Chat
04-13-2018, 09:49 PM
The stars are aligning for me to take a month off this summer. Not knowing when that might happen again, I'd like to hike the John Muir Trail, and I'd like to do it with my goats.
I've got permits (goats included), logistics sorted, an itinerary planned, and now one of the only things that worries me is: Are my lads up to it?
They're just over 2 years old, born in March of 2016. My gear is very light, so I don't need them to carry much--just food and bear canisters, apart from their own essentials.
However, when I crunched the numbers on how much their essentials weigh, I was a bit horrified. Here's the graph.
8 lbs just for their pack? Mine weighs less than 3!
Anyway, as you can see, their total weight is apt to be 22lbs, 15% of their 140lb body weight.
With a 10 mile/day itinerary, is that too much for them? I've seen people say that 15% is doable in their third year--which...they're in their third year when they're 2 years old, right? Other sources say they shouldn't carry even a harness until their 4th year.
Thoughts and opinions?
I've got permits (goats included), logistics sorted, an itinerary planned, and now one of the only things that worries me is: Are my lads up to it?
They're just over 2 years old, born in March of 2016. My gear is very light, so I don't need them to carry much--just food and bear canisters, apart from their own essentials.
However, when I crunched the numbers on how much their essentials weigh, I was a bit horrified. Here's the graph.
8 lbs just for their pack? Mine weighs less than 3!
Anyway, as you can see, their total weight is apt to be 22lbs, 15% of their 140lb body weight.
With a 10 mile/day itinerary, is that too much for them? I've seen people say that 15% is doable in their third year--which...they're in their third year when they're 2 years old, right? Other sources say they shouldn't carry even a harness until their 4th year.
Thoughts and opinions?