Hi,
My family and I are heading up for our first trip in the BW this week. Even though we're just base camping, we do plan to do some day trips with some short portages. Our aluminum canoe (17' Grumman) doesn't have portage pads or a yoke and I can't seem to find them at any of the major camping/fishing outlets (REI, Gander Mountain, Fleet Farm). Any idea where we can find them? If we can't find them, we might just have to go without or maybe rent from an outfitter?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

I'm sure most outfitters have some pads to rent, but if your canoe does not have a curved portage yoke on it, that straight bar is most likely gonna be digging into your neck.

Check the vendors listed on this site. I have purchased from Northwest Canoe in the past. I know they offer pads and yokes. You can install a nice wooden yoke on there for fairly cheap.

Rent a kevlar canoe.

Seriously. Unless you enjoy some punishment, a kevlar canoe is so much better for BWCA. In general they are bigger, lighter, more stable (especially loaded in rough water).

My friend has been with me twice, once in a rented aluminum canoe and once in my Souris River Quetico 17. No comparison. Portaging is so much easier with the kevlar. Water that was frightening in the aluminum canoe was passe in the kevlar.

Costs a little, but you save the hassle and expense of outfitting the aluminum canoe and you will save some on gas traveling without the canoe.

Stop by Piragis and look for these minus the yoke. There is a version that clamps on to the mid thwart.

It's possible to portage a 17 foot Grumman, but not fun. If you have a whitewater PFD with foam over the shoulders the bar won't bother you.

We tripped many years when we were younger with a 15 foot Grumman

portage pads

One option I have seen people use on aluminum canoes is to use the convertable, drop-in, third seat. When inverted, it functions as a portage yoke.

Yoke for aluminum canoe

There's one on Craigs List - Gumman Canoe Yoke . Any Gumman dealer should have them. Amazon has them. They bolt right over the center thwart.

Northwest Canoe can set you up. Heavey duty ash yoke and Bourquin Pads will do the trick.
CB

OK, assuming that you want to make the Aluminum canoe work - DO NOT TRY AND PUT PADS ON THE CENTER THWART.

This is an awful idea on a number of levels. The pads WILL rotate on the bar creating a lot of pain, the bar has essentially zero give, while a wooded yoke has a slight bit of flex as you walk - trust me this is important. And -as noted above the straight center thwart will dig deeply into your neck. These problems are made larger by the weight of your heavy canoe.

Many outfitters carry proper ash yokes and a variety of portage pads - removing the center thwart and properly mounting a wooded yoke is however not a trivial exercise and needs to be done correctly, mounting brackets and location are essential. Here is a picture of how I set up my Sundowner.

I respectfully disagree with the above. Using the center aluminum thwart and Bourquin style pads the neck was never never even touched.
And the pads do not rotate if properly installed.

I have no doubt that the above poster had a negative experience, but for fifteen years in BWCA/Quetico and Algonquin our Grumman experience, save for weight, was positive.

So Yellowcanoe and I have had different experiences - whatever you do, do it right and test it BEFORE you head into the bush.

Thanks, everyone, for your responses! I've been checking out the links to places that sell various yokes/pads but it's looking like it would probably be worth it to just rent a lighter canoe.

Thanks again!
Kjo

quote KJo: it's looking like it would probably be worth it to just rent a lighter canoe.


Thanks again!
Kjo"

You will probably be getting a "thank you card" from your neck, shoulders and back after your trip LOL

Good luck and have fun......

Try Robbinsdale Marine, right on County Road 81. We bought our 17' Grumman there, along with a 3rd seat and portage yoke that was made specifically for Grummans. I think they are still a Grumman dealer.

If you can afford the rental, you won't regret it... and then you can focus on all the other new and fun things people learn on their first trip :)

If you opt to take what you already own, it can be done... I've portaged a monster Grumman using pads plus a Tshirt duct taped around the thwart. Pain is a great motivator for invention.

Have a great trip!

yellowcanoe: "I respectfully disagree with the above. Using the center aluminum thwart and Bourquin style pads the neck was never never even touched.
And the pads do not rotate if properly installed.

I have no doubt that the above poster had a negative experience, but for fifteen years in BWCA/Quetico and Algonquin our Grumman experience, save for weight, was positive."

Would you mind sharing what brand of portage pads you are using on the aluminum center thwart? I would like to get some, but wasn't sure which are the best and most compatible with my 1974 17' Grumman aluminum thwart since most of the ones I see are advertised for wooden thwarts.

Might want to check out a Center Seat/Yoke from Spring Creek Outfitters. I have one one for all three of my canoes. I use it as a center seat when I solo my tandems. It works great for portaging as well. Adjustable to different width canoes. Love it!