Hi Everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has ever used a yoke pad to make the portage a little less uncomfortable?
Does it make much of a difference?
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302701079&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442620555

Various types of semi-dense foam sheets can be scissor-cut to the required shape and adhered by exterior-grade doubled-sided carpet tape.

Barry Bridgeford
http://www.AlgonquinAdventures.com
http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

I have not used one yet, and I stress YET. But somewhere along my last trip, possibly the 1185m from Casey to Daisy, I decided that it was time to start. AO sells something similar, and I'm 99% sure that's where I'll be acquiring one this summer. As I get older, I have less tolerance for wood on trapezius.

YES!

No reason to be macho, in my opinion. I use adjustable mini cell yokes for my solo boats, but for a tandem with a yoke, I use the glue on mini cell pad attached to a screw in.

http://www.rei.com/product/636523

Having portaged with a bare yoke and the unfathomably painful center thwart, this is the way to go.

This is by far the best yokepad that is made. We sell hundreds of them every year, Hooligan rocks and the company is even owned by a local Huntsville, Ontario chap.

Great product A+++++

Hooligan also makes Canoe Packs, Barrel Harneses, Throw Ropes, Dog Lifejackets, etc.
http://www.hooligangear.com

Randy Mitson
AO Huntsville
http://www.aohuntsville.com
http://www.algonquinoutfitters.com
mailto:randym@algonquinoutfitters.com

Cavers did a blog report on another type of yoke pad he tested back in 2006. Not sure how his field tests went though, but you could ask him.

http://algonquintrips.blogspot.com/2006/12/testing-our-new-bolt-on-yoke-pads.html

Cheers,
TT.

I second the Hooligan yokepad. It'll definitely make your life a lot easier if you plan on doing on portaging. I picked one up last summer and its worth its weight in gold. I had no problems single carrying pack and canoe without breaks on portages over 3km. Normally I'd have to stop multiple times and/or single carry.

Well worth the $20 investment.

I purchased the Hooligan Yoke Pad last year, and its first real test was the 2320m portage from Tom Tompson to Ink Lake, overall the pad worked well with the exception of the material that rubs up against your neck.
As i was nearing the end of the portage my neck was in a great deal of pain, the yoke pad ended up rubbing a couple layers of skin right off my neck creating a pool of blood for my mosquito friends lol. But after that i wasn't able to carry the canoe for the rest of the trip. This might have been because of the humid weather, and lots of sweat mixing together.
but for the price of 12 dollars you can't go wrong, the next time i use it i will add a small towel in between me and the yoke pad.

I can buy it in a four pack ..its workshop flooring. Some Dragonskin and time and you can shape knee pads, yoke pads etc.

But I usually like a CVCA pad.. Its first real test was on that Ink Lake portage. Very comfortable all the way.