Pack Station - How Packing Works

How Packing Works

One wrangler on horseback can usually handle up to five pack mules, who are tethered together in a line called a pack string.

Many commercial outfitters today support recreation activities such as camping and fishing trips and hunting expeditions. Government agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service, as well as a few commercial outfitters have pack operations to transport construction materials, trail tools, and fire fighting equipment into wilderness areas.

In either case, the process and techniques used are very similar to those developed prior to the era of motor vehicles. Customers arrange for a meeting time or a delivery time and drop their goods and supplies at the pack station. Packing services are charged by the pound or by the animal, typically with a minimum price depending on the distance from the pack station. Everything is weighed, sorted for each animal, then split 50/50 to get a balanced load on each side of the animal; an unbalanced load will cause the saddle to slide to the heavy side, causing discomfort to the animal, and potentially inviting disaster. The average mule can carry as much as 300 pounds (140 kg). A mammoth donkey can carry up to 200 lb (90 kg) and standard donkey limit is 125 lb (60 kg). However, most pack station mule loads are limited to 150 pounds (70 kg)