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How many people use them? I rented one with a canoe last year and it helped but was pretty beat up. I am looking to buy a better quality one that is removable as I don't own my own canoe.....yet. What do you use?
Hidden River pads are the best in my experience. They have removable clamp-on model, but you can't use it with contoured yokes, which could be a problem with rented canoe. A pad with velcro closures will work with any yoke, though it's not the best protection for aging shoulders.
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I will second Eddy Turn's suggestion on the Hidden River Contoured Pads. I've had a pair of those on my canoe forever. They are easy to remove (I have to in order to load the canoe on my car), are very comfortable, and can take a pretty fair beating.
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I know Trailhead Paddleshack here in Ottawa carries a nice version of the above. I returned mine though as I found the old blue bad boys you can find at MEC (These are Velcro strapped).
The MEC Velcro you can tell isn't the greatest make. BUT, they've lasted us for 3 years now and certainly are decent.
We won't go anywhere without them now just for that added padding.
Sometimes though, if the Velcro isn't attached SUPER tight, they slide and cause some issues with balance.
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Thanks for the info. I will look into the hidden river pads system. Sounds interesting. I have seen the MEC pad on the website and may end up that way if he other doesn't pan out
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I've got the MEC velcro pad on mine, and find it slides around too much on my yoke, even with the velcro tightened up fully. That could be just due to the shape of the yoke though. I really need to look at maybe stitching rubber strips into the underside of the pad, so it stays in place better. This past weekend I ended up removing the thing, and just relying on the padding on the shoulder straps of my pack to cushion the yoke.
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Try just applying some silicone to it rather than sewing rubber. Easier I found and worked for me.
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renns wrote:
I've got the MEC velcro pad on mine, and find it slides around too much on my yoke, even with the velcro tightened up fully. That could be just due to the shape of the yoke though. I really need to look at maybe stitching rubber strips into the underside of the pad, so it stays in place better. This past weekend I ended up removing the thing, and just relying on the padding on the shoulder straps of my pack to cushion the yoke.
We always just throw cpl wraps of electrical tape around. Simple, easy, quick
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Thanks for the replies guys. Both those options sound than mine!