Food

Planning a trip of over four months has been challenging. Selecting and preparing food for myself and the horses, to be dropped ahead of our travels, took a little thought and planning. Picking the route, calculating the mileage per day, the amount of food to be used for the horses and myself per day, and having a plan for getting the food ahead of me was difficult. Others have had people drive ahead, always at close bay with horse trailers and even motor homes. Some like Lisa Wood depended solely upon provisions found along the way, including grass for her horse.

In my case I calculated 10 pounds of feed for each horse (Guenevere and Ginger) per day. I went to Feather Haven Mill near Hollister and had them prepare a special feed, bagged in 20 lb. bags. This feed was high in Digestible Energy with balanced calcium and phosphorus and daily trace mineral and vitamin requirements. With this grain mix I was less dependent on good grazing and could pick campsites closer to water. Most of the weight in my pack horses' panniers was grain. I could have carried less and depended more on grazing, but I wanted to decrease the possibility of issues with colic.

The route of the southern section is made up of 200 miles of back roads and 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Food drops were arranged for the back road sections almost every 60 miles. The Pacific Crest Trail section is divided up into 8 food drops. My son Nathan and his wife Crissy, and of course my granddaughter Faith, will do three drops. Nathan will also ride with me for at least two days of the trip and hopefully more later on the PCT. My son Michael and his wife will be meeting me at a relative's place near Big Bear City, where they will make one drop. My son Jonathan will make the final three drops of the journey.

Martha McNiel will then pick me up at the Mexican border and bring me back to Panoche to start the northern trek. The northern route has not been finalized, at this writing. But it will be handled the same as the first 200 miles, with food drops approximately every 60 miles.

Equipment

I have been told by the experts (Long Riders) that I will not end the trip with the same equipment that I begin with. Therefore I am tempted to not publish mine until completion of the trip. I did, however, read a lot of ultra-light hiking books to assist in choosing the right camping equipment. As for horse packing equipment, the gear info was dated. Most published books related to old school horse camping with several mules loaded to the hilt with manties filled with camp stoves larger than my stove at home and tents as large as army barracks. However, there were some helpful books on equipment (see my Resources page). Most of what I learned from the Long Riders related especially to the pack horse gear.

• Tent—The biggest complaint I found from experienced travelers and hikers was room in their tents. I am having people ride with me and also wanted to store my saddles and pack systems in my tent, so I got a 5lb. 3 person tent from Orion. The weight was a bit much but hopefully the room will help.
  
  
• Stove—I recommend the Zstove although I didn't get it at first. No need to carry fuel.
  
  
• Sleeping Bag—Seirra Design Sandman 3d.
  
  

Horse Equipment

• Saddle—JJ Maxwell "Hope" Saddle
  
  
• Packing Saddle—An Aluminum Adjustable from Custom Pack Rigging. The owner Kelly was great and gave me a great deal.
  
  
• Bridle—I used a Hackamore to give better ease of grazing. Lisa Wood on her trip did the same but recommends a sheepskin wrap around the bosal, and I agree.
  
  
• Rope—I got rapelling rope from REI.