An ice shelter and a propane heater. It’s a great one-two punch for cold days on the ice. While I like to be mobile, drilling new holes, searching for fish, it is nice having a warm home base. Portable shelters and propane heaters have become a staple for my ice fishing adventures, especially with little ones in tow.
I use Mr. Heater Portable Buddy and Big Buddy heaters. They keep me warm, and serve as a makeshift stove, providing hot food while on the ice.
When that harsh winter cold seeps deep into your bones as cold winds suck warmth from your body, there isn’t much better than a warm refuge, paired with a warm meal. Prepping juicy precooked sausages, warming up pizza, or heating a pot of soup, I can do it all on the Buddy heater.
My first DIY rack worked quite well. I took a small baking tray (a toaster-oven sized one) as my cooking platform. Then I set it at the top of the protective grate over the heating element and used wire to secure it to the cage at the top of the heater and the back of the tray. I then cut lengths of coat hanger (it is rigid and sturdy enough for this), bent so they hook onto the grate in front of the stove midway down. Pick your position on the heater grate to give good support and keep your tray level — or even slightly leaned back. Lean it the wrong way and your hot dogs could roll right off and end up as lake trout food.
I have since experimented further, and my latest version uses a $12 Masterchef barbecue grill basket from Canadian Tire. The handle from this basket tucks nicely under the grates, and the basket keeps your food nicely contained.
With a little experimenting, you can be ready to prepare hot food on the ice this winter, and keep everyone warm and happy.
Tip: Most gas heaters produce deadly carbon monoxide. Be sure to vent your fishing shelter or hut.
Originally published in the Nov.-Dec. 2024 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
