How do you store your portable??

[BuckSutherland]

I got myself a flip over fish house this winter and I want to put it in storage.

What do you guys use to keep mice and other critters out?? I will be putting it on a shelf about 7 feet off the ground in my garage.

[CaptainMusky]

Bounce dryer sheets will keep the mice away.

I have a Racor Heavy Lift Rack that I put my Otter Lodge on and hoist it up to the rafters in my garage. I put mine away on Sunday.

[harvey lee]

I have kept mine in a shed with a cement floor and I put about a half of a box of scented dryer sheets in the tub and between the folds of the cover. Never had a hole, mouse dropping or anything in the tub or cover in the past 9 years. I also have mouse bait in the shed too.

This summer, I am going to put the portabloe inside my wheelhouse for storage but again, with scented dryer sheets.

I have really had great luck doing this Buck. Don't be chinsy with the amount of dryer sheets, beats having holes in the cover come next fall.

[RiverChuckNorris]

This summer, I am going to put the portable inside my wheelhouse for storage but again, with scented dryer sheets.

x2

[bobbymalone]

I pull the fabric off, fold it as best as I can, and put it in a sealed plastic tote bin. Then I put that and the sled in the shed.

I'm not relying on dryer sheets to thwart mouse attacks.

[amateurfishing]

I keep mine on old counter in back corner of garage, if anything I use moth balls if necessary just like winterizing the boat. never had an issue with this (don't have issues in garage anyway). Ive heard dryer sheets are not the cure all and nests have been found in them. I use the moth balls cause smell is stronger and more intense to me and hoping to be as well for the critters if I ever have the problem.

[BartmanMN]

Bounce dryer sheets will keep the mice away.

I have a Racor Heavy Lift Rack that I put my Otter Lodge on and hoist it up to the rafters in my garage. I put mine away on Sunday.

Same here. Took the kids PowerWheel down for the year and hoisted the fish house on up.

[toughguy]

I keep mine in the basement along with 2 cats. no issues in 10 years.

[ozzie]

In the spring I wash my house in and out and then let dry...after that I put dryer sheets and a box of baking soda in there...one to cover up and scent and the other to absorb scent and then I store them off the ground on shelves. Never have had an issue but this year I am storing in a new place so an added protection for me is to plastic wrap the bottom of the cover area to assure those pests dont get through.

[centralmnguy]

I spray mine down inside & out & leave it in the sun to dry for a few hours...if its not dry by dark I put it in the garage with a fan set up inside with windows & door open on portable. Once dry I remove the seat & place in sled & put travel cover back on & store it in my perm. fish house. In my fish house I use dryer sheets & some stuff called fresh cab that keeps rodents away & make sure to seal up the perm house good!

[WallyGader]

I put the voyager in the corner of the garage and toss the pro on top of that and im done.

[Fowlmouth]

Make sure it's dry, and stick it in the crank down shack with a few dryer sheets.

[BuckSutherland]

Looks like I will put it in the perm. Probably put snowblower in there too. I have never had a mouse issue with the perm. I am pretty sure I have every possible spot for them to crawl in taped off. Never one issue since 09 when I built it.

[dan z]

I usually take the canvas off spray down the tub and slid it into the shed. I now have a one man and I'm putting up in a shelf off the ground I'm hoping to leave the tarp on the 1 man as its screwed on. I'll clean it up put the cover on it and wrap a really large bag around it and hopefully the critters stay away.

[TrapMan13]

Rafters

[MJBaldwin]

TrapMan - How do you get your portable in your rafters?

[going4it]

I use a pulley system and then rachet straps to secure it to the rafters. Works slick and not as spendy as the lifts.

[MJBaldwin]

Going4it - Have any pictures of the way you have yours set up? I am trying to do this I did it once awhile back with a failed attempt. It was very un balanced and then the rope ended up braking! With it being that time of year again I was hoping to get out there and get it all fixed up and working "properly"

[TrapMan13]

A ladder up to a big table/shelf and lift from there..

[aczr2k]

Bounce dryer sheets do not work, mice will make a nest with them. Best way to prevent mice is have no mice. Plenty of poison around or get cats. I stick a couple packs of fresh cab in mine, I've heard they eat that too but at least it smells good in the fall, I think the 10' pallet racking also helps. I've heard peppermint oil on cotton balls works also. Moth balls work well but the smell even makes me sick.

[CaptainMusky]

Bounce dryer sheets do not work, mice will make a nest with them. Best way to prevent mice is have no mice.

I wouldnt go so far as to say that because it has worked for me for many years. I know for a fact that I have mice in my garage as I have caught them in traps, etc, but have never ONCE had them mess around in my fish house. So that to me means they work.

Granted, with anything wild they can get accustomed to a smell over time so I suppose they could get immune to it or the "freshness" of the dryer sheets wears off. I add more partway through the summer.

[swamptiger]

Quote:

I pull the fabric off, fold it as best as I can, and put it in a sealed plastic tote bin. Then I put that and the sled in the shed.

I'm not relying on dryer sheets to thwart mouse attacks.

Bobby's got it..

[going4it]

Going4it - Have any pictures of the way you have yours set up? I am trying to do this I did it once awhile back with a failed attempt. It was very un balanced and then the rope ended up braking! With it being that time of year again I was hoping to get out there and get it all fixed up and working "properly"

I do not have any pics. I use the cabelas big game hoist and have it a foot or so above the rafters attached to a board. I use a rope type harness that I connect the hoist to. I pull it up and then tie it off while I use the straps to get it tight to the rafters. Just make sure that when you use the rachet straps that they are not pinching the sled at the top. 35 dollars at the most for the entire set up.

[pathogen]

Dryer sheets work wonders if you use the right brand. I used bargain-basement sheets a few years ago and a mouse chewed them up and used them for nest material. Never had a problem using Bounce dryer sheets though.

[JoePalermo]

i take the canvas off and put it in a sealed tote ..never any issues

[john36jan41]

I have had the best luck with"oil of peppermint"... Put a few drops on a

cotton ball for each corner. You can get it at any health food store. A

little goes a long way. W

[lindy rig]

Any more input on the Racor Heavy Lift? How high of ceilings will this work?

[CaptainMusky]

I have 9 foot ceilings in my garage and one thing is that they will not reach the floor unless you adjust the cables in the cable locks or whatever you call those things. If you do lengthen them then the cable may start overlapping on the pulley.

I highly recommend it.

[JoeMX1825]

Any more input on the Racor Heavy Lift? How high of ceilings will this work?

I have 12' ceilings in my garage. I swapped the cable out and now use 12' for each side (vs 8' that comes with the lift) I can lower it to about a foot from my floor, this makes it super easy to load/unload stuff...sure, it would be nice if it went all the way down to the floor, but then the cable would overlap on the roller and I didn't want that to happen...I absolutely love mine!

I store the Otter in the summer months and the lawn mover and golf bags in the winter months...

[lindy rig]

I really like the idea of this Racor lift, but I have 14' high ceilings. I guess if I swapped the cables like you JoeMX... I could lower it to about 3' off the floor.

So basically would need to buy 48' of extra cable then? (12' x 4?) Most any hardware store?