New Phillips Pack Saddle...

Hi, we live in New Zealand and horse pack into our mountain areas.

Can anyone recommend the New style Phillips Formfitter pack saddle from Outfitter supply.?
I am interested in updating some of my pack gear..

Tony

While I don't have a phillips formfitter I know three packers that do and they use them a lot. One is a commercial outfitter, one packs for the forest service, and one packs for recreation. I 've specifically asked all three about the phillips pack saddle (I plan on getting one myself as time and finances allow) and all three highly recommend.

I also know the owners of Outfitter Pack Station and can vouch for them as great folks.

Hope this helps.

Much appreciate your reply..

I am unsure wheather to purchase a more traditional new sawbuck or go for the formfitter...?

I currently have two complete and tidy new zealand style pack saddles but these require very balanced loads to stop them slipping over.

At the end of last season I was able to trek for a week with a Friends new saw buck from outfitter supply and it stayed put the whole time... it was much easier to pack with... I think the double cinch was the key.. it has more surface to hold the saddle in place, even if the loads were not 100% equal in weight.. your thoughts..?

That's why the good lord provides assorted rocks all along the trail. I don't consider it cruel and unusual punishment to place several rock on the light side until I get the packs balanced. Sorry couldn't resist.

Watching his video, he seems to make some good points. But I personally have not used them. Good luck with your choice.

Hehehe.. yes good point. But after riding and packing the same trail we tend to find most of the "on the trail rock selection" is all piled up at the other end hut...(smilies)
Perhaps you could have a "word" to your good lord and ask him if he had a spare minute to cart the rock pile and distribute them back along the trail again...lol

Kiwi Humour... you got to watch out for this warped style of humour......!

HA! I think we've all used rocks at some point!

I'm not familiar with New Zealand rigs (will have to do some googling) but I have had the opportunity to tinker with a few pack saddles (mostly sawbucks and deckers, just a couple formfitters).

The main reason I want a formfitter is that the formfitter panels have flex in them and seem to to be more forgiving of not having a perfect fit to the beast's back. Where the trees on a sawbuck stay rigid the formfitter panels flex to accommodate the changes in the animal over time as it becomes more conditioned, or for use on more than one animal.

Smilies.. I wonder if the good lord has had time to dig the rock piles out of the snow and distribute them back along the trail for our spring upcoming rides yet..lol

When I get home tonight I will post a picture of one of my pack saddles on my website, perhaps in the trekking gear section so you can see the difference..

Yes I have been doing some research into different pack saddles and like yourself, like the movement in the new Phillips design.

We have a lot of up and especially downhill trekking and our current saddles sway a lot with each step the horse makes, which in turn needs a close eye kept on pack loads.

It would be great to be able to relax knowing the phillips goes with the flow of the horse and not rigid like the current models..

My saddlier has looked at pics of the Phillips and doesnt like the use of rivots to hold rigging and also commented that the rigging is quite thin looking..
Decisions decisions.......... smilies.

The lord has already distributed enough rocks to last for my life time

Smilies... I see you do get on very well with your lord.... Obviously in the lords last life he had much larger pack horses requiring these much larger ballast weights....U Americans do like things big I noticed..Smilies..!

To the chap asking about our New Zealand style of Pack saddle, I have up loaded a pic of one of my saddles in my website www.canterburyhorsetrailriders.org ... the pic is near the bottom in the Our trekking gear section..

Well, the Phillips Formfitter pack saddle has won.. I have placed an order for one, so it will be interesting to see how it works..