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Packing, the Art of...

Origins of Packing

According to the book, "Packing & Outfitting: A Field Manual," by Oliver C. Hill, Packing is thought to have originally developed some 700 years ago with Genghis Khan. Khan and his infamous band of Mongolian nomads were a tough bunch who traveled fast and used hit and run tatics to conquer a world, thereby necessitating the need for great skill and knowledge in packing and transporting captives and loot.

200 years later after Khan, the Spaniards embarked upon the New World with their own pillage tactics, also necessitating a way to transport cargo and supplies. In Europe, packtrains of mules, horses, and donkeys were used to transport merchandise over roads too undeveloped for vehicles.

From Cortez's landing in 1519 to Jim Bridger's trapping expeditions in the Rockies, history brought forth an new era of trappers, traders, hunters, prospectors, and even pioneers headed for the great American West. During the Gold Rush days, ore, supplies, and machinery were packed into rugged country, thus making packing into a trade and honest profession. Even the American Indian contributed further to this art with their clever use of dogs for backpacking and horses & mules for travois hauling.

Pack Animal Selection

Horses and Mules are the more commonly used animals, as they can carry heavier loads plus additionally alternate as a riding animal. Burros (or donkeys) cannot travel as rapidly as it's horse or mule cousin, but more than make up for it with their calmer dispositions. Donkeys work well if the packer plans to walk and lead by foot rather from atop a saddle horse. The llama is likewise becoming a popular pack animal, but it too requires being led afoot rather than from the saddle.

When selecting a pack animal, keep in mind that he/she should be stout and rugged, with sound legs and feet, and the gentlest of dispositions. In the case of mules and horses, a fairly prominent (but not overly prominent) set of withers is desireable to keep a saddle and pack from slipping side to side. And although, any size animal is certainly trainable to packing, most pack animals stand 14 hands for easier load up time.

Tack & Equipment

With so many civilizations contributing to the development of packing, it stands to reason that modern day equipment has evolved to the point of competing pack saddle designs, hitches, knots, leather versus webbing (nylon) use, etc.

Panniers

Panniers for example, come in a variety of hardy materials: rawhide, wood, aluminum, fiberglass, or canvas. The latter can be open-topped or sport a lid (cover). Another canvas variety is the Stock Saddle Panniers with slits to easily drape over a riding saddle. Simply put, Panniers are a pair of large boxes or bags that can be hung from a pack and are used for carrying small or breakable objects. The Wood or Grub Pannier often sports shelves and compartments inside, and in a pinch can double as a small table in camp. The heavy Canvas Pannier has no top or lid, but rather a strap over top to hold in sleeping bags, tents, or other such items packed on top of the panniers.

Pack Saddles

Pack saddle designs vary as well, from the common Sawbuck or Crossbuck pack harness, to the equally as popular Decker type setup. These are modernized versions off the older original ways of carrying cargo ~ from the old Spanish style to the Indian pack saddle (with forks fashioned out of deer or elk horns); even the old army McClellan saddles, modified by adding a breastcollar and breeching, were greatly utilized at one time for general packing purposes since there were lots of handy rings to tie to. For those on the go who don't have time to mess with a pack harness, a new invention called the Stock Saddle Panniers revolutionized the packing industry with it's simplicity and ingenuity. Made of leather, canvas, or nylon webbing, with slits to slip over the cantle and seat, it simply drapes across the riding saddle, ready for use. Furthermore, the canvas or nylon webbing types can be rolled up, tied behind your saddle, and carried until ready for use.

Pack Harnesses

Among the usual pack harness setups, Breeching straps were utilized because of it's ability to prevent the saddle & load from riding too far forward on the animal's withers. Breast collars were also worn to help keep the weight of the pack & saddle from riding too far back on the mule's kidneys, thereby preventing back soreness. The breast collar should not be so tight as to cut off the horse's wind, nor the breeching so tight that the animal cannot walk properly. Another new useful invention was that of the Double Rigged Cinch, which helps keep the back cinch from sliding into more sensitive flank areas.

Packing & Arranging Gear

Begin by padding the animal well with a thick saddle pad and/or blanket, so that there is good padding between him and that load of dead weight you're about to pack on. Sheepskin sleeves over the cinch will greatly reduce sores and galls as well.

When packing, remember that heavy items are always loaded first on the bottom of the pannier. The idea is to maintain a low center of gravity and thus avoid a top heavy load. Breakable items are put in bags or metal/plastic containers to avoid breakage within the panniers. Personal gear, clothing, and sleeping bags are better off packed in duffle bags then placed atop the panniers. Items such as bedrolls or oats are placed on top of the pack saddle between the panniers as well, then covered by the manta (or canvas tarp) to protect the entire pack. Equipment (axe, saw, shovel, etc.) are packed on top of the manta, but lashed onto a lash rope for easy obtainability. Sometimes, these items can also be carried in a rifle scabbard on your saddle horse instead.

Hitching it Down

Ok, the load is packed on, the manta (tarp) is on, and the whole works is ready to be lashed down in place on the animal. This is accomplished with rope (or in the case of models, loads of long pieces of string) with one of following basic hitches or slings:

Hitches:

Half Diamond hitch ~ not used a great deal but advantage is that it requires the least amount length of rope.
Single Diamond hitch ~ a relatively easy hitch to do.
Double Diamond hitch ~ best used on large tall packs. Be sure to take the rope over & through the cinch ring on the off side. To make the diamond shape one each side, always take the right rope over the left (2 to 3 times on each side). That way the twist on top will always hold and never come undone.
Squaw hitch ~ great for short ropes & tall packs. Needs to be started about two-thirds back on the pack, because all the pull is toward the font of the pack. Start with loop and put a half-hitch over it to keep from slipping. Loop should point forward. Lash cinch hook points to the rear.
Arizona or Basket hitch ~ excellent hitch to hold panniers out and away from the animal's side & shoulders, minimizing rubbing. Advantage is this is a great one-person hitch.

Slings:

Barrel Sling ~ balance from front to rear is critical here, be sure to get a good bight (a bend or u-shaped curve on a rope) on each end to secure barrel, then throw a diamond or double diamond over the whole load. Attach an small extra ring to the cinch ring to tie off hitch and save horse hide.
Basket Sling ~ perfect for packing hay bales (one on each side of animal). Divide the rope in 2 equal parts on each side of the saddle. Use a clove hitch on the front crossbuck. After securing bales with this sling, a manta could be thrown over th load with a double diamond hitch over that. The loose end is thrown over the top of both bales and tied to the loop on the opposite side.
Meat Packer Sling ~ really a slight variation off the Basket Sling, perfect for packing half an elk, moose, deer on a regular stock saddle. For added security, you can cover the meat with a manta and tie a double diamond over the entire pack.

Tye off Like a Pro

Tying-Off a Hitch/Sling: An easy quick release slip knot is handy for releasing a pack or animal in a hurry. Tie back to the lash cinch ring or to a solid corner above a place where 2 ropes cross, and where the knot will not slip and loosen the entire pack. After hitch is tied off, be sure to tuck in the loose end so it does not drag and catch on a rock or tree.

The Pack String

Basically, there are three ways to tie a pack string together:

Pigtail Knot ~ leadrope to pack saddle
Tail Knot ~ leadrope to tail
Lead rope to pack saddle D-ring (of the animal in front)

As an added precaution, the rider on the lead horse should never tie a pack animal solid to his/her saddle horn, as they would be unable to get loose fast enough in a sudden accident. Instead, the rope should be dallied around the saddle horn a turn or two, with the packer/rider holding the loose end in their hand for immediate release if need be. Likewise there should be no loose loops in the lead rope because of the danger of getting a hand or foot caught and being dragged.

Packtrains in Modern Times

There was a time when Pack Mules were commonplace in the U.S. Army (see MILITARY MULES). Today however, packing is done more for recreation: hunting, fishing, camping and sightseeing trips or sport (see PACK BURRO RACING and PACKING AS A SPORT), than anything else. Sure there are still instances where the U.S. Government employs packtrains to transport men, tools & supplies to remote areas for special projects, like the U.S. Forest Service for example. And additionally, there are still some large ranches that use pack animals to carry tools & provisions to lineshacks, etc.

Even today, in many Third World countries, donkeys and mules continue to trudge out a life of packing food and wares to market. For many, these longears are the families' most valueable possession, not to mention their livelihood.

(This Page last updated: March 30, 2001)