This should be one of my saddles. An early prototype I made out of 3/4" steel tubing, 3/4"plywood, leather and pony girths. The only thing wrong with this design of saddle is that it weighs more than it needs to. This saddle fits good and has never sored the back of a llama. It does not slip in any direction once it is properly fitted to its wearer. The saddle pads are horse pack pads cut in half.
This is what I consider an improved design of saddle with a spring bar made out of 3/8" cold rolled steel and a little angle iron instead of hinged square tubing. It weighs one third less than my first design and it held up just as well on last years trip. It has fewer parts and is easier to make. I make all of my equipment including: halters, picket stakes, lead ropes, saddles, draft horse and llama stocks, gates, stoves, collapsible tent poles, pack harness(for horses and llamas) etc.
This should show the rigging straps that attach the coolers or packs to the saddles. I have used rope to lash things to the saddle but over several miles and banging packs and coolers on trees etc they ropes slip and you end up having to re rig one or two units every 2-3 miles. With these leather straps and buckles you just hang them on and pull the strap tight and buckle it, never comes loose on the trail. You do not need to know how to throw a box hitch, diamond hitch, double diamond or anything else. I do know how throw those hitches for packing horses but llama packing is much simpler.
Here is ole Dooley packed up with some coolers ready to go. I use these 28 quart coolers to haul my camp gear and groceries. They are just the right size for a llama to pack and I bought them right. Less than $10.00 a box for coleman coolers on end of season closeout at Wal-mart. Historically I have loaded my llamas with about 75 pounds apiece. With a load like that they can go 5 miles, climbing 3000 ft in a little over 4 hours. They are pretty well spent after a trip like that. One of these coolers will hold about 35 pounds of frozen grub, so 2 coolers and the saddle will peg 75 pounds. My first stove weighed 45 pounds so with a counter weight on the other side Andrew was packing over 95 pounds those trips. I give them a breather for a couple of minutes out of every ten and they keep going for me all the way to camp. You cannot go nonstop with them or they will just give up. I made a new stove, smaller and thinner 22 guage steel that weighs in at 23 pounds. We will make better time this year. I plan to average 45 pounds a llama this year, traveling light and going into higher and steeper country than usual, thus the need for 8 llamas this expedition.
Here is Andy with the new light weight stove. I primarily burn wood with this stove but also have a slot cut in the door to accomodate a benzomatic propane torch. The stove will get plenty hot to cook with just with the propane. The stove exhaust in the back gives full use of the stove top for cooking. I rolled up some 22 guage steel to make the exhaust pipe to fit a 4 inch flexible aluminum vent. It works great. The pipe flexes up and down with the movement of the roof/stove jack and never comes off the stove. I have had strong wind lift a stove pipe to come off the stove and fill the tent with smoke which is something you don't want to experience, especially if you are burning some wet pine on a windy and rainy night. The red cooler is filled with propane bottles and some extra rope for hanging groceries in the trees. I use a bungee cord to secure a sleeping bag or eggcrate pad as a top load. They ride real good on top of these saddles that way.
Topic: Packing in to elk camp, Llama pictorial (Read 5376 times)
