I was lucky enough to find a good used Old Town Pack canoe at a fair price. I am 6' 1" tall and weight 220 pounds. The seat on the stock Pack really seems too high and I think relocating it would improve its stability for my frame. Looking for experienced advice as to seat adjustment location. Thanks.

I have two vintage pack canoes built by Barth Hauthaway in late 60's and early 70's, including the original Old Town pack canoe, the Rushton. (Hauthaway designed a built kayaks and canoes for himself and Old Town and was pioneer in fiberglass.) It's 10'6", weighs 18 pounds, 27" beam and 10" amidship. The seat it came with was a 3 inch foam pad glued to the bottom for a seat, which gives it a kayak feel when paddling. I don't know how stable the new pack canoes are, but if they're anything like mine you might consider getting as close to the floor as possible.

Thanks, my plan is doing as you have suggested, but was asking around for some input from someone with more experience with one. This is my first Pack. Best I can tell it is maybe a 1984 model. Maybe older. I think I am going to start on the floor and see how I like that. Thanks for taking the time for your input.

I lowered the seat in my Old Town Pack and moved it about 6 inches closer to the stern so I could put a full time Portage yoke on it. I will try to send a few pics.

Excellent Thanks Beautiful pictures. I really like that idea also. To me that would lend itself to single blade paddling which I really prefer. Thanks for letting me know how far back you moved it. Did you feel any stability improvement? I have heard some say move forward about 6" and lower it, making it more at the widest part of the canoe, but do not mention a permanent yoke.

ashlandjack: " Thanks for letting me know how far back you moved it. Did you feel any stability improvement? I have heard some say move forward about 6" and lower it, making it more at the widest part of the canoe, but do not mention a permanent yoke."

I didn't notice much if any added stability, the canoe is so stable as it is sideways. Yes I moved the seat 6 inches to the stern and put a permanent yoke in it. I soloed with an 85 pound dog in the front, that is why I moved the seat back. If I don't have a dog I lash a dry bag filled with water in the bow to trim it out. It is a great canoe for rivers, I took it down the Nenana and Kenai rivers in Alaska, it is just slow on lakes. But it will handle 2-3 foot waves, it just porpoises alot. I also use a single blade, it is a must in small rivers. I have since taken the front thwart off, (2nd pic) I figured it wasn't necessary since i put the fulll time yoke in.

Thanks' again. Sounds like you got yours set up just right for your needs. I use the dry bag trick for soloing my tandem. Works just fine. Looks like beautiful country.

What do you mean by it porpoises?

ashlandjack: "What do you mean by it porpoises?"

Because the OT Pack is only 12.5 feet long it cannot bridge waves well when taking them straight on, or at certian angles. It tends to bob the bow up and down over and over again, I took 3 foot waves in Alaska, it can be scary and tiresome.

I bought my old town pack used, it was barely used still has big old town stickers on the bow.

Anyways, the previous owner had put in a second and lower seat. The photo is not the best but perhaps you get the idea. The second seat was about the same but opposite side of the canoe as the original. I was told the person sat on the lower seat and paddled forward. The Pack being symmetrical it worked. I paddled both seats. Decided to take out the second seat and keep the original as is. I couldn't kneel and paddle from the lower seat position. Perhaps just lowering the original seat will get you where you want to be.