I’m finding it somewhat difficult to locate a packing rig to purchase in Southern California. Of course there are plenty of setups to be found online, but I can’t quite bring my self to throw down $800+ on something so crucial, sight unseen. I need to play with it in person–feel it in my hands, visualize how my supplies will fit in it. Sadly, there just doesn’t seem to be a “Pannier Emporium” or “Sawbuck Surplus” in my area. If only there were an REI of mule packing where I could spend a couple hours thoroughly trying out every possible option…I spoke with an experienced packer in Yucaipa named Ken who owns a tack store. I’m planning on making the trip out this weekend to soak up some wisdom and test some gear. Unfortuately, as it is off-season he has next to nothing in stock so I wont be able to try much out. It will mainly be a fact finding mission. I’m hoping that he’ll have some insight on the packing experience–specifically, how much of my panniers will be devoted to feed.
At this point (with my limited understanding) I’m thinking volume is the number one concern, so these oversized panniers look like the way to go. With a bag of feed in each one I will hopefully still have enough room for my gear and grub. I figure the my bedroll will lie along Bootsie’s spine, in place of a top pack. I can then wrap the whole thing up in a manty and lash it down, hanging my water gourds and lantern off the side. BUT, this is all just a picture in my head until I talk to Ken, or locate somehwere with plenty of packing rigs in stock