Packing Clinic 2010

I love packing.  I love camping in the mountains with my horse.  I love campfires.  I love the sky, the stars.  I love the quiet rattle of the high line.  I love the sun in the morning.

Last February, when winter would just NOT give up, I went to a great pack clinic put on by Wasatch Back Country Horsemen thanks to Bridgerland BCHU Chapter President, Mr. Travis Sparks.  Here are several videos of the knots and methods he taught us:

Decker Pack Saddle

 1 Overview of decker saddle (youtube movie)

2 Fitting the decker saddle (youtube movie)

5 setting up ropes for barrel and basket hitches on a decker saddle (youtube)

3 packing pigtail (youtube movie)

4 Butt Splice (youtube movie)

• How to splice a rope
• Eye splice and other animated knots
• Wikipedia knots
• ropework

The Sawbuck Saddle

6 The sawbuck saddle (you tube)

7 Carry Utah Hobbles around your mule's neck

8 mantying a load (youtube)

9 tying the manty load (youtube)

Barrel Hitch with Manty Load

10 tying the manty load with a barrel hitch (youtube)

Barrel Hitch

11 tying on elk antlers (youtube)

Tying on elk antlers

12 basket hitch with manty load (youtube)

Crows Foot hitch (note mantees are vertical rather than horizontal)

13 crows foot (youtube)

Sawbuck with Panniers

14 sawbuck with panniers (youtube)

15 sawbuck with panniers tie down (youtube)

16 sawbuck with panniers and top pack (youtube)

17 double diamond packing hitch (youtube)

18 saddle panniers (youtube)

Tether stake and cow bell