As always, thanks for all the great advice and suggestions!

First off, I said that I had looked at the Smittys but I obviously didn’t look into them enough as you can tell by my “collapsible” question. I guess I did more picture browsing than anything else. It sure seems like the consensus is that a Smitty is the way to go. I was hesitant as a co-worker who gets out a lot around here seemed to think that most of the time it wasn’t necessary and could even be a negative. I’m starting to wonder why……

In terms of keeping a low profile and ease of access to everything I can see mounting the hub next to the sled on a Smitty. My key concern here is balance….I would think that that configuration would result in the hub side being heavier and that it would impact the towing of the Smitty. Maybe I’m over thinking this.

Most times out I expect it to be just my 13 yr old son and I. Hopefully I will get my wife and 15 yr old out there with us occasionally. The 13 yr old is almost as big as me at 6′ 165 lbs and athletic (athletic but a bit clumsy too which makes the stability of the small heater a concern of mine). He will definitely be sharing the load so to speak but at the same time I would prefer to carry the main share of the load (at least as long as I can). All this said, two sleds is something to consider (my buddy at work claims to take FOUR with is crew of kids) but I see multiple sleds as opening the door to over packing, etc. I don’t want to travel minimalist but I don’t need a full kitchen, lounge chairs, etc

It will be on the roof rack of a VW wagon, upside down and secured. Our kayaks haven’t been an issue.
I fail to see why this would be a problem. We’re in the Adirondacks and have a lot of lakes to choose from but I don’t expect to be traveling more than an hour in most cases, in fact I’m hoping to keep it under a half hour in most cases.

Thanks for the feedback. A Smitty sled is something that I have been looking at and considering. My biggest concern regarding that is transporting it to and from the lakes. As things stand right now I’m going to have to load the empty sled on the roof of the car and fill the back with everything and then load it into the sled upon arrival. I will have the loading all figured out in advance, hopefully setting things up in a sort of modular way so that I can just quickly drop things into place.

Has anyone devised or seen a collapsible Smitty sled? I’ve got a couple of ideas in my head but I tend to over engineer/over build things….

I just purchased the Otter Vortex Lodge and it seems to be pretty awesome. I set it up in the yard and was impressed. I wanted the Resort but it was just too much for my son and I to be walking out onto the ice. The Lodge is still a good size for us, I can only imagine the Resort being even better!

iceager01, I have looked at the Dewalt but I’m already heavily invested in the Milwaukee battery universe with some Bosch stuff too. I really don’t want to get into a third set of chargers and batteries. Looks pretty good though.

I like the Flex but the price is driving me to the regular Buddy.

As you guys are saying, when I set up my Otter Vortex Lodge Hub the insulation seemed substantial and I’m guessing that it won’t take much to keep it warm, except in extreme conditions and I don’t expect to be out in that kind of weather anyway….

Still haven’t pulled the trigger. Funds got diverted to other more immediate needs. I will be space challenged and as such I have eliminated the Big Buddy (It sounds like overkill for my hub anyway). I’ll probably end up with the Buddy as the cost difference is significant and I overspent on a stove. It’s getting cold up here in the north country and I’m looking forward to putting all the new toys to use!

Thanks for all the information and feedback. I almost made it an impulse buy today but backed off. The choice between a proven standby and newer, better(?) is always tough for me. I’m actually not really interested in the cooker but the 180 degrees and the heating element….I read somewhere that it is different from the other Buddies and not as fragile, intrigue me.

Please keep the input coming, it’s all helpful!