MANITOUWADE--Portable ice huts are definitely one of the best pieces of equipment an ice angler can have. Although nothing is wrong with permanent huts, fish move throughout the season, and a big, wooden shack can be brutal to move in the depths of winter.
The Manitouwadge Fire Department point out that portable huts give you the flexibility to go where the fish are while staying warm and comfortable. There are models that fold up and can be towed, others pack into a bag that can be carried on your back like a knapsack. The MFD suggest you look for models that have some type of ventilation and are made from strong, water-resistant fabrics.
Safety tips and advice for portable heaters is a specific focus that the MFD has when considering the use of portable heaters and portable ice huts. Portable heaters, whether electric or propane can be very safe for ice fishing when used properly.
There are some major concerns however, that you really need to take into account when using a space heater. There can be very harmful side effects if you do not. Two major concerns exist when using spaces heaters in an ice fishing situation.
- The first is with a propane heater which is very popular among winter fishing, and that is carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms can start out as a headache, to feeling light-headed, and can ultimately result in death if gone unnoticed.
- The second situation is having some sort of electrical heater plugged into a car, or generator outside your fishing shack. Since water is a huge conductor of electricity, the risk of electrocution is a major factor when identifying risks of using space heaters on a frozen lake.
The MFD points out, there are safeguards you can do that will help with both of these situations, making heaters perfectly safe to use ice fishing, and also keeping you warm and toasting in freezing weather.