Avoid hard objects that might concentrate force.
If you get thrown, you do not want to land on some hard objects in your pack. You could pad them; or pad around them, with clothing. Or, do not keep them in your pack at all.
I would especially want to protect my kidney and spinal areas.
As padding, try a down jacket, or sweater. Blue foam pad (backpacker) can be cut to size, and used as one level of padding in the pack. The same blue foam can be used as a sitting pad at lunch time.
I have a couple of friends that ride endurance and wear a smallish camelback, and have pommel bags for other items. I just trail ride and wear a fanny pack with small first aid kit, and some other items. I probably look dorky, but really don’t care.
Yes, if I’m going out for more than an hour or so I ride with a camelbak with room for extra storage which I use to carry food and a survival pack. I ride in pretty inhospitable country and during the heat of the day trying to hike out without water can really mess a person up. Not to mention there are no trails where I ride so if I fall and am injured, I want to be able to attract attention to myself with my whistle, mirror, or flashlight.
I find it does change my balance slightly but it is really easy to adapt. I don’t know that I’d recommend it for beginners, but it definitely works well for me. I also usually ride english or in endurance saddles without horns so that isn’t a concern for me.
A small camelback would be okay to ride in I guess, but I wouldn’t want to wear anything larger for comfort.
For trail riding I got Snugpax pommel and cantle pads and carry all I need in those. I have a decent little first aid kit, matches, rain gear, ear net for Belle (she hates those nasty wood bees we sometimes come across), and hoof pick in the cantle bag. I keep some snacks, an extra knife, a compass, small sunscreen, small bugspray, small flashlight, and my water bottles in the pommel bag. I could probably pack more in those bags, actually, they are very roomy!
I am set both for regular trail rides where ever I want to go as well as the ACTHA rides I have gone on this year. I would also be pretty much be set for CTR or endurance with just adding my sponge on strap to the get-up, too.
I do always carry a knife on my person, as well as my cell phone. Yes, it’s possible to be separated from your horse if you come off, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere I figure. So I make sure I can take care of myself should the horse and I get lost together 
I rode with a backpack once while riding up to hunting camp and while it wasn’t the end of the world it isn’t something I have ever done again. It’s hot, there’s more straps to get hung up on if something goes haywire, and it does mess with your balance a little.
I’ve ridden with a well adjusted Camelback (they come in a lot of sizes) both trailriding and mtn biking, no problems with balance. You can get Camelback type packs that are designed for cross country skiing that are small profile and close fitting. Another thing you may want to consider is a product call Road ID. It is a web bracelet with lots of room for identifying numbers, originaly designed for road cyclists. I wear mine whenever I am out in the backcountry with no wallet. It is easy to wear and relatively inexpensive and will stay with you even if your horse (and saddle bags) do not!
I did see a girl with a backpack get thrown from her horse once. She landed onto her backside and the bulkiness of the pack wrenched her back. I would suggest if you plan to use a pack keep it small or formed to your profile.
I’ve only ever ridden with a backpack once. . .and that when I was camping at East Fork Stables (TN) during the SHOBA event, and my camping buddies kept sending me back to the trailer to get ice and. . .eh. . .beverages while they watched the “races.” I had an insulated backpack that I’d use to carry the ice, snacks, and other items to the little tailgate party they were having.:winkgrin:
My horse was a good sport about it. . .though, I admit, I rewarded him with Coke-flavored ice cubes. :lol:
While I didn’t find that it greatly affected my balance in the saddle, I don’t really like wearing a backpack when riding. Aside from personal preference and comfort, many of the trails I normally ride are not always well-cleared for riders (lots of honeysuckle and brush). I can duck under it just fine on my own, but my concern is that a backpack - even a small, flat one - would get caught up in those little branches. As accident prone as I am, I don’t need anything else to risk getting hung up on.
I have the Stowaway saddle bags and love them! One set (front and back) on my regular western saddle, and the “deluxe” pommel bag with water bottle holders on my horn-less. They fit close to the saddle so there isn’t a bunch of flopping around or shifting during the ride, and there are pockets galore!
Anything that I would really need to have with me in the event that my horse and I become separated, like a cell phone, I will keep on myself in some way.
I use a fanny pack. Call me a dork if you want. I keep my phone, keys & treats in there. I had to get a smaller one though because the straps wouldn’t get small enough to not get caught on my saddle horn :sadsmile:
I also have gotten my bra caught on the same dang horn. I keep thinking about cutting that darn saddle horn off.
I have a small cantle bag which has holsters for two 500 ml watter bottles or thermos, and a pocket that holds a spare halter and lead rope or a jacket, or whatever. I thank you for informing me about what a “camelbac” is- an interesting item, but I would get sweaty carrying that on me and would also hang myself up on the horn, I am sure! I haven’t been bra-hung yet, but I usually wear a sports top riding, so that is not as likely.
The camelbac sure seems a much better design than most backpacks, very contoured and sleek- not at all like an old style hanging teardrop.
[QUOTE=showhorsegallery;5105035]
Just curious if anyone who trail rides or goes on endurance rides regularly rides with a backpack?
I think it would be neat for a long ride to stick a camel pack bag in a backpack for water and sandwiches in the bag along with a first aid kit or other assorted thangs.
But then it seems like wearing one would be annoying.[/QUOTE]
Scroll down there is a pic… also… Arabians are so beautiful =)
http://www.achaeanarabians.com/Egyptian_Event_2010.html
Yes. Scroll down to “The Nightmare of Tevis”
http://www.gcer.org/2004-newsletters/Feb-news.htm
I have to say though, it took a really long time to find those examples so I would think it is pretty uncommon…
That isn’t a backpack. Its a camelback – filled with water. I know several endurance riders that use these. Easier than trying to grab a bottle as you are trotting along. I used one for 2 years, but didn’t carry it on my back due to the heat and friction it would cause over the miles. I tied it to the back of my saddle, and the tube had a clasp that I attached to my saddle pad for easy retrieval. But after it leaked out by accident several times (if the hose is lower than the bag the water will flow out via gravity), and the annoyance of having to keep the bag and hose surgically clean because they scum up really bad really quickly, I went back to the trail bottles where you can see immediately how much you have left and how much you’ve consumed already.
The second example is Lucy’s dream - not reality. I’ve never seen any photos of her in a backpack.
Frankly, in over 10 years of endurance riding I’ve seen only one rider in a backpack. It was a small backpack and I had to look twice before I realized it wasn’t a camelback. No clue why she would wear one, even a small one, because she was going 50 miles and those things rub and bounce and irritate, but…there you go.
Ooops on the first one then! The second reference was in the text… I would assume that having a backpack to look in would mean she was wearing it… I didn’t realize it was fiction. I suppose that answers that then.
“In the next installment, I’d arrived at Foresthill, but couldn’t find my vet card. I emptied out my pommel bag (filled with papers), followed by my backpack (also filled with papers, which, once turned out on the table, looked suspiciously like the desk in my office) - but no vet card was to be found.”
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
