Sitting on the floor?

Asche · Mar 28, 2023

I've been looking, but haven't had much luck as of yet, are there any folding seats designed to sit on the floor of a canoe? Everything I seem to find seems to be geared toward attaching to the existing seats. It's the easiest position for my back/knees, staying in a kneeling position for long causes too many issues, and the bench seats are just too high making it a challenge when in the canoe with anyone else. Just been trying to find something a bit more comfortable, and with less rivets than the aluminum hull.

Tryin' · Mar 28, 2023

I have seen a few in my travels. Comes down to what you are willing to give up. So, a few questions:

How portable? Permanent, backpacker portable, or remove-for-transport portable?

Price ceiling?

Weight ceiling?

Height above floor?

There are a lot of options, but they get narrow pretty fast. If you are looking for what I think you are, I would direct you to look at various packboat seating options.

RickR · Mar 28, 2023

Check out cooscanoeandsnowshoe.com Bill is a terrific craftsman and super nice guy. He makes a nice folding canoe seat.

Erica · Mar 28, 2023

We had a thread on that topic some years ago. I did a rudimentary search on the topic, but did not find it. Perhaps someone more skilled than I can find it.

What I recall is there was a super wooden seat, with a back, that a daughter used to sit when in the canoe and around the fire when in camp. Does anyone else remember this? I was quite taken with it.

Cheeseandbeans · Mar 28, 2023

Erica said:
What I recall is there was a super wooden seat, with a back, that a daughter used to sit when in the canoe and around the fire when in camp. Does anyone else remember this? I was quite taken with it.

I remember that as well. It was nice. I am not able to locate it either.

I built this a few years ago for a skin on frame canoe. It is lightweight, folds, works in camp, but is bulky for portaging in my opinion.

Bob

Boatman53 · Mar 28, 2023

A friend of mine gave me this a while ago but never felt the need to sit that low. After storing it for years in the shop (measurable dust) I finally passed it along before we moved.

I took photos in case I ever needed to replicate it.
Jim

Boreal Birch · Mar 28, 2023

RickR’s snowshoe guy in Lancaster, NH, looks to be a good bet. I’m thinking of buying one just for sitting out a rainy evening in my Scandinavian Lavuu, with a good book.
I have two snowshoe chairs from the old snowshoe company Tubbs, that are still going strong since 1976. I would think these are even better.

goonstroke · Mar 28, 2023

I have a folding canoe chair from Cabela's that sits on the bottom of the hull. I can't find a picture of it, and I can't find it on Cabela's current site, but it's aluminum tubing like a 70's lawn chair, but with padding on the lower tubing so it sits well against the hull and doesn't dent it.

tketcham · Mar 29, 2023

Asche said:
"...are there any folding seats designed to sit on the floor of a canoe? Everything I seem to find seems to be geared toward attaching to the existing seats."

I found this chair from Canoeing.com. Not inexpensive but it looks like it'll last and be easy to repair when it needs some maintenance.
https://canoeing.com/product/harmony-folding-cane-canoe-chair/

JohnSand · Mar 29, 2023

I'm interested in this too. In my 15'x28" lapstrake canoe, I use a soft folding seat that has no frame, or an old Folbot seat, foam cushions with fabric cover. A strap through the gunwales keeps it upright. The biggest shortcoming of these is that they are not easy to shift while underway. On Monday I used an old wood frame stadium seat in my cedar canoe. That was easier to shift fore and aft, but a little too upright for my taste. (I was sailing) When I shifted my weight forward on the seat, I cracked one slat. Now I'm thinking of an adjustable wooden backrest and sit on a cushion. The Hugh Horton Bufflehead canoe plans have a seat designed to adjust and work in the boat or on the beach, but it's not simple. If I work out anything better, I'll share it here.

billconner · Mar 29, 2023

Too bad Swift doesn't sell it's pack seats. Oh so comfortable.

Jatfomike · Mar 29, 2023

Essex Industries makes a nice looking foldable wood seat......I have purchased parts from them in the past and found their products and customer service to be quite good.

Essex Industries foldable seat

Mike

Asche · Apr 16, 2023

Tryin' said:
I have seen a few in my travels. Comes down to what you are willing to give up. So, a few questions:

How portable? Permanent, backpacker portable, or remove-for-transport portable?

Price ceiling?

Weight ceiling?

Height above floor?

There are a lot of options, but they get narrow pretty fast. If you are looking for what I think you are, I would direct you to look at various packboat seating options.

For portability, just need to take it off for transport, weight and height are less of a concern, as I am not taking it anywhere that requires a lot of carrying. Price is not a huge factor, but will depend on what the seats offer. I haven't been able to find any options at all to even have a base point. I see some possible ideas/options in this thread though that I had not found at all.

Ralph · Apr 17, 2023

billconner · Apr 17, 2023

nice review! lots of choices.

alsg · Apr 17, 2023

Gil Gilpatrick has a design for a folding canoe chair you can build in his Building Outdoor Gear book.

Gil Gilpatrick's Outdoor Books - Building Oudoor Gear

ppine · Jul 24, 2025

I have tried low seats on the floor of a canoe for a third person on a day trip. It is hard for people to keep their balance when sitting. We almost capsized several times. I say it is not a good idea.

Boatman53 · Jul 24, 2025

Here is one I saw at the wooden canoe assembly.

Dang, I don’t know why they are rotated or how to fix it.
Anyway it is sitting atop a folding canoe display sling.
Jim

Tryin' · Jul 24, 2025

billconner said:
Too bad Swift doesn't sell it's pack seats. Oh so comfortable.
View attachment 135117

I dont know how I just saw this, but they do. They are $$$ though. I bought one last year. You will need to tell them if you want the tall or regular.

Seeker · Sunday at 12:04 PM

I use a Crazy Creek chair in my Hemlock Nessmuk XL, the larger one, but that's up to you.

In order to get the right angle for my back, hips, and legs, I had to move things around a bit... the stack pad on the bottom wasn't in the right place... or high enough. I added 3x thicknesses of blue foam (using contact cement to hold it together) to make a new seat platform, upon which the Crazy Creek now sits.

This is all I have for decent photos... The seat in use, and the blue foam glued in... the original seat is about 2/3 the size of the square you see, and the rectangle in front of it is for my tackle box to sit on so it doesn't clank. The grey strip in front of this is a piece of duct tape with inches marked on it for fish pics, and the two OD green pads in front of that are a thicker set of pads for my ankles (i'm typically unshod in the canoe) so they don't rub on the sides.

The white lines on my paddle sections are dense bungie cords that I rig up my portage 'yoke' with.

Sitting on the floor?

Asche

Tryin'

RickR

Erica

Cheeseandbeans

Attachments

Boatman53

Boreal Birch

goonstroke

tketcham

JohnSand

billconner

Jatfomike

Asche

Ralph

billconner

alsg

ppine

Boatman53

Tryin'

Seeker

Attachments

Similar threads