Our canoe currently has a giant horseshoe-shaped yoke pad installed. We need to max out space this year, and removing that pad very positively impacts how I am able to position packs and a barrel. It's surprisingly comfortable without the pad, but I'd still like a little something for longer portages (it's a Northwind 20, after all).

Anyone have any recommendations for a minimalist / streamlined yoke pad? Quick internet search yields mostly large, clunky, bolt-on style pads.

I use this and really like it. Level Six yoke pad

dschult2: "I use this and really like it. Level Six yoke pad "

That looks like an excellent score.

If you're in Canada, it's hard to beat this yoke pad that Bank and dSchult mention: https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5037-080/helium-yoke-pad

dschult2: "I use this and really like it. Level Six yoke pad "

Looked at this one before I ended up making my own yoke and pad, my worry was that it wouldn't get the canoe up high enough over my head to see where I'm going. Have you had any issues on long and/or technical portages?

I'll offer this as an alternative which I thought was very minimalist: I was taking a group in to Cedar Lake on the north side of Algonquin. I asked the outfitter for portage pads. Their canoes all came with a scalloped out wooden yoke. His reply was that "we don't use those" and he suggested that I use my pfd by putting it on upside down. I was skeptical and not happy to portaging a boat or a couple of boats with no padding on my shoulders, but I decided to give it a try. It worked remarkably well. My brother-in-law informed me that the scouts use this system all the time. No need for portage pads. Just an FYI.

This looks perfect. And inexpensive. Thank you!

PFD as a replacement for portage pad? - it definitely works in a pinch, but from what I heard, permanent compression is not good for PFD.

Some of the reviews mentioned the Level Six yoke pad being used with a contoured portage yoke. Has anyone here used it with a standard portage yoke? Comments?

Thanks--TZ

AlexanderSupertramp: "

dschult2: "I use this and really like it. Level Six yoke pad "

Looked at this one before I ended up making my own yoke and pad, my worry was that it wouldn't get the canoe up high enough over my head to see where I'm going. Have you had any issues on long and/or technical portages?"

I have not had any issues with it and I have been on some very long and janky portages both in the US and Canada. I am mostly looking at my feet anyway and when I do need to look ahead I can tell what's directly in front of the nose by what I can see.

TrailZen: "Some of the reviews mentioned the Level Six yoke pad being used with a contoured portage yoke. Has anyone here used it with a standard portage yoke? Comments?


Thanks--TZ"

I have read these same complaints. I have a contoured yoke pad so cannot comment to what it is like on a standard yoke. My suggestion would be to glue a thin yoga mat trimmed to fit on the yoke and then use this pad on top of that. That way the pad has something to grip instead of slippery wood and you have just a little bit of extra padding to boot.

TrailZen: "Some of the reviews mentioned the Level Six yoke pad being used with a contoured portage yoke. Has anyone here used it with a standard portage yoke? Comments?

Thanks--TZ"

I've only used it with non deep-dish yokes. I suppose if the yoke is very thin it may flip around when you lift the boat onto your shoulders, but I've not seen that happen; it has worked fine for me...

AlexanderSupertramp: "

dschult2: "I use this and really like it. Level Six yoke pad "

Looked at this one before I ended up making my own yoke and pad, my worry was that it wouldn't get the canoe up high enough over my head to see where I'm going. Have you had any issues on long and/or technical portages?"

If getting the canoe up off your shoulders a bit is a priority I’d go with this:
Spring Creek Yoke Seat

Have one on my B17 and love it. Gets the boat up high so you can see and the pads flex a bit so it has a shock absorbing effect. Plus it doubles as a third seat and comes out for gear loading. I grew up with a couple of Ted Newberg’s grand kids so I’m a bit partial but a great product from a great company. Made in Mountain Iron, MN.

A buddy and I used a pool noodle taped onto the standard center thwart of his Royalex Wenonah Aurora which worked well enough but tore too easily. And we used this on an extended Canadian trip. We have since switched to foam pipe insulation which works quite well - very grippy on almost all types of clothing and holds up well without easily tearing.

Buhlie: "

AlexanderSupertramp: "

dschult2: "I use this and really like it. Level Six yoke pad "

Looked at this one before I ended up making my own yoke and pad, my worry was that it wouldn't get the canoe up high enough over my head to see where I'm going. Have you had any issues on long and/or technical portages?"

If getting the canoe up off your shoulders a bit is a priority I’d go with this:
Spring Creek Yoke Seat


Have one on my B17 and love it. Gets the boat up high so you can see and the pads flex a bit so it has a shock absorbing effect. Plus it doubles as a third seat and comes out for gear loading. I grew up with a couple of Ted Newberg’s grand kids so I’m a bit partial but a great product from a great company. Made in Mountain Iron, MN. "

Looked at the Spring Creak as well, but it's a Solo canoe and this would have to come completed off and I would have nowhere to put it. Also not sure how these do with wood gunwales. The only boats I have seen them on have aluminum or plastic gunwales, seems there's some drilling/securement involved that would not dare do with the beautiful ash.

For $20 I may just order one of those Level Six pads and if it isn't what I'm looking for at least I'm not out a ton of money.

I found this comfortable folded and bungeed to the yoke. It ends up being about 1” thick, and also useful at camp. We hike with these so it was just something to try that worked for a deep dish yoke.

https://www.gossamergear.com/products/thinlight-foam-pad