In ice fishing, the biggest challenge is keeping warm while trying to catch your limit. If you feel extra chilly, then your fishing performance will most certainly be negatively impacted. Fishing gear simply performs better when it is warm.
Fortunately, there is an easy fix for fishing in the cold. The answer is the insulated ice fishing shelter, with fabric thick enough to keep both you and your gear warm enough on a frigid day.
Do Insulated Ice Fishing Huts Keep You Warm?
Yes, the fabric used in insulated ice fishing huts can range from 600-900 denier (denier abbreviated as “D” is a measure of fabric thickness). For the sake of comparison, most camping tents have 50 -150D fabric.
If you’ve ever tried camping in cold weather, you know how hard it is to keep your tent warm. Your ice fishing gear also performs much better in a heated shelter. You can more easily detect bites and set the hook.
Can I Use An Ice Fishing Hut For Camping (As A Tent)?
Yes, this is a nice winter/cold weather camping hack. Most campers are not aware of the versatility of ice fishing shelters, particularly those who aren’t avid anglers.
However, pop-up ice fishing huts fare well in cold camping conditions:
- They are typically easier to set up than tents. You simply pull on each side to pop it out.
- Thicker fabric to deal with the extreme frigid conditions that they are expected to withstand. The big difference is that ice fishing shelters don’t come with floors, but this is an easy fix if you purchase interlocking rubber floor tiles.
Pop-Up Hub Style Tents
These tents are the style that comes without a sled. The major advantage of this style is the spacious inside. You will, however, need to separately purchase a sled to transport the hut. You’ll also want to purchase interlocking floor tiles to keep the floor warm and dry.
Eskimo Quickfish
| Capacity | 3 people |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 34 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The Eskimo Quickfish is the most compact hub-style shelter and a great value if you are looking for a hub-style hut that is easy enough for one person to set up. It’s also affordable because it doesn’t include the bulky sled that the flip-over-style shelters have.
Clam C560
| Capacity | 3-4 people |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 56 |
| Current Price | Click Here |
The Clam C560 is insulated with a 600D (denier) woven fabric. The roof is also solid black, which helps add additional warmth on sunny days. The C560 also comes with several storage features, including an interior pocket on each of the 4 sides. There is also netting storage near the roof designed for hanging up clothing.
4 ice anchor grommets are conveniently located within the interior of the hut, making it easy to secure your shelter in a jiffy if the wind picks up.
Eskimo Fatfish
| Capacity | 3-4 People |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 61 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The Eskimo Fatfish is slightly larger than the Clam C560. One nice feature is the support system, which is composed of an all-metal ball-and-socket design and fiberglass poles. The zippers on the doors are YKK zippers.
Similar to the ClamC560, the Eskimo Fatfish does have ice anchor grommets that are conveniently located within the skirt itself:
Otter Vortex Pro Lodge
| Capacity | 4-5 people |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 74 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The Otter Vortex Pro Lodge is a size upgrade over a 3-4 person hut such as the Clam C560 and has 5 sides. The 600D fabric shell is triple-layered and is supported by 11 mm cobalt poles.
One nice feature is that the hut has interior rod/tool holders in addition to storage pockets. If there’s a downside, it’s the fact that it could be slightly more unwieldy to set up as compared to a smaller hut such as the Clam C560.
Otter Vortex Pro Monster Lodge
| Capacity | 6-8 people |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 132 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The Pro Monster Lodge is the best choice for fitting your entire family or friends group within one tent. The digs also come fully equipped with HD Nylon Wind Anchor Straps (with quick-release buckles).
The nylon anchor straps are one feature that many shelters don’t have. Often, ice shelters come with tie-down strings that aren’t strong enough and need to be replaced with ratchet straps anyway.
You most certainly will want a strong support system for a tent the size of the Pro Monster.
Flip Over Style Shelters
These shelters come attached to a sled. The big advantage of this style of fishing shelter is the simple set-up and transport. They also automatically come with seating. If there’s a downside, it’s that there is less space on the inside, so typically you’ll only be able to fit 2 anglers side-by-side.
Clam Kenai Pro Thermal
| Capacity | 1 person |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 11 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The Clam Kenai is the best entry in the 1-person hut category. On the inside, you’ll find an adjustable seat that slides front-to-back. In terms of storage, you have a deep tub and a 14” x 30” mesh overhead storage back.
This hut is recommended if you plan on hopping around from spot to spot in search of fish because it is so easy to set up. It is certainly a favorite among the “after work for a few hours” crowd.
Clam Yukon XT
| Capacity | 2 people |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 900 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 23 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The Clam Yukon XT comes equipped with 2 side doors, a rear access door, and 2 removable swivel seats. Another benefit is the Rapid Pole Slide Extreme pole system. The entire support system is contained within the shelter, so there’s no need to worry about losing tent poles.
Eskimo Sierra Thermal
| Capacity | 2 people |
| Fabric Thickness (Denier) | 600 |
| Fishable Area (sq. ft) | 22.5 |
| Current Price | Click here |
The greatest feature of the Eskimo Sierra Thermal- as compared to the other options- is the seating. Seats are mounted to the sled but can be removed with a hitch pin. This should make it easier for you to customize your seating options. You may also find this feature advantageous for transport.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to choosing an insulated ice fishing hut, you will need to consider whether you should go with a pop-up hub-style hut, or a flip-over style shelter.
The advantage of the hub style is the extra space and the fact that they are easy to carry. The advantage of the flip-over style is that it is easy to set up, even in the coldest of conditions.
