Packs and Pack Equipment EQUIPMENT AND RANCHES
The following are or have been advertisers in The Backcountry Llama. There are many others. Some good, but some questionable. Don't believe all the manufacturer's literature. Develop your own knowledge of pack fit and llama needs. For solid, technical information on pack selection, we suggest you look through our list of past articles and select ones include pack reviews and order Gwen Ingram's excellent booklet, Evaluating a Llama Pack for Comfort and Function.
Check the packs out. Don't buy it because it is the cheapest or the handiest. This should be an investment that you and your llama use and enjoy for many years. It is worth the time to read the literature, including Gwen's booklet we mention above, past BCL articles, and the books we suggest. Then look around. .
- It is wise to check a pack out on your llama. Will the seller allow you to return a pack that you don't feel fits your llama?
- Make sure it does not have anything on the spine of the llama even when fully loaded. That includes bars and straps.
- It should not have any edges to dig into the back.
- Carefully check the paddles which lie against the llama's back. Are they flat metal pieces? Are they small, giving very little contact area to distribute the weight?
- Can you figure out how it goes on? Is it too complicated?
- Is it sturdy and well sewn?
Are you buying this pack just because someone else says it is the thing to buy or have you really considered its features well?
Most manufacturers and users feel their pack is the best one. We have heard testimonials of every pack we have tested, including some which we feel are not good designs. Users are well meaning, but may not be well informed. Users are a good source of information, but not all users, including ones with much experience, are necessarily accurate in their judgment. That is why we strongly urge users to at least read Gwen's booklet. Since you and your animal must live and work with your choice - and the choice will cost several hundred dollars, be a responsible packer/owner. .
The more you become informed on the features of the pack and the comfort needs of the llama, the better off you will be. Llamas are very tolerant of pain and will often allow you to get away with using a poor fitting pack. You should give your packer the best pack you can obtain. High cost may not be the best indicator of the best pack. Certainly a llama deserves more consideration than the cheapest and whatever is available type of pack. He/she is doing a great service for you. .
These are manufacturers of llama packs that have advertised with us.
These packs are among the best available and good items to consider. .
Also: Rudy Stauffer (CA),
Niki Kuklenski (WA)
Mt. Sopris Llamas Unltd.
P O Box 548
La Veta, CO 81055
mslu@rmi.net
The Llama Connection,
21207 South Cameron Rd.,
Rockford, WA 99030
(800) 398-0832
wesc2000@nicoh.com
Timberline Llamas, Inc.
30361 Rainbow Hills Rd
Golden, CO 80401-9710