Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 19 Horse Packing 101: You Can Do It! D oes packing into the backcountry with a pack horse or mule seem too complicated to tackle? Have you been discouraged by the mystery of the diamond hitch, tales of spec- tacular wrecks suffered by even experienced packers, and admonitions that packing is an art that takes a lifetime to master? The good news is that basic packing skills are relatively easy to learn, and the necessary knots may be ones you already know. Mastery of the art, though a laudable goal, isn't necessary for safe, enjoyable travel up the trail to your backcountry camp. PaCk-SaDDLE tyPES First, here's a look at the two basic types of pack saddles. The sawbuck (also crossbuck) is distinguishable by two wooden "Xs" protruding upwards. It's com- mon throughout the world. Normally double-rigged (held onto the pack animal with two cinches), sawbucks work well with the pannier method of packing, but not with the manty method. (More on these later.) The Decker originated a century ago in the mining areas of Montana and Idaho for carry- ing bags of ore and other odd-shaped, heavy objects. Like the sawbuck, the Decker consists of two wooden bars which distribute weight along each side of the pack animal's spine. Two steel D-rings (rather than wooden Xs) connect the bars. The Decker features a fabric cover called a "half-breed" that overlays the saddle and con- tains padding and two horizontal boards which lie along the pack animal's rib cage on each side. Deckers are normally single-rigged (one cinch) and have adjustments to move the cinch forward or back. Both types of pack saddle are placed over a pad like that of a riding saddle but are more gen- erously sized. But the Decker does a better job of protecting the pack animal because of the half breed and horizontal boards. The slightly more expensive Decker is stronger than the sawbuck and more versatile, since it can be used with both the pannier and manty methods. by DaN aaDLaND A mule packed with sawbuck and soft panniers Go on a horse packing trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area www.distinctlymontana.com/horse143 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL Patrick Chaplin What does the Fox Say?

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