PACKING 



A knowledge of packing is one 

 of the most useful gifts a man 

 living in unexplored lands can have. Some men 

 never learn how to pack. The science of packing 

 is really based on the ability to bundle up a mass of 

 duffel neatly, and into the smallest possible space. 

 In traveling with horses, preparing the loads is com- 

 plicated by the fact that most of the packs must weigh 

 evenly. That is, every sidepack must have a mate, 

 or the load will not ride well on the backs of the 

 horses. This necessitates good judgment and expe- 

 rience on the part of the man who first arranges the 

 outfit for the trail. 



The pack-train once under way, the packs are 

 kept separate, and the worry is to a great extent 

 done away wath. Of course certain packs grow 

 lighter from day to day, such as those that contain 

 food. This makes overhauling of all the loads nec- 

 essary from time to time. As enough could be 

 written about packing to easily fill a good-sized book, 

 it is impossible here to go into any detail. But if 

 the beginner starts out with the idea that packing is 

 an art, and that it cannot be done too well, he has 

 made a long stride toward success. As wilderness 

 work is done as quickly as possible, packing is 

 reduced to a system; and when the packs are unload- 

 ed at the end of the day, they must be arranged 

 immediately into such shape that repacking 

 them can be done easily and quickly. 

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