Hard vs. Soft Saddles

[Nanno]

I would think they'd be fine for packing 50 lbs. The panels seem plenty rigid enough to support that kind of weight. But as I said, I haven't packed so much weight on my old fella for an all-day trip, though, so you might want to give Clay Zimmerman a call and talk it over with him.

One thing I like about the Sopris pack is that it's easy to use. There are no knots or hitches that have to be used to keep it on the goat or to attach the panniers. This makes it easier for people like my husband who did not grow up around horses and doesn't like fiddling with knots and hitches. It uses quick-release buckles to fasten everything together. It's also very well-made so it should last a long time.

[Charlie Horse]

Clay tells me he uses the Sopris for his own packing, and standard saddles for his rentals. This is due to the Sopris being pricey and the rigging is less obvious (thus harder for renters to work). He also has high praise for those acid rain panniers.

[Sanhestar]

One thing I like about the Sopris pack is that it's easy to use. There are no knots or hitches that have to be used to keep it on the goat or to attach the panniers.

Actually, I found the Sopris a bit more complicated to saddle and fit then the hard saddles. It kept sliding and I had to redo the straps several times because they worked themselves loose the first two or three times I used the sopris - we have the rookie.

[ReddingJohn]

Called up Clay, He was adamant that the Sopris is the "Cadillac" in the saddle world. He stated that he has never had a saddle sore using the lumber saddle, and that the quality is second to none. Looks like that made up my mind. Thank you everyone for your input, hope to meet some people at the Rende. -- John

[Nanno]

I'm glad Clay was able to help you out! I like our Sopris saddle a lot (Cuzco seems to like it as well), and I also highly recommend their halters. I don't use anything else.

[Taffy]

I noticed on their website that Sopris has the Rookie Saddle (which Nanno & Phil have) and the Lumbar Saddle. Does anyone use the Lumbar Saddle? For those who are using the Rookie saddle - what made you choose it over the Lumbar Saddle? It looks like the Lumbar Saddle comes with a saddle pad but the Rookie doesn't. What do you use for a saddle pad Nanno & Sanhester? Sanhester - Have you figured out the rigging system so you can keep the saddle from slipping?

[Nanno]

I believe the Rookie saddle was cheaper at the time (looks like it's the same price as the Lumbar now). I also liked that it's slightly shorter so we could use it on a smaller goat than Cuzco, making it somewhat more versatile for our needs. We aren't serious backcountry warriors, so a smaller pack suits us just fine.