Keeping Your Shelter Warm
Some people like to put building grade siding on the exterior of their shelters, and if it's dark colored this can help generate more heat inside an ice shelter during daytime hours. Just remember to try to keep things as light as possible. This helps in moving the house to better spots and getting it to the lake in the first place.
When it comes to a heating source, the easiest way to go is a propane heater. Coleman makes a variety of options, and you can get adapters for full-size propane tanks if you intend to be on the ice for a long time. If you want to get more low-tech and all-natural go with the smallest wood-burning stove you can find. Just be sure to position it safely. You should keep it at least a foot from the walls and install the proper fire-resistant barriers under and around it. Most importantly, the smoke outlets should be perfectly arranged before you take it out on the ice and fire it up.
Take the Whole Family
If you want women and children to enjoy fishing with you, make sure your house has a bathroom. A simple porta-potty does the trick, and you can put it in an enclosed area with a shower curtain for privacy. Outfit your house with comfortable and practical furniture. Remember convenience and comfort, but don't forget space concerns. Put racks and shelves on the walls, and make everything easy to break down when it's time to go or you need more space. Get inventive with hinges, and create some snazzy bench seats or bunk beds that fold into the wall.
If it's always warm and cozy, and there's no reason to leave the lake to get anything you need, you know you have the most people friendly ice shelter. Think of every room in your house, and try to put it all in the smallest space possible for the best and most practical shelter.
Give Your Shelter a Power Source
To integrate all the comforts of home and the ultimate in convenience, you should figure out a way to power your house with a portable generator, solar power, or even a mini windmill connected to a battery source. With a small solar panel, an inverter, and a battery you can power most small houses through the night on an all day charge. A stereo, small television, and indoor and outdoor lights will set your house apart from the rest. There are plenty of portable generators and battery sources for easy plug-in electricity, and they're available at hardware stores everywhere.
Whatever your budget, you should be able to build an ice shelter that will last a season even if you're not a professional carpenter or an engineer. It doesn't have to be pretty or win any contests. You just have to be able to fish comfortably in it, and it shouldn't be too hard to move.
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