If I go backpacking and a friend carries my gear is it still backpacking? What If I go backpacking and my friend is a Llama?
I talked to a woman today about adopting a "rescued" Llama from a rehabilitation farm. (found it on Craigslist)She say Tommy Bahama is a happy wonderful friendly Llama that likes dogs, doesn't have mean bone in his body and a 3 foot high 2 rail fence keeps him in. They don't need to see the vet, grow valuable fur, eat weeds or hay and only require food and water to leave them for a week vacation. I'll admit that I'd rather ride a horse with a bedroll on the back, but Llama camping is all the rage here in central Oregon. Obviously you would not want to become separated from your Llama if he had your pack, but he doesn't need a sleeping bag and probably a mosquito headnet would work on him as I've seen great photos from the Andes of Llamas wearing hats. A Llama doesn't weigh as much as a horse, so you might not need to hobble him before sleeping to keep him from standing up and stepping on you. Hmm Llamas have toes, horses have hoofs...
Anyway if you only had a 40 degree sleeping bag and it dropped below freezing you just snugggle up to your Llama. I understand the cowboy technique was to hobble the horse and cover him with an oiled water proof tarp then get under it with him.
Did I mention "ice chest"? As in fresh eggs, bacon, cold drinks. The ice chest on one side balances the pack on the other. Anybody know where I can a Llama pack?
Oh what the heck, he could carry my tiny Husqvarna chain saw ( about 9-10 pounds) too and we could have a nice fire. Jim
Edited by Jimshaw (08/14/1009:36 PM)
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
Mouse, Most emphatically NO. Some Llamas spit, but Tommy does not. Some Llamas will attack dogs and some bite. Llamas like all animals have personalities and like dogs, some bite and some would never bite. The gal with the Llama said this particular Llama is well behaved and has the rescued animal affection for its rescuer. She guaranteed that he wouldn't hurt my dog. Jim
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
OK if it were my Llama, and I most likely will not be able to take this one until after I move so it will probably be gone, however I am exploring the idea since in my neck'o the woods, there are a lot of Llamas and people are giving away livestock. I can buy a nice 13 year old horse thats fully trained for $500 here.
Janet said Tommy could carry 75 pounds. Hes taller than her by quite a bit she says, (I haven't met her yet)so this is no little animal, several hundred pounds of two toed rock hugger. They require only water. She said "oh Tommy would love to be able to graze, I feed him hay". So anyw Anyway I could feed the Llama the stuff to make its scats undesireable to my dog.ay about all I knows it that my garden is fertilised with Llama dung and you have to shave em once a year. They do not require special diets, vitamins, nor vetrinarians. Sounds almost too good, like the helium baloon tied to your pack idea. Jim they eat weeds - I could rent him out.
Edited by Jimshaw (08/15/1012:26 AM)
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
You might check out these guys Jim. I don't have any personal experience with llamas but we have loads of them around Kamloops. They were all the rage some years ago. I often thought it would be fun to hike with a llama. Somehow though, I think my dog is a whole lot more fun.
Howie COOL So you guys should read this story about the first Llama packing trip allowed by the National Parks - to the top of Mt Whitney. It really says a lot about the animals. They have like two fingered feet more like hands than hooves, like they grab the rock and feel it until they get a good hold, just like a human rock climber - duh. Their feet have sweat glands and they don' need rain coats or sleeping bags. Jim
Next time I see one of our park rangers I will ask if they have any regulations about llamas in our provincial parks. I have never seen anyone camping with a llama or horse either for that matter. In Manning Park where I am headed as I write this they do have restrictions on horses. Horses are only allowed on certain trails. Just how that affects llamas I have no idea.
Have you reflected on Tommy's recent stint in "rehab"? Do you fear his condition may be a liability on the trail? I mean, you don't want him falling off the wagon mid-way. Make sure you store your flask somewhere he can't get to with his toes.
In Argentina, we have a saying, "hay una llama que te llama". The word llama in Spanish also means "to call", hence the translation: "there is a llama calling you". It was a popular publicity campaign by a telephone company at one point.
Another plus: the llama's scat is highly combustible.
We met a string of llamas on our recent trip through Matterhorn Canyon in Yosemite. There were four or five of them, plus a handler, and four hikers. The hikers each carried a small pack, but I have to say that they looked as if they were suffering a lot more than the llamas. THe llamas looked, calm, comfortable, and cool.
I'm a (self-declared)llama expert 'cause My Lady has six of 'em.
Llamas may not need to see a vet but they do have needs. Depending where you are they should receive vaccination against West Nile. They also should be treated for parasites periodically. And usually they need periodic toe clipping. In all of this they're just like horses and all of this can be done by the llama owner if so inclined. Still, responsible animal owners have their animals seen by a vet at least once a year.
My Lady trained three of the llamas to pack. The training consisted of putting a pack on 'em and walking 'em on lead down the road. In other words, they were 'naturals.' YMMV To my dismay, I haven't got My Lady and her llamas out on the trail. Even with a very light load two of her llamas could approach 100lbs or more of 'gear'. That would be a whole lot of good eatin'.
Of interest around here is the unproven anecdote that llamas are grizzly repellent. I know of one case where llamas in a Canada camp were taken by a grizzly. Otherwise, most seem to agree that grizzlys don't visit campsites occupied by llamas. One theory is that the bear doesn't recognize the scent and stays away. Of course, this runs opposite the theory that grizzlys are curious... Anyhoo, the anecdotal evidence suggests grizzly stay away from llamas...in general.
I would think NP's would have no problem with llamas if the same parks allow horses and mules, e.g., Yellowstone. Certainly, the llamas have far less impact on the trails than the equines. A llama trek in Yellowstone...that's got to be too cool!!
My Lady's llamas spit...at each other. A couple of 'em spit at her...once. She tied a neckerchief around their face and when they tried to spit at her again they covered their own muzzle with the goo. One session with the neckerchief was about all it took for them to understand that you don't spit at the lady that brings the hay.
FB
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"...inalienable rights...include the right to a clean and healthful environment..." Montana Constitution
Balsa, so I guess they let them in the park? however Matterhorn Canyon is outside the park isn't it? In Hoover Wilderness?
Gaucho, do you have direct experience with Llamas in Argentina?
Fiddle - thanks, I don't live in grizzly country frtunately, but I'm wondering if sasquatch would hurt a Llama since they chase down deer and bear? Warm Springs Reservation is near here. One indian woman called the reservation police when she saw a bigfoot chasing a black bear. Later the police found the shredded body of a black bear.
Maybe sasquatch also don't recognise Llama scent and combined with human scent might stay away.
I'll remember the neckerchief thing. Perhaps one of the best parts of this idea - my wife loves to backpack, but refuses to carry a pack, a Llama could carry hers and mine at the same time, and it would lessen the load on my bad knee. Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
If I go backpacking and a friend carries my gear is it still backpacking? What If I go backpacking and my friend is a Llama?
I talked to a woman today about adopting a "rescued" Llama from a rehabilitation farm. (found it on Craigslist)She say Tommy Bahama is a happy wonderful friendly Llama that likes dogs, doesn't have mean bone in his body and a 3 foot high 2 rail fence keeps him in. They don't need to see the vet, grow valuable fur, eat weeds or hay and only require food and water to leave them for a week vacation. I'll admit that I'd rather ride a horse with a bedroll on the back, but Llama camping is all the rage here in central Oregon. Obviously you would not want to become separated from your Llama if he had your pack, but he doesn't need a sleeping bag and probably a mosquito headnet would work on him as I've seen great photos from the Andes of Llamas wearing hats. A Llama doesn't weigh as much as a horse, so you might not need to hobble him before sleeping to keep him from standing up and stepping on you. Hmm Llamas have toes, horses have hoofs...
Anyway if you only had a 40 degree sleeping bag and it dropped below freezing you just snugggle up to your Llama. I understand the cowboy technique was to hobble the horse and cover him with an oiled water proof tarp then get under it with him.
Did I mention "ice chest"? As in fresh eggs, bacon, cold drinks. The ice chest on one side balances the pack on the other. Anybody know where I can a Llama pack?
Oh what the heck, he could carry my tiny Husqvarna chain saw ( about 9-10 pounds) too and we could have a nice fire. Jim
I'd never own a Llama, but I'd use/own pack goats...
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There Is No Bad Weather, Just Bad Clothing...
Registered: 12/26/08
Posts: 382
Loc: Maine/New Jersey
That would be so awesome!
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"To me, hammocking is relaxing, laying, swaying. A steady slow morphine drip without the risk of renal failure." - Dale Gribbel
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
In the Winds a week ago, I ran across two guys in their late 50's who had been bping together for quite some time and were old friends from grade school, even though one lives in Pinedale, WY and the other still in NH. They had two llamas, I guess borrowed or rented and said they were herd animals so you need at least two at just about all times. On their trip, at one point, one of the critters was ahead with one of the guys and got too far away for the other llama so started crying. The one was pretty gentle, but a little timid.
Jim, if you'll hike with a white stick, wear sunglasses, and keep your Llama or packgoat on a leash, you could probably hike with it anywhere you want. Just sayin'.
In the Big Bend, a packgoat might come across as lion candy. The lions have been known to stalk horses, but there has never been an attack that I know of.
Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
I did notice that while at Zion National Park, Llamas were not allowed. Horses were allowed in parts of the park, but they specifically listed llamas as not okay.
I like Llamas and alpackas, but the husband always smiles and says "Great, I hear they taste a lot like chicken."
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I'm a big fan of using a pack animals, and I think they've been overlooked by backpackers for far too long now. That's why I have my burros
Here's some priceless info on burros. I found it online at Virginia Tech's "Bureau of Public Secrets" in a book called "CAMPING IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS" and Jim, the last paragraph on the subject should really spark your interest on the possibilities of using burros and llamas for camping
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