Day Packing: Qs About Fitting and Suppliers

1696 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by goathiker, Aug 20, 2017

Waldo

Discussion Starter · Aug 19, 2017

Woo, boy howdy, it's been a hot minutes since I've been around the forum! I'm here now because it come to a time where I have questions again that I think would best be answered where experience can be found. I'll start with information about the goat I want to use for day packing!

Spider is my pet lamancha doe that I bottle fed and leads relatively well on walking trails (for a variety of reasons I will not go leash-less, I'll sum it up to "for her safety"). She is 2 1⁄2 years old, now. I am not positive about her weight. As I find pretty typical of lamanchas, she has that high, exposed spine. She was disbudded as a kid, so is hornless.

The type of packing I'd like her to do would be something good for some gentle hiking and picnicking. I'm not planning to go to the mountains or hit up the Ozarks, so rough terrain shouldn't something we really cross. Drinks, food, a first aid kit, and maybe something for water her during rest-stops. I don't expect her to ever have to carry that much. However, with my light reading, I am still concerned about potentially harming her back.

I assume I can get away with a soft pack, but I am not sure about suppliers and how to tell if a pack would be suitable. I found this one for example, but I'm completely novice and I'm not sure if it would be a quality purchase.

What do you look for in soft packs? How do you go about purchasing online, and what questions do you personally ask the supplier? What measurements do you make on your goat to help with finding a decent fit?

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goathiker

· #2 · Aug 19, 2017

That one I wouldn't waste my money on. There is no relief for the spine built into it, no contour to keep it in place. Your goat's back is going to be hot and sore and you're going to get sick of putting the pack back in place when it slides off.
You're better off buying a good pack set that will fit a variety of animals and last you a lifetime.
Check out the Flaming Star trail boss. It's the best pack I've ever seen in use.

In a world of ordinary people a superman is not a king.
He cannot rule the world.
He is simply alone...
Dean Koontz

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Waldo

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 19, 2017

I see your point about the lack of relief and sliding about. However, virtually everything I read says use goat packs for goats, because anything else will likely not fit properly. Of course, I suppose they were generally discussing hard packs, now that I think about it. It looks nice, though the price is kind of up there for something I may or may not use a ton. I will definitely keep this pack in mind though, especially if nothing else comes up. Thank you for your insight, goathiker.

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goathiker

· #4 · Aug 19, 2017

You could always email the estsy shop owner. She says she does custom orders. Send her the pictures of the trail boss and see if she can make her smaller pack with the split pad. I didn't see what she's using for cinches I'm going to go look again.

In a world of ordinary people a superman is not a king.
He cannot rule the world.
He is simply alone...
Dean Koontz

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Damfino

· #5 · Aug 20, 2017

Here is a pack made specifically for does and young wethers:
http://packgoats.com/product/pack-goat-kid-saddle/

This is what it looks like on my 2 year old doe:

Working animal Collar Fawn Tableware Dog breed

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goathiker

· #6 · Aug 20, 2017

I like that one for the price. What does the cinch set up look like?

In a world of ordinary people a superman is not a king.
He cannot rule the world.
He is simply alone...
Dean Koontz

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Damfino

· #7 · Aug 20, 2017

It's a double cinch stitched together with a strap under the belly so the back cinch can't scooch toward the hind legs. Each cinch is 2" nylon I think. It might only be 1.5" but it seemed wide enough to distribute pressure properly for a saddle this size. It clips with heavy duty plastic parachute buckles on both sides so it's adjustable from either side. The panniers clip on with parachute buckles as well and they are the perfect size for a day hike. The straps actually expand enough to fit my full-sized big boys, which is nice for when we don't need a giant, overnight-sized pack. I've been known to tie horse saddlebags to my panniers so I could avoid taking those huge suitcase-sized things. This will work better.

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goathiker

· #8 · Aug 20, 2017

Excellent, with parachute buckles on both sides I could modify it for the custom cinches I use to keep sand from tearing their bellies up. Imagine a sandpaper strap, that's what happens on the beaches. I found awesome little neoprene cinches that keep the sand out even if we swim in the ocean.
I think I will get one of these for Pup. He's like an Anglo- Arab pony small, lean, high spirited, and agile.

In a world of ordinary people a superman is not a king.
He cannot rule the world.
He is simply alone...
Dean Koontz

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