Hello,

My family of 4 is heading to the BWCA this summer 2018. Will you PLEASE give me some ideas for making our canoes (while paddling) as comfortable as possible? One is a 17' aluminum and the other canoe I am borrowing from a friend and it's a 16' old Town (I think).

I like having a seat. I'm not sure what type seats you'll have in your aluminum canoe, so it might make a difference how they attach.

+1 on the seat. That extra back support really helps. And I'm a fan of a little schnapps in my hot chocolate at night when the kids aren't looking.

Good fitting PFD's

Pipe insulation on the gunwales where your legs rest against them. A piece of duct tape will hold them in place and insure that you don’t lose them on portages. Also, tie in your seats for same reasons. A good portage yoke with pads.

If you’re fishing, another piece of foam taped to a thwart makes a good lure hanger. Another piece of duct tape measured 42” with markings every 6” placed on a gunwale will help with measuring the big one.

I like the Sitbacker canoe seats.

Back support is something I didn't realize I desperately wanted until I didn't have it for long days of paddling. I'll be getting seat backs from the outfitter for my trips this year (cheap enough) and bought a Flexlite chair from REI to get some comfort at the campsite as well. Logs are great for a while but you can't lean back on them.

Go back to the basics - the correct size paddle makes a world of difference. Also lighter paddles, if you can swing the price(rental?).

I also have seats w/backs for the canoe and love those.

I will be trying the pool noodle on the gunwale idea for my next trip. My boney knees get pretty sore resting on that metal.

+1 for the seat with a back. We don't leave on a canoe trip without them now. Totally worth the added minimal weight.

I like to have a couple of these personal water filter bottles in each canoe. Helps me remember to keep hydrated on the go.

Sawyer Personal Water Filtration Bottle

A different perspective. Have only once on one day tried a seat with back and never interested again. I suppose the kevlar canoe might be why my legs are not bothered by the gunwales.

Since first couple trips, I only wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and a hat. Besides map the only things not in packs are maybe water bottles - and I try to get both map and bottles into a pack before I'm ready to hop out at landings. I find having no - none - loose items and items flopping around (like seats and thwart bags) to be fantastic. We are not one minute between hopping out of canoe and being moving on the portage - and that's comfort for me.

old_salt: "Pipe insulation on the gunwales where your legs rest against them. "

This is a big one for the bow paddler because his or her legs naturally lean outward onto the gunwales that are getting narrower toward the bow. I'm in the stern almost 100% of the time and don't recall ever needing them, but your mileage may vary.

Lots of good posts about seat backs. The only thing I'll mention about them is that they're one extra thing to carry. Extra weight, you need extra hands to carry on portages, etc. You'll have to decide if they're "really" necessary.

Jackfish: "

old_salt: "Pipe insulation on the gunwales where your legs rest against them. "

This is a big one for the bow paddler because his or her legs naturally lean outward onto the gunwales that are getting narrower toward the bow. I'm in the stern almost 100% of the time and don't recall ever needing them, but your mileage may vary.

Lots of good posts about seat backs. The only thing I'll mention about them is that they're one extra thing to carry. Extra weight, you need extra hands to carry on portages, etc. You'll have to decide if they're "really" necessary. "

My two cents on canoe seats, as stated they add weight but more than that they add weight outbound toward the stems. Think of your neck as the fulcrum point of a teeter totter imagine your seats weighing 5 lbs each that's only 10 additional pounds, no big deal right? Because those two extra five lb weights are toward the stems it makes the overall balance of the canoe harder to handle, once the boat starts to pitch either fore or aft it ,makes finding the "Sweet Spot", balance wise much harder to maintain.

Jackfish: "

old_salt: "Pipe insulation on the gunwales where your legs rest against them. "

This is a big one for the bow paddler because his or her legs naturally lean outward onto the gunwales that are getting narrower toward the bow. I'm in the stern almost 100% of the time and don't recall ever needing them, but your mileage may vary.

Lots of good posts about seat backs. The only thing I'll mention about them is that they're one extra thing to carry. Extra weight, you need extra hands to carry on portages, etc. You'll have to decide if they're "really" necessary. "

Actually, you don’t need to hand carry the seats. Sitbackers come with straps to attach them to the canoe seats. I use a Velcro to fold the back down so it doesn’t block vision or catch anything on the trails. If they didn’t make trips more enjoyable, I wouldn’t recommend them. They don’t add anything significant to the weight of the carry.

And now that you've got the back support thing out of the way...
hit the gym ASAP. Both canoes are heavy to portage. Hercules Unchained, eh?
Have you considered renting lighter canoes?

plus 1 on water bottles: Then around camp, they turn into individual marked "water cups" to be filled from gravity filtered water. Daily dip lid and top of bottle in boiling water.

You might want to consider paddling gloves. Light weight leather works good for paddling and portaging.

billconner: "A different perspective. Have only once on one day tried a seat with back and never interested again. I suppose the kevlar canoe might be why my legs are not bothered by the gunwales.


Since first couple trips, I only wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and a hat. Besides map the only things not in packs are maybe water bottles - and I try to get both map and bottles into a pack before I'm ready to hop out at landings. I find having no - none - loose items and items flopping around (like seats and thwart bags) to be fantastic. We are not one minute between hopping out of canoe and being moving on the portage - and that's comfort for me.


"

+1! Your back will benefit more from some core exercise, which will help with lifting the packs and especially the aluminum canoe. My Sawyer Water Bottle has a carabiner attached so I can clip to a pack, but I usually hand carry to drink on the second trip across the portage.

Jackfish: "

old_salt: "Pipe insulation on the gunwales where your legs rest against them. "

This is a big one for the bow paddler because his or her legs naturally lean outward onto the gunwales that are getting narrower toward the bow. I'm in the stern almost 100% of the time and don't recall ever needing them, but your mileage may vary.

Lots of good posts about seat backs. The only thing I'll mention about them is that they're one extra thing to carry. Extra weight, you need extra hands to carry on portages, etc. You'll have to decide if they're "really" necessary. "

For me very necessary. Very little weight and never leaves the canoe. The seat back and the foot brace together makes up for a lot of aging body parts. I only wish my core muscles were even a little able to do it alone. But yeah, the foot brace can work a lot to your advantage. Aluminum ? Well, I used to use those snap in Colman seat backs. You could either leave them snapped in or wrap them around the seat to portage. My advice is to try your options available to you. Keep your selection light and least amount of loose items on portage as stated.

If I don't have a cushioned seat with back support, I'm not paddling, end of story.

Some consider it a give or take luxury or simply don't want them, but that's not me. If you have back issues, a seat with back support is a must, not a luxury. If you have lower lumbar issues, a cushion is also a necessity. I have both a sitbacker with a rigid metal frame and a Crazy Creek that's all soft and much lighter. It's easier to attach to tractor style seats than the sitbacker, and much lighter and makes easier portages. But the sitbacker is exponentially more comfortable for my back. I usually only take it on river trips though - it does make the boat more tippy on portages. If you're only going to get one, I recommend the Crazy Creek. Even if it's not as comfortable as the sitbcker, it's a bit more flexible and easier to strap on to various styles of seats, and are easier to portage. They also double as a nice seat back if you attend youth sports and have to sit in bleachers that don't have seat backs (or are just butt-freezingly cold.)

NCTRY

Before i begin i want to Thank you
and everyone keep the ideas coming.

You wrote about a foot brace.
Will you please explain what that is, how/ it goes in the canoe
or what it is meant to do?
Better still a picture would be great if you have one.

LOL

Yes that is a great idea!!

What type of PFD do you suggest?

I know there are the orange "Horse Shoe" shaped PFD
I have a vest style


Is there a better option that you recommend?
Perhaps some new style or design (that came out within last 5 yrs or so)
That I would not be aware of because I am "so out of touch" according to my children and my students?

Any help would be appreciated!

Old Salt

Those are excellent ideas
PLEASE keep them coming.
Yes we plan on fishing
(hopefully catching too)

Michwall2

The idea about the paddles, has caught my attention

I am 6'2" 235 my son is about the same.
I have been reading A LOT about bent shaft paddles
And double bent shaft paddles

How do I measure for the bent/double bent shaft paddles
to be sure I get the correct size?

IdealTarHeel: "What type of PFD do you suggest?

I know there are the orange "Horse Shoe" shaped PFD
I have a vest style

Is there a better option that you recommend?
Perhaps some new style or design (that came out within last 5 yrs or so)
That I would not be aware of because I am "so out of touch" according to my children and my students?

Any help would be appreciated!
"

My opinion is that style doesn't matter so much as long as it fits you and feels comfortable. For paddling what really matters is the arms holes allow you to move freely without rubbing against it (chafing is always bad). I've worn a traditional life vest while paddling when I was younger and it was plenty comfortable. The only reason I changed to a different style was because I outgrew it and needed a new one.

I have a fishing vest now that has mesh shoulders and much wider armholes. Not necessarily specific to the style of life vest, but I find it more comfortable to wear while sitting in a kayak and the wider armholes allows for more comfortable paddling. It also has pockets.

There are inflatable life vests like what you find on airplanes. If you need it you pull the string and the vest inflates. A lot even auto-inflate when immersed in water. They're pretty pricey though, require cartridges for each use, and I wouldn't get one that didn't auto-inflate because it does no good if you can't inflate it yourself.

If you are planning on paddling bigger water there is a chance you may be paddling in a kneeling position. It is a more stable position and you can control your canoe as you would a whitewater kayak. Kneeling sucks if you don’t have a pad, we bring pieces of old blue ensolite, works great and can be added to your sleeping pad. If you bring a dog he will love you for it .

Gotta have a chair with back support both in the canoe and in camp. I use the crazy creek canoe seats and it stays in the boat at all times. I do not like the hard rigid seats which seem to restrict proper canoeing form. The crazy creek chairs sort of mold to your lower back and turn with you while adding support to the lumbar region. I usually don't contact the upper area of the chair but when I do its because i need it for a couple of minutes. Makes a huge difference for me.

When I can (basecampjng type trip) I really like a yoga mat in the bottom of the boat, nice!

I don't usually wear gloves while paddling but if its rainy and cold fingerless neophrene gloves are super important.