When my wife started having physical difficulties keeping pace I had to take a different approach to extended excursions into the wilderness, jettisoning the heavy backpacks and switching to light camelback packs for extended trips. We acquired pack llamas to carry the real gear. My main packer carries up to 90lbs -- more than I ever carried. So now we need only just walk with a pair of llamas following behind us and we can afford to bring along real food and luxuries not thought possible before and stay out for weeks if we want. We keep our pack gear in our van so all we have to do is pack our food and load the llamas in the van (they lay in the back) and hit the road to the trail head. The llamas enjoy it as much as we do.

There's an annual opportunity to learn about llama packing in the Pacific NW coming up real soon. The Backcountry Llama Association Rendezvous & Drive In is at Cutsforth Park, (near Heppner) Oregon, this year, July 1-3. See http://www.rattlesnakeridgeranch.com/rendezvous11.htm