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I had an idea to build a pack that would mount on my panniers and double as both a large side pouch and a small day pack. Whenever I design a new product, I always keep simplicity in mind. It has been my experience that some of the best made outdoor gear is overbuilt, not over-designed. When I finished the prototype I was satisfied that this pouch/day pack would stand up to anything the backcountry could throw at it. There was only one problem: what should I name it? I have four children -- three sons and a daughter. All...

The highlight of owning pack animals is to take them into the wilderness, making it possible for a more fulfilling backcountry experience, whether it’s hunting, fishing or just camping out with family. I am constantly planning and thinking about my next trip. When spring comes and the snow begins to melt in the mountains, I can hardly wait to hit the trail. When the packing season nears its end, I am often planning trips back-to-back, never wasting a moment. Without fail, the last one of the season is bittersweet. It was my second hunting trip of the season. I had...

I read a post recently on a donkey/pack mule online forum where a commenter listed various reasons why he did not care to use donkeys as pack animals. Among other things, one of the reasons he cited was that “donkeys walk too slowly.” Huh, I thought. That’s interesting. I don’t know where he would come up with that idea. First of all, on average, a donkey walks about the same speed as a man. Of course, there are factors like the weight of the load (and how it’s adjusted), the terrain, the weather, and in some cases, the animal’s mood which...

Jake Clark’s Mule Days http://www.saddlemule.com/index2.html Powell, WYJune 15-19, 2016 Well friends, I had another exciting weekend out on the trail. This time, unfortunately, the trail was the highway in my truck hightailing it up to Powell, WY for a long weekend at Jake Clark’s Mule Days. But it was well worth it once I got there! For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the event, it’s been around since 1997 offering all kinds of fun, family-friendly events for anyone interested in learning about or just having fun around these cool animals. They also feature mules (and their owners)...

A few years ago, I was elk hunting in the backcountry. I had seen a nice bull elk the previous afternoon along the edge of a large meadow about 1½ miles from camp. Rather than hike up and hunt in the black timber where he’d gone, I decided to ride the donkeys a little farther in, high-line them and hunt from there. I left camp around 3:00 in the afternoon, rode about three miles, and tied up the donkeys. I had the rest of the afternoon to hunt so I headed out on foot. I saw a few elk but...