30 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Containment Options There are several good options for keeping your animals in one place during your trip. I use all of three. Before using any of these techniques in the backcountry make sure to get your horses used to them at home first.
Highline The gold standard. A strong rope strung between two sturdy trees protected by tree savers will ensure that you’ll be riding instead of walking the following morning.
Hobbles Will nearly immobilize your horse. At first. Where grazing is permitted hobbles are an excellent way to allow your animals to graze while under your strict supervision.
Electric Fencing Another excellent way to allow your animals to graze and relax while under your supervision. Electric fencing is not a substitute for a highline. Your animals may believe in the bite of the fence, but the local elk, moose, or deer population doesn’t and they are apt to bolt and tear down the thin line.
First Aid Kit Check with your veterinarian for suggestions about what to take and how to treat minor bumps.
Brush, curry, hoof pick, insect repellent, collapsible bucket, etc.
Trim the Fat As you are putting together your gear, consider the weight and volume of what you plan on taking. Think about what you can easily do without, which items can do double duty, and pare everything down to the essentials. Your animals will be doing the hard work of transporting you and your stuff. Do them a favor and only take what you need, not everything that you “want.” Regardless of the trip and your wants, a well-stocked First Aid kit that can serve both you and your mounts is a necessity as well as the knowledge on how to address emergencies.
Step 3 – What’s to Drink? Unlike trailhead camping it’s not practical to haul water when you’re further afield. Instead you’ll need to plan your trip around reliable sources of water for the area and season. Always call before you haul. Talk to the land manager or reliable local riding groups that might have good data on lakes, streams, and other water for your horses to drink from.
The scoop on H2O is a bit more complicated for the humans on the trip. Where equines are much more tolerant of water in the wild, we puny humans are at risk from any of a number of water borne parasites. They come with many names; Beaver Fever, Forest Flu, but most people simply call it Giardia or “Hell on Earth”. It’s not pleasant. Thankfully prevention is straightforward. Treat your water before you use it, cook with it, or drink it. Treatment can be as simple as boiling, adding purification tablets or filtering.
Step 4 – What’s for Dinner? – Meal planning is all about packing enough calories to fuel your days without asking your animals to tote a ton of extra weight. Regardless of whether you decide to purchase pre-made meals or create your own, be sure to create a meal plan for each day.
Trying to pack the amount of hay or feed that horses and mules eat on a daily basis is cumbersome and impractical at best. It creates a miserable spiral of requiring more livestock to haul the feed, which in turn requires more feed to support the greater number of animals. Instead plan your trip around good grazing areas. Most good grazing areas will usually have a water source nearby so it’s really not that hard to do. Again contact the land manager or local riding group for first hand information on where and when to expect to find graze and water.
Organize Make packing your meals easier by removing bulky packaging and placing ingredients for each meal in a zip-top or vacuum bag. Label them Breakfast Day 1, Dinner Day 2, etc. This will help keep everything organized and avoid a campsite yard sale.
Protect Whether it’s a Chipmunk or Grizzly bear (the former is much more likely than the latter) you’ll want to protect your food from the natives. Bear resistant pannier boxes are readily available and even required in many areas. Hanging food is another option to keep the local inhabitants out of your backcountry cuisine.
Extras There’s nothing better than a good meal at the end of a long day on the trail. Elevate the standard camp meal to a new dimension by including a few extras like a block of cheese, some fresh veggies, or a chocolate bar!
Step 5 - What if Something Bad Happens?
Stick to the Plan – Make sure that someone reliable has your trip itinerary. Your trip itinerary should include at a minimum, which trailhead you’re departing from, where you’re camping, when you’ll return, and any critical medical issues (i.e. diabetes, etc.). This info will help guide local authorities in case you don’t return on time.
Carry a PLB In remotes areas beyond the reach of cell coverage a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) can send a distress signal to alert local authorities and Search and Rescue teams if you have a real emergency.