Packing With Burros

Packing on foot into the wilderness with heavy loads for fishing, photography, art or small children can mean backbreaking loads. If you add on the weight of food required for those magical extended stays, you may experience exhaustion, not magic. With a burro packing your gear, you can arrive fresh and take companions who might not be up to the rigors of an unassisted trip. Smarter and more placid than a horse, able to carry nearly twice the load and more sociable than a llama, the burro is the ideal pack animal for the traveler on foot. He carries over 100 pounds, is easy to handle, and his pace matches that of the hiker. He is a companionable beast, making him an ideal partner both on the trail and in camp. Packing with Burros is a comprehensive guide to the selection, care, training and use of pack burros in the back country. Well illustrated with photos of burros on pack trips, historical use of burros, plus helpful drawings of burro anatomy and necessary gear. With anecdotes of events and unexpected problems, to sharing breakfast pancakes the book serves both the beginner and the burro owner who wants to start packing. Dave Daney has backpacked in the Rockies, from Montana s Bob Marshall Wilderness to New Mexico s San Pedro Parks Wilderness, for over 50 years, the last 25 with pack burros. Along the way he s learned a thing or two about burros and the art of packing them. Dave hopes to popularize the use of these wonderful beasts in making the wilderness more accessible to families and older backpackers.