# I'd like less wind up my skirt (Frabill Recon)



## Ice T (Dec 8, 2005)

I picked up a FR this week. I wanted a light "run and gun" flip style that would fit in my car and it seemed like my only choice. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. It is light. Even loaded with all my goodies it requires no real effort to pull and of course being a flip, there's no collapsed canvas to crawl into or cold frozen poles to connect or disconnect.

The downside is that I'm used to the space of my DX3000 and I've got to learn to fish with less here. Last night I had just enough room for my flasher, catalytic heater, minnow bucket, etc. Also, I was taking a pretty good draft from under the skirt. Too much so for my little catalytic to keep up with the job. I'd like to try my Buddy heater but I'm wondering if there is room? I don't want to melt nylon. I wondering if anyone has added anything to their shelter to make it less drafty and/or added more support frame to the nylon to prevent it from bowing into your lantern or heater. I see Bucky and Jpollman have made some nice seats for theirs. I might have to do that as well.


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## wackmaster (Jun 2, 2006)

I have a frabill ultralite and it has some small chain link in the bottem of the skirt to way it down a little from the wind. It works good.:coolgleam


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## 1wildchild (Apr 14, 2003)

Yeah, I hate it when wind blows under my skirt!!:lol: :lol: 

I could not resist that one.:coolgleam


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

My friend has a frabil ranger xlt and we have a snow shovel with us and when when we get to a spot we throw a little bit of snow on the skirt and if there is no snow we use slush from our wholes. its a little effort but worth it to keep the wind out. I always wondered why they didnt just put wieghts in the skirt.


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## Jangus (Sep 6, 2004)




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## deputy865 (Feb 7, 2004)

I've got the same thing... I've learned that if you "play" the wind right it can be useful. If you set the shack up at a certain angle with the wind, that wind will blow under the shanty and blow the interior walls out giving you more room.

For the "skirt" issue, i'd suggest just getting some weights (lifting weights) or somthing of the sort and just put them on the flaps of the skirt..Or you could sew some little tabs on the flaps, poke a hole thru them and drive tent stake's or screw threw them. <<< Thats assuming your staying with the spot you found.

Shane


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## Fred Bear (Jan 20, 2000)

I had that same problem with my fish trap guide last weekend. But this week I figured out the trick. Get the wind to your back. This will "puff" the sides out. When you set up, go outside and straighten the skirt. Then throw snow on it. On the inside pack all the snow and slush that you can up to the edges of your "porch". This worked like a dream last night. I had a lantern and a coleman heater going fishing in 7 deg weather at 7pm in nothing but a sweatshirt. This tactic made all the difference in the world!


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## shawnfire (Nov 5, 2005)

Not sure if yours has it or not, a pocket that run along the outside of the flap... you can put some chain or rod thru it to wgt it down... I also push down the frame with my foot walk it down that seems to help out a lot... also put the wind to your back/// i push snow up against my sled on the inside and frame on the inside also... that helps out alot also...


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## jimbofish (Dec 15, 2002)

I have a Frabill Ultralight and the first time I used it I noticed the same problem with the skirts blowing in and out. I tend to do most of my fishing late in the season when there's not much snow on the ice. That skirt is like a long tube so I inserted some of those flat 'snagless' style sinkers inside. Then I worked them around so they were spaced a foot or so apart and pinned them in place with some tiny snap rivets through the material and the hole at the top of the sinker. You could also do it with a needle and thread, zip ties, wire, etc.


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## N.E. Outdoorsman (Sep 18, 2006)

I've got the tri-plex (I think) it's a three man flip top and it's heavy. I like the weight ideas, but I cringe at adding one more ounce to the thing. I do the same as some of the others and just kick snow/slush on the skirting after laying it out. It works.


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## CMFish51 (Feb 24, 2003)

I have a Frabill Ranger XL Twin and I also wanted to refrain from using any added weights...All i do is use the ice shaving from the holes cut to weigh down the apron...should be all you need, my heater works fine all the time...

The worst part is where the apron meets up with the sled itself...you seal that area in, you should be good to go!


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Here's what I did to my fishtrap pro and to the guide as well to keep the fabric from bowing in from the wind. I'm sure you could modify it to work with your Frabil.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120435


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## Fred Bear (Jan 20, 2000)

jimbofish said:


> I have a Frabill Ultralight and the first time I used it I noticed the same problem with the skirts blowing in and out. I tend to do most of my fishing late in the season when there's not much snow on the ice. That skirt is like a long tube so I inserted some of those flat 'snagless' style sinkers inside. Then I worked them around so they were spaced a foot or so apart and pinned them in place with some tiny snap rivets through the material and the hole at the top of the sinker. You could also do it with a needle and thread, zip ties, wire, etc.


did that seem to help allot holding the skirt down?


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## jimbofish (Dec 15, 2002)

Fred Bear said:


> did that seem to help allot holding the skirt down?



It did. Unlike some of the other flip sleds, the Ultra light doesn't have an excess of skirting, there's barely enough to reach the ice. I don't think I used more than a couple of ounces total.

After seeing the PVC pipe rig mentioned in another thread, I'm going to try something like that to keep the whole front from lifting in the wind, and to add some space, as the UL is pretty narrow... only 30" between the poles.


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## jimbofish (Dec 15, 2002)

N.E. Outdoorsman said:


> I've got the tri-plex (I think) it's a three man flip top and it's heavy. I like the weight ideas, but I cringe at adding one more ounce to the thing. I do the same as some of the others and just kick snow/slush on the skirting after laying it out. It works.



The Ultralight doesn't have a door... the only way in or out is to lift the front back to the windbreak position, so kicking snow on the skirt doesn't work, unless you have someone outside to do it after you're inside. Besides, I don't think I added more than 2 oz. total. I'm going to try the PVC braces idea to keep the front down anyway though.


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## N.E. Outdoorsman (Sep 18, 2006)

Yeah, Ya gotta have a door for the snow trick. Good luck and good / safe fishing to all.


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## woodie slayer (Feb 25, 2006)

does the frabil have conduit pipe around the bottom like the fish trap?
take the cap off if no cap cut the conduit and fill with sand . put cap back on or use a coupler where you cut and your problem is solved.the weight of the sand will hold it down.


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