t no bobbing teepee but it seems exactly like what I was thinking to build (but better). Only 5 pounds which means it should be light enough to set-up and strap to one side of my sled before I even hit the ice. Maybe modify some custom ice spikes for the poles. It even has a vent and with no floor I could comfortably run a portable Mr. Buddy in there if the mood struck a feller. Thanks again for the teepee idea it was one that had not even crossed my mind.

Heres a pic i found on the web of the lake superior teepee. I have a couple of them – mine are black. They are very heavy canvas. They are a great 1-person shelter for fishing or spearing.

Made by Jaquart mfg in the UP. I really like mine, but they are not the most convenient to store/transport. As the 4 legs are 7’ long.

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I have the Clam Kenai. It is ok but it is crowded for me. (6’5″ and 250 in my socks) I’m in WI so it is tight running 2 lines.
Also you need to anchor in the wind because when you stand up it wants to blow away. Ask me how I know.

MX1825 wrote:

I have the Clam Kenai. It is ok but it is crowded for me. (6’5″ and 250 in my socks) I’m in WI so it is tight running 2 lines.
Also you need to anchor in the wind because when you stand up it wants to blow away. Ask me how I know.

Yeah, I’ve sat in similar 1-man flips and have felt the same and some are entirely claustrophobic. At first I was surprised that you said a true flip over like the Kenai needs to be staked out, but then I remembered that its weight is roughly the same as my IR explorer that ended up 30 yards across the lake while I had my back turned checking a hole last year.

Remembering that wind, I’m now realizing there are exactly zero shelter options that won’t need at least one stake to keep it from flying across the lake

edit: except perhaps the aforementioned teepees built out of giant 2x8s and heavy canvas

If you can get your hands on a Shappel FX50, it will be the end of your ultra lightweight quest. Put all your gear in the sled. When you want a windblock, sit down and pull up the back. Boom!

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This is what I had been thinking of when seeing his posts but could not remember who made one. If you can’t find one, or prefer your own sled (or a bigger sled), a canvas place could make you one with bimini poles.

Sloth5202 wrote:

I’ve seen your other posts and I do wonder if you are over thinking all this. I believe someone earlier mentioned the Kenai which weighs 50lbs. By the time you account for a sled, that shelter/tarp and a seat you are at the same weight in all reality but not nearly as easy to setup to do true run and gun fishing. Seems like you are overthinking this but I’m all for thinking out of the box.

I have to agree.

wonderbread wrote:

If you can get your hands on a Shappel FX50, it will be the end of your ultra lightweight quest. Put all your gear in the sled. When you want a windblock, sit down and pull up the back. Boom!

wonderbread wrote:

If you can get your hands on a Shappel FX50, it will be the end of your ultra lightweight quest. Put all your gear in the sled. When you want a windblock, sit down and pull up the back. Boom!

Oh yeah this would work!

Gregg Gunter wrote:

If you can get your hands on a Shappel FX50, it will be the end of your ultra lightweight quest.

This little thing is officially a bad ass — 27 pounds! Looks like they are no longer made? Searching about to see how hard they are to find.

Howdy, just found this forum.
I spend a goodly portion of my ice fishing time entertaining myself w/ home fabbed equipment.
My take on light weight gear being in my 70’s is the lighter the better.
There is a certain amount of gear needed to be comfortable. So, I combine an aluminum sled w/ storage and shelter. This one is a couple yrs old now.Not the prettiest girl at the dance, but it catches fish while in a tee shirt.

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Jim Dodrill wrote:

Howdy, just found this forum.
I spend a goodly portion of my ice fishing time entertaining myself w/ home fabbed equipment.
My take on light weight gear being in my 70’s is the lighter the better.
There is a certain amount of gear needed to be comfortable. So, I combine an aluminum sled w/ storage and shelter. This one is a couple yrs old now.Not the prettiest girl at the dance, but it catches fish while in a tee shirt.

Very practical. Nice job.

Pretty sure a fx 50 was for sale here not long ago.

Jim Dodrill wrote:

Howdy, just found this forum.
I spend a goodly portion of my ice fishing time entertaining myself w/ home fabbed equipment.
My take on light weight gear being in my 70’s is the lighter the better.
There is a certain amount of gear needed to be comfortable. So, I combine an aluminum sled w/ storage and shelter. This one is a couple yrs old now.Not the prettiest girl at the dance, but it catches fish while in a tee shirt.

That is pretty awesome…Kudos to you sir.

Jim Dodrill wrote:

My take on light weight gear being in my 70’s is the lighter the better. There is a certain amount of gear needed to be comfortable.

I have a feeling you and I would get along well. I’m not too far behind you (53) and the older I get the more ultralight and ease of use becomes the priority.

In any case, I’ve had a chance to take my popup contraption out twice so here is my initial review:

Overview
I took it out once for 3-ish hours in 30 temps and then again today for 4 hours. When I got on the ice today, it was 8 degrees with a “feels like temp” of -1, and when I got off the ice it was 4 degrees with a “feels like” of -5 degrees. Winds were light (7-10 max) in both cases with some gusts.

Setup and takedown
It exceeded my expectations in both cases. I stored it under my duffel on the back of my sled, and was able to have it fully set up in less than 20 seconds. I bought an (expensive) ice climbing ice screw and was able to anchor in one corner in less than 10 seconds. (Turns out I didn’t need an anchor at all today, but those ice screws are freaking amazing, and I’ll be buying more.)

I had practiced the take-down several times at home and it could not be simpler, less than 30 seconds. When I’m on the ice I forgo the bag and just toss a buckle strap around it (which smashes it down even more.) I didn’t have to use them, but it also has 4 anchor points on top for high wind.

Warmth and fish-ability
This also exceeded my expectations. Getting out of the wind plus body heat made it notably warmer when sitting on my bucket. Fishing was super simple, just pull it up in front of a couple of holes and you are good to go out the front door or either of the side windows. Despite a comment above I’d be more than willing to bring a Mr. Buddy inside if I ever felt the need.

Conclusions and recommendations
This thing was pretty perfect in every way with one fatal flaw that leads me to say DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!

Today (the 8 degree day) I did a take-down to see how easy it was in super cold weather. An hour or so later, I popped it up again, and large chunks of the clear plastic windows had shattered due to cold. Apparently it does not like being folded up in near-zero temps!

The truth is I don’t think I’ll even need a shelter except on the absolute worst of the worst days (I certainly didn’t today) and just like I opt not to head out kayak fishing in +17mph I’m willing to skip a few days in exchange for being able to get on and off the ice so quickly.

I’m going to ask for a refund. I bought it directly from the company and their product page says “ice fishing!” so I’m hoping that will not be an issue. If they let me keep it, I’m going to attempt to replace the plastic with some gorilla tape plus heavy weight nylon cut to fit. There is no need for windows.

Somebody should design a cold-proof version of this with nylon instead of the plastic, or, some version of the plastic windows commonly found in ice shelters. I’d absolutely pay double the price for an industrial-strength version.

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I’ve asked for my refund, and also asked the company if they’d consider designing a true “ice edition” of this product.

The more I consider it would be soooo simple, and probably cheaper than their current design:

• Remove the clear plastic entirely in favor of a full nylon exterior in a slightly heavier weight — the back and roof are already full nylon
• Remove all of the zippers, except for the full-length front door (upgrade that zipper while you are at it)
• Replace the current zippered full side windows with smaller, velcro windows common to many shelters so that you can fish out the side if you want while the front door remains fully closed for warmth
• User a slightly more durable floor material, and cut out one corner large enough to drill a hole if you want to stay fully enclosed for maximum heat (its footprint is big enough for a bucket seat plus room to fish with sonar and room to spare)
• Add a small velcro top vent
• Add a few loops to hang a light etc. inside

Perfection! The mechanics, weight, and size of this thing are otherwise damn near perfect. I hope they listen.