Looking to upgrade yoke pads for the canoe and looking for reviews.

don't have a picture right up, but you can't do wrong with the pads that Kevin Carr makes - Chosen Valley Canoe Accessories.

225 Winona St NE, Chatfield, MN 55923 (507) 867-3961


Chosen Valley Canoe Accessories

I have some sling style pads on my canoe that look identical to the ones in OneMatch's link.

Very happy with them.

I’ve tried every possible design of yoke pads in all conceivable configurations.
You can’t do better than a thick block of stiff foam.
We’ve been using these for over fifteen years carrying everything from a 30# Kevlar solo to over 100# cedar/ canvas canoes. They are expertly constructed and by far the most comfortable pads available.
Your mileage may vary.


Yoke Pads

I have also tried every yoke out there. Found this one about 20+ years ago and have loved it ever since. Wish I could find them again. Would like to get another one.

It is contoured to your shoulders and very well padded. I move it from 1 canoe to another if I need to portage more than 1 canoe.

Superior Portage Pads these are my favorite, thick comfortable adjustable for position on the yoke, large enough to slide back and forth on my shoulders to trim canoe while carrying.

Harmony Pads Secure comfortable on flat trails, pvc curved base can cut into shoulders on hills, not adjustable once installed. Still have them for backup.

Chosen Valley Pads Used with a cantilevered thwart mouting from CVCA, bouncy, could dig into shoulders, adjustable with tools. No longer own them.

butthead

Put me in the camp that has tried the “sling style” pads and went back to a quality block setup, love the blocks because you can slide then forward and back on the shoulders to change balance point and put pressure on a different part of the shoulders, hard to do with the slings, your pivot and pressure point is basically fixed.



Just your basic pad with black nylon over it.

I might make my own this year, just a tad bigger in size but I want to play with different layers of foam, stiffer base layer, medium density mid layers and then a couple different top layers, this variable density works well in other applications.

Hmmm, lost my post somehow? Let's try again. I've used a lot of different kinds. Like with PFD's, our body types may lend us to prefer one over another. Worst for me was Wenonah's horsecollar. Chosen Valley has many fans, but the regular ones weren't padded enough IMHO; I haven't tried their thicker ones. The Bourquin's I've had on a few different canoes. Best I'VE tried. Here's a few pics:

I have Superior pads too. They're nice, like others have said - can adjust balance point to trim while portaging.

Bourquins

Chosen Valley Canoe Accessories portage pads (along with a couple CCS Pioneer packs).

quote Jackfish: "
Chosen Valley Canoe Accessories portage pads (along with a couple CCS Pioneer packs). "

Pete, are those Packer pads......look to be Green and Gold....

Chosen Valley for me as well.

Switched to Spring Creek portage seat/yoke on all my canoes several years ago. IMO these are the most comfortable portage yokes available.

+1 on the superior portage pads. I've used a couple of different pads that were equipped on outfitters boats, and then got these when I bought my own boat. They're comfortable, easy to install, and as others have said, you can adjust the load on your shoulders due to their size.

BOURQUIN YOKE PADS from......

Midwest Canoe

Anatomy of a Bourquin Boat Yoke Pad:
1. Vinyl Covering
2. 4" High Density Foam
3. ½" Closed Cell Foam.
4. Stainless Steel Machine Screws
5. 5/8" Underlayment Plywood

Here is my Chosen Valley in the traveling mode. My seat rest against it well. Frosty morning in May.




A light frost again. Same campsite in September.

The May picture is taken the morning I flipped. Had I just tossed it in the boat like some do I'd have finished the trip with no yoke.

+1 for Superior, great pads.

Hidden River Universal Solo Canoe Yoke

It raises the canoe on your shoulders for a better view while portaging. It clamps on and I lined the plastic clamps with some neoprene to keep from scratching up the gunwales.

quote Hanz: "Hidden River Universal Solo Canoe Yoke

It raises the canoe on your shoulders for a better view while portaging. It clamps on and I lined the plastic clamps with some neoprene to keep from scratching up the gunwales.

"

I would have a hard time putting that canoe in the water...too nice!

I tried many different types of yoke pads. I switched to the sling type yoke pads and they were a big improvement over all the other pads.
However, I have not tried the Spring Creek seat/yoke (pic below), it looks like it might be great.

Thanks everyone, might give the Chosen Valley ones a try.

I agree with everyone. Personally I have Chosen Valley, but diferent brands fit people differently.

Made this removable yoke for my Merlin cedar strip. The pads are Chosen Valley. I drilled the yoke rather than clamping.

quote WHendrix: " "

Are these pads homemade or a name brand?

They look to have a nice combo of the features of both the sling pad and the blockpad, in that they are contoured but still wide enough to adjust their position on your shoulder.

Anyone ever used the Harmony contoured yoke pad? If so, how do you like the feel of them on your shoulders?

quote Chilly: "Thanks everyone, might give the Chosen Valley ones a try."

Both the drill and clamp-on style are on sale at Rutabaga, if that helps you make the decision.

I like the Piragis U-shaped yoke pad...very comfortable. No more banging the back of my neck on the yoke...

quote Canoe42: "I have also tried every yoke out there. Found this one about 20+ years ago and have loved it ever since. Wish I could find them again. Would like to get another one.


It is contoured to your shoulders and very well padded. I move it from 1 canoe to another if I need to portage more than 1 canoe."

+ 1

I have two. I bought my second not to long ago after a long search for one on line. Not sure where. It has probably been 5yrs. I thought it was mad river. I will check if I can find where I got it from. I really like it for heavier canoes.

Simple, homemade sculpted cedar block with half inch closed cell foam. Have had to replace foam about once a decade.

I also now use the Bourquin pads. Best commercially available option I've seen. I had a canoe that I bought that had some home-made pads that we're even more comfy, but sold them with the canoe. :(

quote HighPlainsDrifter: "
Made this removable yoke for my Merlin cedar strip. The pads are Chosen Valley. I drilled the yoke rather than clamping.
"

That's the same as I have. Works well for me.

A 2nd vote for the Piragis 'toilet seat' style pad .... it give you options for slightly shifting the weight of the boat to accommodate going up or down-hill .... it's the best/most comfortable I've found. Some people worry they'll get their head 'caught' inside when flipping boat off .....I haven't found this to be a problem .... you just need to lift the canoe a bit, then flip.
They also seem to hold up well -- ours is on it's second canoe ... can't even recall when I bought it.
I am careful to not drop a pack down into the boat, on the 'arms' of the pad - I think that could go south .... but again, ours has been on numerous trips, and still going strong.

quote chessie: "A 2nd vote for the Piragis 'toilet seat' style pad .... it give you options for slightly shifting the weight of the boat ."

And you can use it as a... well... toilet seat too.
Just remove it from the canoe first.

Seriously, I think the chose valley yoke pads are all most need.
Larger boats I'd go with the blocks or spring creek yokes. These would male less desirable toilet seats though.

Here are mine: CVCA I have them on two of my three canoes, the other is simply a wood yolk, but I don't portage that one too far.

Nomad

I made some great pads out of high density foam last yr. I first steam bent the ash backing into a curve to fit over my shoulders. They've been great but I've noticed that toward the end of the portage they start to hurt and it's worse than just the wooden yoke would be - I think this is due to not spreading the load over my entire back like on a yoke. With pads the load is just on two points.

In retrospect- I should have gone toilet seat. I may yet modify these to be a toilet seat design.

I've made a couple sets of these and have been happy through miles of portage.

Another DIY yoke pad.

No pads on my solo yoke...Chosen Valley on my tandem.

quote Ragged: "

quote Jackfish: "
Chosen Valley Canoe Accessories portage pads (along with a couple CCS Pioneer packs). "

Pete, are those Packer pads......look to be Green and Gold...."

William, in my best Ed McMahon voice... "You are correct, sir!"

quote jrlatt: "

quote Canoe42: "I have also tried every yoke out there. Found this one about 20+ years ago and have loved it ever since. Wish I could find them again. Would like to get another one.



It is contoured to your shoulders and very well padded. I move it from 1 canoe to another if I need to portage more than 1 canoe."

+ 1


I have two. I bought my second not to long ago after a long search for one on line. Not sure where. It has probably been 5yrs. I thought it was mad river. I will check if I can find where I got it from. I really like it for heavier canoes. "

I did find where I purchased mine from. I got it on amazon 6 years ago

Mad River Canoe Universal Yoke for IQ Gunwales

Sadly they are unavailable.