Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#136899 - 07/28/10 11:24 PM Kayak seat in canoe
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
Anybody put a kayak type low molded seat into a canoe? I just put a second seat into my mini canoe and now I'm thinking it would be easier to handle with a kayak paddle and easier on my back and knees than a canoe seat or kneeling.
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

Top
#136908 - 07/29/10 06:38 AM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Jimshaw]
DTape Offline
member

Registered: 11/23/07
Posts: 666
Loc: Upstate NY
I have not done it myself, but I know that many of the NY canoe manufacturers who design sit on bottom, pack canoes do now have these types seats. Hemlock canoes and Placid Boat Works both install these types of seats. I am sure they would be extremely helpful in answering questions as they have proven to do so int he past. Charlie Wilson, is a well known canoeist in these parts. You will find him on adkforum.com, he is a wealth of info and has worked with many of the canoe designers (e.g. David Yost) and manufacturers. Last I know he was working or consulting with PlacidBoatWorks. He always gives great info.

dT


Edited by DTape (07/29/10 06:39 AM)
_________________________
http://ducttapeadk.blogspot.com

Top
#138698 - 09/13/10 08:06 AM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: DTape]
Eggs Offline
member

Registered: 09/12/10
Posts: 21
Loc: NJ
They do make seat backers as well as fishing style seats that have flip up backs. My Old Town Pack came with a seat with a back on it. I cut it off, though, since floating under blow downs was impossible with it. I could not lay back, which is a real problem in South Jersey rivers.
_________________________
Eggs
Home of the eggs

Top
#138710 - 09/13/10 12:44 PM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Eggs]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
eggs
I find that a small chain saw makes quick work of stream blow down.
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

Top
#138716 - 09/13/10 02:54 PM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Jimshaw]
Eggs Offline
member

Registered: 09/12/10
Posts: 21
Loc: NJ
I've been told by the rangers in the State Forest they fawn on that. Odd they will allow a handsaw.

I have a great Bucksaw I made the frame for and it works pretty well. But it is pretty easy to just lay back and float under them, unless the water is high
_________________________
Eggs
Home of the eggs

Top
#138721 - 09/13/10 04:10 PM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Eggs]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
eggs
My canoe is an old 12 foot oldtown "pack" 34 pounds of Royalite - is that like yours? It has an integral seat in it, but my wife and I have used it for 30 years with her sitting in the seat facing forwards and I sat on/kneeled on a saddle made of dense foam, which unfortuanely blew away somewhere on highway 40 in the Mojave Desert.

I'm thinking of sitting in the folding stadium chair on the bottom in the back with a double bladed paddle while my wife paddles with a normal canoe paddle, however I do have two kayak paddles so maybe we'll try that also - two people two kayak paddles.

Any ideas?
Jim smile
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

Top
#138735 - 09/13/10 06:55 PM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Jimshaw]
Eggs Offline
member

Registered: 09/12/10
Posts: 21
Loc: NJ
Sounds the same I think mine is royalex but not sure bought it second hand like all my boats.

We just redid the seat in my buddies Bell Wildfire.

Pretty easy to hang a seat from the gunnels. We used 4 inch or maybe 5 inch SS bolts and for spacers I have some carbon fiber tubing we cut. Very stable. My pack is basically the same, seat hung from the gunnels.

Pretty small boat length wise for two paddlers but it sounds like you have it working for you.

My Pack
_________________________
Eggs
Home of the eggs

Top
#138863 - 09/16/10 02:03 AM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Jimshaw]
JAK Offline
member

Registered: 03/19/04
Posts: 2569
You can do this for sure.

Canoes are usually wider, which can be a problem when paddling with a kayak paddle, but you should be able to make up for this by raising the kayak seat up higher. You should still have enough stability with the extra beam, but it does become a bit of a tradeoff between stability and paddling ease and efficiency, and visability also. You might want to make it adjustable.

For paddling with a kayak seat a full foot brace is useful, both heels and toes. Foot straps can also help so you can pull with your legs as well as push. Then you can really brace well, for extra stability and power, and it can be more comfortable on the legs also as you can relax more also. The seat padding can be a bit of a tradeoff between enough padding to spread the weight over more butt and thigh area, and less padding so that you can twist a little better and get more leg action into your paddling. For longer distances I go for the padding, and it really pays off if the cushion is matched to the shape of your butt. I like it adjustable in slope also so you can put more pressure or less pressure on your thighs. An adjustable backrest is also helpful.

If you are at all likely to tip or swamp, it can be very helpful to have foam padding along the insides of the seating area, and not just bouyancy and storage bags on the ends of the canoe. The padding on both sides of the seating area will provide alot of stability when swamped, and also mean less water to bail out.

Top
#139401 - 09/27/10 07:27 PM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Jimshaw]
Jimshaw Offline
member

Registered: 10/22/03
Posts: 3983
Loc: Bend, Oregon
I bought a low folding stadium chair for my single seat canoe. If I want to take another person (my wife) she sits on the one seat and it is in the bow. The low folding chair in the back doesn't work too well with the double bladed paddle because the canoe is quite wide and the paddle hits the gunwales before getting very deep in the water. I fell better sitting higher and using a traditional canoe paddle, but when paddling into a wind, the wind is trying to push the bow off track, and it was easier to sit in the canoe seat with the kayak paddle while going into the wind. Sitting higher let the paddle dip deeper into the water.
I would ride in the folding chair with the kayak paddle while my wife took the bow with a canoe paddle, even though the kayak paddle hits the side of the boat more.
Jim.
Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.

Top
#139512 - 09/29/10 03:43 AM Re: Kayak seat in canoe [Re: Jimshaw]
JAK Offline
member

Registered: 03/19/04
Posts: 2569
Higher seat for sure for a wider beam. That's the ticket. Get up as high as you can, even if your wife needs to sit lower. that should help. She probably has less beam, and with the canoe paddle has less trouble with beam and freeboard. She still needs a comfortable seat though.

Kayak paddle for the engine room and a canoe paddle up forward is a good way to go. For some reason the woman up front works best, for canoes, kayaks, bicycles, whatever. Not sure why. Pretty to look at I guess.

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 199 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum