Winter fishing tents

Requirements for choosing

Today, a good ice fishing tent is not an indicator of luxury, but a necessary attribute in the household. It is necessary to approach her choice with all responsibility, evaluate your financial capabilities, but also not immediately run to the store at the sight of cheap advertising. There are special requirements for the selection of these products. First of all, they must protect the fisherman from wind and cold, so the material from which they are made is of great importance.

It should be tight, windproof and at the same time pass air well. Otherwise, moisture will accumulate on the inner walls and they will freeze. Tents are mainly made from synthetic materials and tarps. Synthetics, of course, are not for winter, canvas tents are the most popular among winter fishing enthusiasts. Attention is also deserved by special windows - vents, with the help of which the space of the tent is ventilated without creating discomfort due to frosty air.

A pipe from the heating device is also output through the window. In addition, the windows let in light, and in the daytime no artificial lighting is required. When choosing one or another model, it is necessary to check the strength of the structure, otherwise it will not be able to withstand strong gusts of wind and will break. Also of great importance is the quality of assembly and fastening of the product to ice.

There are models of tents that have a bottom, they retain heat much better and are designed for a long stay on the ice. The bottom can be unfastened while fishing. To create more comfort for yourself, it is better to choose a two-layer and three-layer model. They have an additional awning and insulated inner walls.

The color of the tent is also important. If it is white or yellow, the sun's rays penetrate well inside, and visibility will be much better.

Features of catching fish in winter

The most important feature of fish behavior in winter is the loss of activity. This is due to a decrease in the amount of food in the reservoir. Fish after the autumn zhora becomes passive and tries to minimize energy consumption as much as possible.

Of course, all this cannot but affect the number of bites and the resistance of the fish itself when playing out of the water. But on the one hand, this is bad, since often you have to deliver the bait to the fish actually under their noses, but there is also a positive point here! Since the fish is less active and weaker, you can also use a thinner line, which will be less noticeable in the water, which will be a big plus for the angler. You can also use lighter and more sensitive tackle, which allows you to feel every blow of the fish when playing.

Do not forget that in the presence of ice on the reservoir, almost all hot places become available, which in summer it is quite difficult to get without a boat, and sometimes it is completely impossible.

But unfortunately, winter fishing has not only advantages, but also quite a few disadvantages, which should also be mentioned, and when going fishing, I would advise you to weigh all the pros and cons, and then prepare well for it.

The main disadvantage is the cold. You should dress warmly, and given that any body of water is an open space, then clothes should protect not only from the cold, but also from the piercing wind. To do this, you should buy a special winter fishing suit, shoes, and if the stops are long enough, then it is advisable to purchase a special tent for yourself, which will additionally protect the angler from the wind. Otherwise, you run the risk of freezing and getting sick, and winter fishing itself will not bring you that unique pleasure.

The next disadvantage is drilling holes, in order to find fish in a reservoir, you need to be patient and drill more than a dozen holes, especially if you do not have the necessary knowledge about the reservoir. I will also add that not only patience is required, but also physical strength, which will require a lot to drill holes, especially if the ice exceeds half a meter thick.

Choosing the best option

Of course, one of the most important characteristics here will be the material from which the tent for winter fishing is sewn. Thanks to technological progress, synthetic materials are the most popular here:

• Nylon;
• Silk;
• Lavsan;
• polyamide and others.

All these materials are quite strong and durable. Classic tarpaulin tents should be immediately excluded from the contenders due to their heaviness and high hygroscopicity. The outer layer of modern is subjected to water-repellent impregnation with polyurethane or silicone.

We advise you to read: Catching bream in winter

In the passport for each tent, you can find not only the composition of the fabric, but also:

• the brand of her weaving,
• moisture resistance index
• density.

In order not to depress the future owner of the numbers, we only note that the higher they are, the better the resistance of a particular fabric to rain, wind and snow. Compare the labels of two or three competitors of your choice, and the situation will clear up by itself.

The choice of manufacturers in favor of synthetic fabrics is quite logical. For one of the main criteria for temporary housing for fishermen is its weight. In the vast majority of cases, the tent from the vehicle to the pond and back will have to be carried in the hands or on the shoulders. We agree that in addition to the mandatory ice drill, backpack, container with tackle and bait - an additional 5, 10, or even more kilograms - more than a significant burden.

Installation and dismantling time is an important indicator

Another important indicator is the time for installation and dismantling. People come to fishing to catch fish and few people want to spend precious time building shelter from the wind and bad weather.

The speed record holder here are models from the "spring" and "umbrella" series. Where a few minutes is enough to open the tent, but their reliability leaves much to be desired. One way or another, it is impossible to ignore such an indicator as installation and dismantling time.

The reliability and stability of the tent, first of all, is determined by the quality of its frame. Aluminum and fiberglass here will be in priority against flimsy plastic or a fragile metal profile. In this aspect, you will also have to make a choice between mass and a guarantee of reliability.

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Stability is important for a winter tent

The stability of the winter shelter of fishermen largely depends on its shape. So a cube-shaped design will have a much greater windage than a conical or tent-shaped one. The sloping walls and roof will not retain snow and melt water, for this you will have to sacrifice free space.

Almost every brand of manufacturers of winter fishing tents has samples of one-, two-, three-seater. Experience has shown that the fisherman will feel quite comfortable if he is allocated at least 2 square meters. meters of territory.

Typically, tents for one person have three beams (ribs) of rigidity, and structures of a larger capacity - from four or more. It follows that a single tent will always be less resistant against the wind.

Along with the advantages, tents for winter fishing also have disadvantages. They limit visibility and freedom of movement, make you less mobile on the ice and of course increase the volume and weight of your arsenal. And yet, the presence of a tent on winter fishing is convenient, it is comfortable and much safer than fishing in the open air.

However, you have to pay for this convenience. Modern high-quality models of shelters from the cold and bad weather are not cheap.Therefore, it is worth assessing the degree of need for this acquisition, then read our advice again and only then go shopping. Only then will she be happy with you. And every trip to ice fishing will be filled with positive emotions, and a tent for winter fishing will help with this.

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Home Improvement

Fishing in a winter tent, especially at night, also involves its arrangement.

When going fishing in the winter, you need to think about fasteners, since those included in the kit are not very durable. It is necessary to make threaded fasteners to securely fasten the tent on the ice. It is installed so that the entrance to it is not on the side from which the wind blows. Before starting fishing, all zippers are wiped with paraffin so that the locks open well and do not freeze.

It’s a good idea to sew a few reflective elements on top so that cars driving onto the ice at night do not knock it down. Fishing at night requires lighting and heat. Some people use kerosene lamps with glass or candles, but devices with LED lamps are the best and safest lighting. For warmth, anglers often use an alcohol candle. In addition, the following devices have gained popularity:

• special gas burners of small sizes;
• burners for tourists;
• blowtorches;
• infrared gasoline or gas heaters that heat the room very well.

You can additionally protect the product from frost using an old tent, making a cover out of it, and combining the doors. As a result, the heat lasts several times longer, there is no moisture on the walls, the temperature reaches 21 degrees. Mini-stoves with solid fuel are also used, which consist of a firebox, a stand for it and a pipe leading out into the street. Both wood and coal can be thrown into the firebox.

Since these designs are a little bulky, they are not popular with fishermen. A gas stove in this case is much more convenient and safer, but it also rarely heats winter tents.

Criterias of choice

Before choosing a tent for winter fishing, you need to determine:

• dimensions;
• mass;
• type and shape of the structure;
• moisture resistant characteristics of the awning;
• capacity (1-4 people);
• number of openings (entrance and windows);
• the presence of high-quality fasteners (screws, brackets, extensions);
• the degree of strength of the frame;
• the presence of a hinged visor for protection from precipitation;
• purpose of the product (for short trips or long trips);
• speed and ease of assembly;
• reliability of materials for the frame (strength, frost resistance);
• the presence of a warming layer in a protective shelter;
• complete set (hinged shelves, removable pockets for equipment, internal awning);
• price category.

Materials and size

When choosing a tent, the quality of the material for the awning is important, which must withstand sub-zero temperatures and humidity. Manufacturers use nylon, polyester, nylon, lavsan, tarpaulin

The highest quality materials for shelters are lavsan and polyester. These fabrics are resistant to UV rays, stretch, but are expensive.

Nylon and kapron are less durable budget compounds.

Tarpaulin shelters are light, strong, durable, and provide good ventilation. However, this is a material that does not protect against wet snow during a thaw.

Varieties of fabric by type of weaving of fibers are represented by compositions:

• oxford - used for the bottom, has a dense weave;
• taffeta - material with medium density;
• ripstop - fabric with the addition of strong threads in weaving.

The marking of the awning indicates the processing of the material. The symbols SI indicate the addition of silicone to the fabric, PU - polyurethane. Shelters can be with 1-3 layers.

Form and installation method

Protective structures are available in the form:

• cone;
• Cuba;
• hemispheres.

The choice of a winter tent involves determining the installation method:

• auto;
• manual.

The automatic method allows you to quickly install the structure: when you press the control button, the spokes combined with the arcs are retracted from the pin in the center of the structure. The frame pipes are connected to the bottom of the tent, which moves apart during installation. The disadvantage of products is instability in windy weather.

Products with manual installation require more assembly time, suitable for stationary fishing. The arcs must be placed in the grooves of the awning and fixed at the corners.

DIY single tent

Do-it-yourself single tent (pattern)

In order to sew a tent, you need to choose a lightweight material. I used a thin tarp (whatever was on hand), but I think a heavy cotton fabric would work just as well.

In the proposed design, the roof ridge is not horizontal, as in samples produced by the industry, but sloping. This is due to the fact that when such a tent is installed with the back to the wind, its windage will be minimal, air flows will flow around it, as it were.

• In the manufacture of this type of tent, up to 30% of the material is saved, and, accordingly, the weight is also reduced.
• Such a tent uses only one riser - at the entrance, and the need for a second riser disappears by itself. Instead, a nylon guy is used (from point "a").
• But in the riser, the need may also disappear if there is a tree nearby. In this case, the front guy (from the “fg” point) is tied to the tree at the desired height.
• Such a tent is easily and in a short time set up by one person, which is its big plus, especially in bad weather.
• As for the riser at the entrance, if it causes some inconvenience, you can use two racks, which are located under the canopy at the entrance in the form of the letter "L". By arranging the entrance to the tent in this way, you will never get bumps due to forgetfulness or haste. Such a device for entering the tent will not prevent you from bringing a backpack or spruce branches for bedding inside.
• It does not make sense to describe the technique of making a tent in detail: everything is very clearly visible from the pattern. I will only briefly touch on a few points.
• The main guy is sewn between the points "a - fg" (one continuous nylon cord), additional guys are sewn to the points "b" and "c". Loops for pegs are sewn into the corners of the floor from the outside.
• The loops are all made from the same nylon rope. The sashes at the entrance at the points "fh - gi" can be equipped with a zipper.

When the tent is ready, it needs to be given water-repellent properties. You can do this in one of the ways described below.

• Recipe one. Take 4 liters of warm water, dissolve 500 grams of laundry soap in it, add 25 grams of washing soda and 450 grams of rosin powder. Place a tent in the resulting solution and let it lie there for about 15 minutes. Then take out the tent, wring it out and dry it.
• Recipe two. Soak the tent with a 40% warm solution of laundry soap. Then take it out, wring it out and put it in a 20% solution of copper sulphate.

After 15-30 minutes soaking in vitriol, dry the tent. In addition to water-repellent properties, the tent will also acquire a nice green color.

There are other ways to make a tent water-repellent, but they are a little more complicated. Anyone who does not want to bother with such "chemistry" can simply cover the shelter with plastic wrap, fastening it with ordinary clothespins.

Top best tents for winter fishing

In the ranking of the best winter tents:

• Tramp Ice Fisher-2;
• Mitek Nelma Cub-2;
• Talberg Shimano-3;
• STEK-ZONT-4;
• Maverick ICE-3 Blue;
• Nova Tour Cube

Tramp Ice Fisher-2: Cube-shaped tent for 2 people. The frame consists of fiberglass pipes, the weight of the product reaches 7 kg. The design is strong, equipped with mounts in the corner areas, stable on ice. The cover is made of thick polyester.Material for construction impregnated with polyurethane windproof, moisture resistant. The product is equipped with windows and ventilation valves.

The top of the best winter protective structures includes the Maverick ICE-3 Blue umbrella tent, designed for 3 people. The design is designed for operation in the northern regions. The framework consists of fiberglass arches with additional fastenings in corner zones. The awning is made of Oxford polyester, the composition is wind-resistant, moisture-proof, durable. The structure unfolds automatically. Product dimensions are 2.2 × 2.55 × 1.7 m. The weight of the product is 5.4 kg.

The Talberg Shimano-3 is designed for 3 anglers. The frame is made of fiberglass pipes with a diameter of 8.5 mm, complemented by reinforcing inserts. Shelter dismantling is performed automatically. Product dimensions are 3 × 2.6 × 1.75 m. The awning is made of windproof Oxford PU 150D polyester. The kit includes shelves, fixings, a repair kit and a carrying case.

Tent STEK-ZONT-4 is strong, durable, designed for 4 people. The reliable frame is made of durable titanium alloy, the diameter of the pipes is 8 mm. The dimensions of the model are 3 × 2.5 × 1.9 m, weight - 5 kg. The design is resistant to windy weather and snowfall.

Protective shelter Mitek Nelma Kub-2 accommodates 2 fishermen. The design is prefabricated, durable, stable, consists of duralumin pipes with a diameter of 8 mm. The awning is made of 240T 2000PU polyester with a waterproof treatment. The model is comfortable to use, safe, equipped with reflectors fixed on the side parts of the structure. Several ventilation openings are provided. The mass of the product is 8.7 kg. The shelter has a door made of 2 layers of fabric, additional loops for stretching, hanging shelves.

Shelter Nova Tour Cube from the manufacturer Fischerman is designed for 3 people. The dimensions of the model are 1.65 × 2 × 2 m. The structure consists of fiberglass pipes with a diameter of 9.5 mm, strong fastenings are provided in the corners of the frame. The shelter is stable in windy weather, equipped with ventilation holes. The awning is made of durable moisture resistant Oxford 210T 200PU polyester. The design includes windows, pockets, a protective insert at the bottom. The weight of the product is 7 kg.

Tent in the shape of a hemisphere Nova Tour Nerpa 2 V.2. designed for 2 fishermen. The frame disassembles automatically, the design is made of durable fiberglass pipes with a diameter of 8.5 mm. The material is resistant to sub-zero temperatures. The awning is made of waterproof PU2000 polyester, complemented by a wide windproof insert. The tent is equipped with pockets, ventilation valves, stretch marks for stable fastening on ice. The weight of the product is 3.5 kg.

Types of tents

Tents come in different designs. However, the most common options are:

1. In the form of an umbrella. For the manufacture of rods or tubes of duralumin are used. Synthetic fabrics are used as an awning. The finished structure is distinguished by its strength and rigidity.
2. With automatic shape change. Such designs are less common. Their peculiarity is that the fabric sewn to the frame can be assembled into a circle.
3. Frame of 2-3 arcs. The material of the arcs is fiberglass or duralumin. The frame is assembled directly on the pond, after which an awning is put on it. The tent can be both triangular and in the form of a cube or a trapezoid.

What should be a winter tent

Having decided on an independent design of a shelter, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements that it must meet. First of all, the product must protect the angler from bad weather. In addition, inside you need so much space to have the opportunity to relax, have a snack, and warm up. Today, although it is possible to purchase a winter tent, many anglers prefer to make it with their own hands, taking into account their needs.

Homemade design must meet the following criteria:

• have low weight and dimensions;
• be mobile;
• have a dense and breathable coating;
• easy to mount and dismantle;
• keep warm for a long time;
• be strong and strong.