20 Best Hub Style Ice Fishing Shelters (2022 Updated)

I purchased this a couple days after Christmas and finally got to use Friday, January 25th on Houghton Lake Michigan, 20 mph winds and 19 degrees. With the Little Buddy heater on I had my coat off, i didn’t realize how cold and windy it was an about got frostbite when I checked the tip ups.

Me and another buddy had both sleds and everything but the Strikemaster gas auger inside with us. We got to spread out, but it was only two of us. Four of us with most of the stuff outside the shelter would be doable.

Six people? Only if you were trying to stay warm, no fishing. With a power drill I anchored down while buddy held outside anchor. I used four anchors inside and four anchors outside, a little snow on the skirt and we weren’t going anywhere; remember the 20 mph winds, it was windy.

This must be a Very Fine product if I want to spend the night in it, and believe I comfortably can. I do highly recommend this product after being on the ice for 6-8 hours each of the two days.

Not usually one to review things, but truthfully I would not recommend this purchase. Took it out of the box, and it was missing parts immediately from the manufacturer. Used one time, poles to one side completely fall out due to a piece being missing.

For being insulated, it’s not very good at keeping warm. The zippers also feel cheap and I’d be willing to bet would rip if I used it another time or two. Also, good luck getting this thing back in the bag after use.

Damn near impossible.

I bought this tent from Cabela’s for some dirtbag snow camping at our nearby ski hill in the Rockies. My family of 3 uses this hub tent with 3 full-sized cots. Plenty of room, super durable, easy to set up, and just a great design.

Great for kids. Definitely recommend the optional floor. It may be insulated, but for camping you definitely need a source of heat or a subzero sleep system.

Well made. Stitching is tough and will provide many seasons of use. The gray interior keeps it bright. The many windows also help if you need light. Super big mesh pockets for gloves etc. the wide door is perfect for my little one as she loves to go in and out all day to play in the snow.

Its also nicer than those tiny triangle doors. Warning, it is heavier than I would like. Definitely have a plan to get it out on the ice. Its not fun dragging this beast accross Simcoe! Youll need to make sure you have either a machine or a larger sled to put it on.

It wont fit on an entry level sled.

When they say 60 second set-up it’s true! We set it up during a blizzard and it was super simple. Take down was also simple even in the dark. We have only used once but overall were impressed. One thing that I would like changed and feel it’s almost a design flaw, is the placement of the windows.

They are too low to look out when standing unless you are hunched over (and I am only 5’3″) and they are too high when sitting in a regular packable camp chair. Using the tent were me, my husband and our German Shepherd.

We had just enough room with 2 holes in the tent in this 4 person tent. With the door closed and a small propane heater the it certainly made a difference inside as the wind was nasty outside.

I’m 6′, 5′ tall and I can stand straight up in it and not just in the very center. That’s important when I have been sitting and need to stand up to give my back some relief without having to exit the shelter.

I really like the big door that I can walk in without stumbling since it opens all the way across the bottom. Unzip the window flaps and there is plenty of light and if you want additional ventilation unzip the clear windows.

(I use the term zip to mean Velcro) With the insulated walls, doors and ceiling a small heater will keep you warm. Well made. A good investment if you plan to do much ice fishing.

Great ice shelter. Pulled out of the bag and found that it came with the shelter, a license holder for your shack and a bag of ice tie downs. Easy to set up. Start by putting one ice screw in (you will need a drill and ice screw adapter (not included) ) so it doesn’t blow away.

Pull each side out then go inside and push up the ceiling. Drill your fishing holes and position your tent over them and finish by installing the rest of the ice screws in the 4 corners. Pile snow over the bottom flaps for maximum heat retention.

I left snow and added foam shop tiles to my floor to keep the heat in. Probably the best shack I’ve ever owned. And great price from these guys.

Bought this shelter on line after selling my Frabill sled shelter. The sled was a little older and was getting pretty heavy for me to handle alone. (I am 66 years old. ) Getting it in and out of the truck was getting pretty hard for me.

I haven’t used the new shelter on the ice yet, but did set it up. I think it is well made and sets up and comes down fairly easy. It is larger than I thought it would be when folded up and packed. Maybe that info was available when ordering and I didn’t pay attention to it.

Ordering from L & M was easy and shipping was quick. The only drawback to my order was that a local retailer had the shelter on sale a week after I bought it for $70. 00 less than I paid.

No problems with the shelter. Delivered promptly. However, from the pictures online, I had assumed that the material was insulated. One of the interior photos shows an insulated fabric liner, which is misleading.

This is the 949 shelter (uninsulated), as opposed to the 949i (which is insulated). This may not be a big deal to some in more moderate climates, but in mid-west Canada, you definitely need an insulated shelter for ice fishing.

Unfortunately, we had to return the tent.

This hub shack is massive warm and heavy. I bought this shelter last season and I put it through the test. 6 days a week 8-14 hrs a day. My wife and I even had it on Ottertail Lake in 45mph sustained wind withs gusts up to 55mph.

With a -51 degree windchill. It was nice and toasty and held up perfectly. But it did frost up inside on the walls. Maybe a bigger fan would eliminate that issue.

I bought the Eskimo Escape 2800 after having been very satisfied with my 9416i that I have had for 4-5 years and it’s still going strong. I just put the Eskimo Escape together yesterday and am very excited to get it on the ice.

Set up for the tent took about two hours and I am very happy with the way the product looks. The downfalls of this product are that it’s sold as a tow behind sled that doesn’t come with a tow behind bar.

(Sold as an accessory) that currently they don’t have on the website. As well it doesn’t come with running tracks for the bottom of the sleigh which again are currently not available. As well the tent has the ability to be pegged down but no pegs were provided.

Finally being a tow behind sled you would think they would provide something to contain the flip over from not blowing away when being towed behind a sled but yet again another accessory is the travel cover.

Product looks great. Complaints Accessories such as tow bars, running tracks, and covers are more necessities.

Bought this tent on boxing day for what I thought was a good deal. Wasn’t impressed with the quality. Biggest issue I had was the zippers. It was so tight to close, sometimes we had to release tension on one of the hubs just to get the zipper closed.

Also the layout of the 5 sided tent actually makes it kind of awkward to use with 3 or 4 people. And of course the bag is complete garbage, super tight and only opens from the end. The old Eskimo bags had an oversized bag with the zipper running the full length of the bag.

They need to revisit that design. If you think its tough getting back into the bag, try doing that in -30 in the wind out on the lake. We returned the tent and bought the Cabelas brand thermal wide bottom.

Much better build quality and the square bottom layout is a better idea. Disappointed in Eskimo as I have had good success with their tents before but this one was junk.

I bought this hut on sale last year and went out a few times with it during the season. I enjoyed it a lot more than the old Quickfish3 that I used to use but still own. Something I would suggest is to buy the accessories that will prolong your investment.

The travel cover will keep snow out and your gear in the sled. The tracking kit (runners) will reduce wear on the sled when on hard surfaces. The tow bar you will need to tow the hut behind a machine like an ATV or snowmobile.

I wish the hut had a back window and a handle on the hitch/tongue of the tow-bar. The design is compact enough to fit in an SUV. The chair that comes with it is a bit uncomfortable on the crotch. The tracking kit should be attached first to the sled before assembling the hut.

Putting the sled and poles together was a little tricky. There two poles that look the same but are different lengths. Be sure to check this out before assembling, short one in the front, long one in the back.

Or is it the other way around? Plan on 2 hours for assembly if all goes right. Make sure you have plenty of room. I bought a cover for the sled also. It fits very tight at the last corner. I’m still working on that.

Set up and tear down are a breeze. The top gives you plenty of room to stand and there is plenty of room for two people to fish. The side doors are a plus. It’s a little heavy, 115 lbs empty, so I would recommend loading it in the truck empty and travel lite.

Easy set up, just follow the directions. Great flip house, perfect for 1 or two, lots of fishable room and easy to put up and take down. The house shipped to me very quickly and everything was in the box.

With a small heater I didn’t need the insulated version and was fishing in my sweatshirt with no hat in 10 degree weather. You can’t go wrong with this house. Plus, if you fish alone, the non-insulated version is lighter to life in and out, making your back happy.

Nice lightweight shelter. Seems to be decent quality, good fabric, sturdy square aluminum poles. Gave 4 stars because the sled could be a little more sturdy.

Got this for my father as I have the same exact shanty. We got it all set up, and looks great! He is very pleased!

We had a chance to use the Eskimo 450XD a few times. Nice but also disappointed! Eskimo does not provide enough ice anchors and straps. We have been out and had to strap all 4 corners and 5 skirt ice anchors.

They only supply 6 anchors and 2 straps. Not sure if this is common among other Ice Tent brands. Recommend that you buy extra in event you experience sudden change of wind directions, especially if you spend a weekend in the ice hut.

Another area was the stitches of the Eskimo 450XD Insulated Ice Tent, there were several areas where light would shine through. One would think these area were sealed to reduce light bleeding through the stitches.

Again, is this common among other insulated brands?.

A $1000 tent and Eskimo only gives you 9 anchors and 3 tie downs. Good luck with keeping this on the ice on a windy day. The tent has 7 anchor holes and 6 tie down points. So you will need to buy 4 more anchors and 3 tie downs.

Eskimo sells tie down kits, but they are only 2 pieces so now you need to buy 2 kits for $37 per. Otherwise the tent is beautiful. Windows are low enough to see out of when sitting. No propane hose inlet holes.

The bag is big, but they should switch to zipper like duffle bags like Otter. Ranking it a 1 star because it is not usable out of the box in southern alberta unless you buy more tie downs. Shame on you Eskimo.

Purchased this just before the season started and have used it a few times in some different weather conditions. Plenty warm enough with the buddy heater on low in -20C and windy. Lots of room for 4 adults and some gear or for me, the wife and our 2 big dogs.

Having a second door is pretty handy for passing items in and out and the large mesh storage areas work well for gloves, toques and clothes. Looking forward to many outings in this tent for years to come.

I bought this for someplace to sit outside during the winter and enjoy a cigar. It gets very warm very quickly. I’m able to keep my heater on low after the first few minutes. Downside is it does leak around all the stitching.

The placement of the windows is terrible. Water is directed straight to them and drips all down inside. Mine is set up on my deck and covered over top with a tarp. Some silicone over the stitching did fix the problem but I shouldn’t need to do that.

I am happy with purchase for what I am using it for. Not sure how it would hold up on a frozen lake but it’s been fine for me. My brother has the 3 man shelter and it doesn’t leak at all. Pony up the extra money and go with that one.

I’ve owned one of these huts for the past 10+ years I’ve been ice fishing and it never let me down. I’ve fished in gale force winds to -30 temperatures in it and it paid me back in fish and fun times.

This classic entry level model seems to have been made better by putting the grommets in the skirt like the old Shappel’s from the United States used too have. Keep in mind that this hut isn’t as easy as a flip to set up, but for the money you get a lot of square footage to fish two people.

My friend and I were able to fish this hut with the two of us and our gear in it. Just remember to buy some extra anchors to tie down all the corner hubs as well as the corners of the base. Some huts don’t come with a full 8 so ask.

If one of these hubs pops in on you it’s like getting punched with a steel knuckle so tie all your anchor points well. Just two sides tethered doesn’t cut it if the wind changes quickly. I would recommend getting the anchor installation tool for your electric drill if that’s how you’re drilling your holes like with a Pistol Bit auger.

Much faster than by hand.

I upgraded to this from a Fatfish 949 (4 man). It fits 4-5 real size people hanging out and fishing with enough room not to be stepping on each other. With both of my tents I chose Eskimo for price and availability.

The Otter equivalent has a few more features like a port for you propane tank to live outside, but you pay for them if you can find one in stock. The “backpack” usage of the bag is comical. The weight is high on your back, the straps are not adjustable, and are only 1″ wide.

The narrow straps may be fine for a very short trek, but if you’re going for a hike keep this fat boy in the sled.

The shelter itself it’s nice , straps /buckles holding down the shelter is garbage. Customers service from manufacturing company is unexpectable. My shelter got flipped over in the wind caused by the underdesigned buckle on the strap holding down the tent.

The side snapped in and hit my friend in the face , broke his glasses and draw blood from his face. Contacted customer service and asked for a new strap , hub and a pole as they busted. I even offered to pay for the parts and shipping as the shelter is 15 months old (only used it 3x).

It coms with 12 months warranty. They didn’t even reply , after 2 emails and a phone call. The same time I purchased a brand new flip up shelter fom Otter. I ended up not opening it and returned it. Not buying from this company again.

Have had the tent for a couple months. First time setting up was quick and easy and remains the same after many uses. The storage bag is an adequate size. Added an old battery operated drill bag to hold anchors so that I don’t have to worry about putting the protectors on anchors so that they don’t damage the tent if they poke through the anchor bag.

Take-down is maybe 10 minutes if you have a drill to (insert and) remove the anchors–which is essential–buy the anchor adapter for drill. Tent could have slightly bigger doors. Also found that condensation forms on the windows–my solution was to remove the plastic windows completely (I like it darker anyway) and you can always crack a window on the leeward side if you need light or pop a light onto the mesh that blankets most of the roof.

The 6-sided design is great for windy climates as no one side is that big so regardless of what happens to the wind direction throughout the day you aren’t going to have any more difficulty taking the tent down than when you set it up.

This tent is huge for a single hub. Only 10. 5 feet less fishable area then the monster lodge for $150 cheaper and easier to set up. Holds heat great. Love the lower windows to see tip ups outside. The beacon it comes with is nice for overnighters.

Only issues I have is some of the tag ends on the stitching on the inside of the tent were not cut off and just left there. Quality of the bag is cheap and not sure if it will last too long, oversized bag though which is nice.

Overall great tent.

Why. why even attempt to make a fish house if you’re not going to manufacture one to last more than one usage. I popped up this double outsunny (not insulated, totally false advertisement) fishouse on a local lake.

Ideal conditions. and almost every bottom seam that holds the poles in position are tearing apart. I wasn’t expecting top quality but for a couple hundred bucks you can by one heck of a tent. Everything is single stitched and ripping through very soft fabric.

If outsunny tried even a little they could of had a winner. Double stitching would have made a world of difference. Do not waste your time and money. This thing will completely unravel on you as soon as the poles get extended.

sending it back!.

Ok this is very cute!! I cleared a garden area in the front yard cutting the angle from the driveway to the front walkway. I stained/waterproofed the bridge and positioned it as a shortcut to the walkway.

It has two flag stone leading to and from the bridge. I put a little red water pump on one side and created a rockbed under the bridge. The pump is “pouring” into a large flowerpot filled with flowers.

The rockbed and bridge are also surrounded by flowers. Everyone loves this! Thanks for this quality item!!.

Was gifted one for Christmas. Just setup first time. holes along every seam and one support for the roof was not even stitched. Now fighting to get a refund. Do yourself a favor and pay more for something made to last.

First of all, I love the shanty itself! It heats up quickly and is large enough for my 11 year old twins and I to fish in pretty comfortably. I have even brought my brother to the party and, although a little tight, we were able to make it work for the 4 of us (The kids are not huge and are able to sit up in the front corners on a bucket or small camp stool).

The design and materials I like a lot because it’s a fairly heavy duty construction by comparison. Now the Cons. The seat covers are an extra. The travel cover is an extra. Runners are an extra. Also (and you don’t find this out until you open the box and look at the assembly instructions) they won’t honor the 1 year warranty on the sled unless you install the runners.

The runners are heavy duty but they come to you straight instead of molded to the shape of the bottom of the sled. I sat there with a hair dryer forever in order to get it supple enough to mold each runner.

You affix the runners with nuts and bolts so you have to drill holes through the bottom of this perfectly good sled that you just spent all this money on. It absolutely killed me to do that. Then the bolts are way longer than necessary, risking snagging the enclosure material when collapsing or erecting the shelter.

The bolts come through the recessed runs in the bottom of the sled so cutting them off without cutting into the sled is a tough and tedious chore. One other thing I didn’t like is that you have to screw machine screws through the sled and into the enclosure material in order to secure it to the back.

I just hate what feels like deliberately “damaging” what otherwise is a very good product just to be able to assemble it. I would still recommend this but, at the very least, I would hope that Clam could come up with a clamping type system to secure the enclosure to the back of the sled and that they would reinforce the runners during the sled molding process and honor the warranty without having to add extras.

My first use with it wasn’t exactly a good one. Setting it up on the ice for the first time took a while and it was not fun at all. Then, this shack does not come with any means of anchors. So if it’s windy out, you better have a person inside sitting or it’s gone.

Ask me how I know. Also, it doesn’t work out like the pictures show it and the support bars don’t lock from moving back and fourth which makes it one difficult to assemble. Once I figured it out, it did get easier but There is alot of room for improvements.

One thing I can’t complain about is, it kept 3 of us warm. I think there’s a reason why everyone on the lake had the red fishing shacks. I Would recommend if you feel like making a bunch of improvements to it.

I recently purchased this shelter and I have not used it yet. Took me 2hrs with my buddy to assemble. Definitely dissapointed in the quality of this shelter. I had an Eskimo quick flip 2 which was definitely much better built, but of course heavy.

The sled on the clam looks and feels very cheap. One of the provided bolts snapped in half (luckily they give you one extra of each). The seat pedestals were very low quality, bent and twisted, may contact clam for replacement.

I will say that the clam thermal fabric is very nice, and does seem of quality, everything else seems cheap. Dissapointed the windows are not removable like they were on my eskimo. I don’t think that the quality matches the price point for this shelter, I think next time I will go back to eskimo or try otter.