How to Make a Portable Ice Hut

Place one piece of plywood on a firm surface. Measure 6 feet down from the top of the plywood and mark this spot with a pencil. Draw a straight line directly across the plywood parallel to the top, through the spot you marked with the pencil.

Cut a 20-inch piece of string. Nail one end of this string to the center of the line you drew in Step 1 and tie a pencil to the other end. Keep the string tight and draw a half circle beneath the line you marked out in Step 1. This half circle should come almost to the bottom of the plywood. Remove the string and nail from the plywood.

Cut out the arc you've created using your jigsaw. You should end up with a piece of plywood that is flat on one end and curved on the other.

Repeat steps 1 through 3 with a second sheet of plywood.

Make the floor of your ice hut using the third piece of plywood. Draw a hole in the floor so you can fish directly through the floor. The position and size of this hole is up to you. Make it no larger than necessary. Usually, 12 inches diameter is sufficient. Cut out this hole with your jigsaw.

Draw a door on one of the curved pieces of plywood. The curved end is the top of the shack. This door should be 6 inches off the ground and should leave enough space at the top to cut a ventilation hole. Other than that, the exact size and shape is up to you. Cut out this door with the jigsaw. Be careful not to damage the wall or the door, as you will need both pieces to complete your ice hut. The wall with the door is the front wall of your hut.

Draw a ventilation hole at the top of each wall. This should only be 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Also draw a vent near the bottom of the back wall for a carbon monoxide vent. This hole should be 6 inches in diameter and 6 inches off the bottom of the wall. Cut out these three holes with the jigsaw.

Install two hinges on one side of the door that you cut out of the front wall with the electric drill and wood screws. Attach the door to the front wall using the hinges. The door should fit perfectly into the opening in the wall. Install one handle on each side of the door, placed away from the hinges.

Lay one wall so that the exterior faces down. Position the floor so that one short side connects to the bottom of the wall. The floor should be interior side up. Place the second wall at the other end of the floor, exterior side down. Add two hinges to the bottom of each wall without moving the floor or the walls. Secure the free side of each hinge to the floor.

Recruit two friends. Have them fold the walls up until they are at a 90-degree angle with the floor. Tell your friends to hold the walls in this position. Cut a 2-foot piece of string. Use this string to create a triangle in one bottom corner of the shack. One end of the string should touch the wall, the other should touch the floor. The ends of the string should be an equal distance from the corner. Mark the spots where the string touches the wood. The marks should be 6 inches from the edge of wall and floor. Repeat this with all four bottom corners of the hut.

Cut your chain into four 2-foot lengths. Secure the lengths of chain into place with screws, holding the walls up. Have your friends continue to hold the walls up or they may fall inward.

Screw one 2-by-4 bracket at the top of each wall on the inside of the shack. These brackets will hold the 2-by-4 in place. Place the brackets are as near the top of the hut as possible. However, they should not stick up above the walls. Place the 2-by-4 into the brackets and secure with one screw at each end. Your friends can now let go.

Place the tarp over the hut so that it goes over the 2-by-4 and falls to either side. Staple one end of the tarp to the edge of the floor while you're inside the hut. Staple both sides of the tarp to the walls of the hut. Keep the tarp as close to the edge of the walls as you can manage. Do not staple the tarp the to 2-by-4. Staple the other end of the tarp to the floor on the opposite side.