So I've been out on the weekends doing almost two hour paddles on a local lake in preparation for a September solo. I'm using a carbon bent shaft paddle in place of the straight wooden one I've always used. I feel like I could paddle all day with this but I just get very uncomfortable pains in the butt after an hour and half.

I'm using a BWJ seat pad on my cane seat. I'm changing sitting positions and sometimes it helps. I've had this problem on all of my trips as well but never asked for help before. Any ideas out there short of kneeling? I know BeaV had some kind of thick seat pad for his Alaskan trip but don't think he referenced it in the videos.

After some googling I found this. Anyone have experience? At $30 it's not cheap.

Skwoosh

I have a tough time sitting on a cane seat. I switched to tractor seats and my "boat butt" vanished. Not a problem at all since I switched. Many folks have found the polar opposite.

I have a Wenonah seat/back and I bought one of these to put on top of the seat. I had to cut it to fit. The seat folds down and fastens with velcro to hold the cushion in place for portaging. It has helped me avoid sore butt.

quote GraniteCliffs: "I have a tough time sitting on a cane seat. I switched to tractor seats and my "boat butt" vanished. Not a problem at all since I switched. Many folks have found the polar opposite."

I put web seats in my MN II years ago, but I have to put a tractor seat in when my wife goes with. She thinks they're more comfortable than the weeb seats.

The most comfy seat for me is a cane seat, but it's the edscanoe cane bucket seat.

OK, I'm going to suggest something to try.
Here's the story..
Years ago my youngest son while with me on a BWCA trip, complained of a sore back. He directed me over to a beaver lodge at witch he grabbed a stick that spanned the gunnels and he could rest his legs. He immediately felt relief. Skeptical, I tried it. It worked.

I've dubbed it "The Nate Stick".

I've whittled several of these, and use them anytime I'm in a canoe for long hours !

Photobucket is having trouble, or I'd post a pic.

I find web seats to be the most comfortable, especially if the frames have a little drop in them, and down a little in the front.

I have a dragon saddle that I use. Its a thick rectangular pad that I use in the dragon boat that I race. I now use the same pad in my solo canoe. I love it. No more sore butt.

I have the skwoosh pad. The gel pads are thin and really don't do much. I don't recommend them.
Part of the reason for putting a foot rest in both my boats was the sore butt problem. It allows you to push with your feet and is some relief.

It's a carbon fiber seat beneath the foam, I think it was made by ZRE.

THIS

wow.....tough to add links with new system. The above link is the pad I actually bought. Cheap so I didn't care about cutting it up to fit. Doesn't absorb water. Comfy. I don't bring a camp chair, so at camp I just take it out of canoe and put it on the logs seats or rocks to sit on.

Try a foot brace. With only a seat we are transferring power from our arms, through our body to the seat. All the effort that moves the canoe goes through the butt/seat interface. With a foot brace, much of that effort is transferred through legs and feet. Your outstretched legs and feet are pushing the canoe forward. To try it without installing major hardware just tie a dowel or tube to the seat frame with enough cord to experiment with the adjustment.

GCI sitbacker canoe seat solved the problem for me. A slightly sagging cane seat was my problem.

quote AmarilloJim: "GCI sitbacker canoe seat solved the problem for me. A slightly sagging cane seat was my problem."

I have one of these (bought it for my father) but never brought it on a solo because of the weight. gonna give it a try this weekend and see how it feels. I also think I really need a foot brace. Good ideas all around you guys. Thanks for the input!

I've gone to a CSS Butt Pad and on top of it, I have a foam cushion I cut out of a office chair that I found real "butt comfy" and weighs very little....I added one of those waterproof backpack covers (Duck something from REI) and it's been really nice for paddling long hours....I also have adjustable footbraces that came with my Rapidfire....seems to help a lot by being able to change the positions of my feet/legs during longer paddling days....

TomT,

Yes, I have that seat pad in my SeaWind bucket seat. I used one when I paddled from Whitehorse to Anchorage. I am on a second replacement now for the same boat.

I didn't really buy it for canoe butt syndrome since I don't really have that issue. I use it to create a non slip surface cuz I don't want to be slipping around when a big wave hits me. But I suppose I do receive a secondary benefit of a little more cushion. I like the seat pad for what I use it for.

Now for maximum cushioning effect, I would recommend the cushion I used up the Inside Passage. That was made by Tempurpedic and is memory foam 2" thick. I still use that same pad when sitting on the ground turkey and deer hunting. NICE! Two problems with it, though. Not waterproof (more like a sponge) and the foam gets harder the cooler the air temperatures get. Neither problem is too big a deal. I suppose one could bag it to keep the water out. The hard when cold is temporary- it softens as your body heat warms it up.

tempurpedic cushion

my left hip/sciatic nerve acted up fierce this past trip. i had to cut my trip short, in fact. i examined my skwoosh really good to discover the center of the gel pad had packed down flat on both halves. useless now......after only ten kayaking/canoeing trips. I'm not a big guy nor do i have much padding /fat content for buffer.
what worked for me was two 1" close-cell foam pads stacked one on top the other. may sound like overkill but i was so glad to be free of pain i didn't care.

Works every time.

That's very funny Awbrown. :) I'm going to try some kneeling this weekend. And googling "installing canoe footbraces".

BeaV, that $90 tempurpedic pad looks awesome. If it was waterproof I think I would buy it. I am amazed you never got CBS doing all those 11 and 12 hour days on your trip. I feel like a wus.

I use the thickest (2-3") crazy creek seat that I can find. Sawtooth outfitters was selling slightly damaged seats this Spring with a high back for 15-18 bucks. I picked up one, sewed the strap back on that was ripped and now that thick-foam seat has become my favorite. There are gardener "kneeling pads" out there at Menards for example for 5 dollars or so but there fairly hard foam so I'm not sure if that's an option. Just some thoughts.

Nate stick pics


Soo simple and easy ! Try it you might like it !

Jim

All that talk about pads is great. I use a crazy Creek type chair pad. And the foot brace is a must and adjusted properly. But you also need to get out and walk even if there is great distances between portages. Get that blood flowing.

quote 1JimD: " Nate stick pics



Soo simple and easy ! Try it you might like it !


Jim"

jim, are there pegs on the bottom of the bar that fit into the slots on your canoe?

I add a Z-Rest Seat Pad to my canoe seat when paddling for several hours. I fold it in half and just drop it on the seat. I can re-position it as necessary as I paddle. (I also have a special spot where I store it when portaging.)

When in camp, the seat pad (completely unfolded) goes in front of my tent door (inside the vestibule). It gives me a spot to kneel to reach inside the tent for an item without having to place my knee on the ground (wet, rocky, or otherwise). Also, its a spot to step outside the tent to put on/take off boots before entering the tent. So, you might call it my door mat. It, on rare occasions gets used for sitting around camp.

dd

quote dentondoc: "I add a Z-Rest Seat Pad to my canoe seat when paddling for several hours. I fold it in half and just drop it on the seat. I can re-position it as necessary as I paddle. (I also have a special spot where I store it when portaging.)

When in camp, the seat pad (completely unfolded) goes in front of my tent door (inside the vestibule). It gives me a spot to kneel to reach inside the tent for an item without having to place my knee on the ground (wet, rocky, or otherwise). Also, its a spot to step outside the tent to put on/take off boots before entering the tent. So, you might call it my door mat. It, on rare occasions gets used for sitting around camp.

dd"

We have a bingo. Versatile product must be ordered. Thx!

quote bwcasolo: "

quote 1JimD: " Nate stick pics




Soo simple and easy ! Try it you might like it !



Jim"

jim, are there pegs on the bottom of the bar that fit into the slots on your canoe?"

No pegs. They are just whittled to the width of the gunnels, and recessed a little so they don't move back and forth.

The flatter the stick the more comfortable the long term use. This one is just a piece of Ash fire wood, that I split.

To just feel the comfort relief, any stick, even a paddle shaft will work !

Jim

I use the "Skwoosh" pad and it has helped. Kanoes recommended it and I couldn't resist.
Actually, the biggest cure for my "sitting" problem was having back surgery.

quote 1JimD: " Nate stick pics



Soo simple and easy ! Try it you might like it !Jim"

Awesome idea!

quote dentondoc: "I add a Z-Rest Seat Pad to my canoe seat when paddling for several hours. I fold it in half and just drop it on the seat. I can re-position it as necessary as I paddle. (I also have a special spot where I store it when portaging.)


When in camp, the seat pad (completely unfolded) goes in front of my tent door (inside the vestibule). It gives me a spot to kneel to reach inside the tent for an item without having to place my knee on the ground (wet, rocky, or otherwise). Also, its a spot to step outside the tent to put on/take off boots before entering the tent. So, you might call it my door mat. It, on rare occasions gets used for sitting around camp. dd"

I do the same thing with this Crazy Creek product. I do not like back rests on my canoe seats.

quote Grandma L: "I use the "Skwoosh" pad and it has helped. Kanoes recommended it and I couldn't resist.
Actually, the biggest cure for my "sitting" problem was having back surgery. "

Does the Skwoosh absorb water and get heavy when wet?

quote TomT: "

quote dentondoc: "I add a Z-Rest Seat Pad to my canoe seat when paddling for several hours. I fold it in half and just drop it on the seat. I can re-position it as necessary as I paddle. (I also have a special spot where I store it when portaging.)

When in camp, the seat pad (completely unfolded) goes in front of my tent door (inside the vestibule). It gives me a spot to kneel to reach inside the tent for an item without having to place my knee on the ground (wet, rocky, or otherwise). Also, its a spot to step outside the tent to put on/take off boots before entering the tent. So, you might call it my door mat. It, on rare occasions gets used for sitting around camp.

dd"

We have a bingo. Versatile product must be ordered. Thx!
"

I guess I should add another use or two for the pad.

Sometimes, especially on longer portage days, I'll find that one of my packs winds up being loaded in such a way that there is an annoying lump or "pokey" item against my back. I open the pack and slide the pad between the offending object and my back. Problem solved!

Since the pad folds into a brick shape, I suppose you could use in as a pillow ... but you'd have to be comfortable with a relatively hard pillow. (Bands around each end keep it from unfolding during the night.

I suppose I should also mention my "special place" for storing the pad during portage. My "go to" camp chair is a Coleman Rambler Folding Stool. It is light weight and is a useful height for sitting while I'm cooking ... but I digress. When traveling in my solo canoe, the folded stool is placed (feet side down) between the "rear" thwart and the canoe seat. The feet are angled slightly forward (under the canoe seat) and the stool is bungeed (I use what is essentially a heavy duty deal-e-bop; homemade) to the thwart. In this position, the stool is fixed in position without any chance to either rotate or fall out. The stool is now essentially a huge binder clip. I force the legs of the stool apart with my fingers and slide in the pad ... viola ... pad in now pinned in place and retained by both the legs and the seat fabric of the stool. (It also works for similar items like map cases which can be problematic on portages.)

... and since I'm all about multiple use ... if your PFD has a padded back, the seat portion of the stool generally sticks up high enough that you have a serviceable backrest of sorts (depending on how your canoe is configured ... I've used this technique on both a Wenonah Prism and a Souris River Tranquility.)

dd

Great tip DD !
You've convinced me into taking a piece of Z-rest with me on my next trip !
Thanks !

Jim