There are two basic styles of pack saddles that are popular in the United States - the Sawbuck and the Decker. While most people are familiar with the Sawbuck saddle and its classic wooden cross bucks, many people do not know anything about the Decker Pack Saddles. So, they don't know why it might be a better pack saddle for them.

A Little History
The Decker Pack Saddle was developed by O.P. Robinett and made by the Decker brothers around 1930 in response to the needs of the Forest Service personnel for a pack saddle built to carry heavy, bulky loads for long distances. This rugged, versatile saddle became very popular with the Forest Service and packers in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington and has remained the pack saddle of choice in those areas to this day.

Benefits of Steel Hoops
The first thing that sets the Decker apart from the Sawbuck are the steel hoops instead of the wooden cross bucks used on the Sawbuck Pack Saddle. It is easier to attach panniers to the steel hoops, because the panniers don't have to be lifted as high to loop the straps over the cross bucks. With the steel hoops, the only thing to be done is to buckle the straps through the hoops on the same side of the animal as you are facing. Secondly, Decker Hooks can be used to make this even easier. A Decker Hook slides onto your pannier hanger strap making the job of loading your panniers easier by simply lifting them up and securing the hooks onto the hoops… no buckles and no heavy lifting over your head.

The steel hoops are more convenient to loop and slide ropes through when tying loads down. They are also lower profile and a better design for getting large loads closer to the animal's body where they will ride better. This design also makes it easier to pack two mismatched loads on an animal.

The Half-Breed
The half-breed is a cover that lays over the Decker Pack Saddle. It is designed to protect the pack animal from the load. The half-breed is traditionally made of canvas and leather, although some today are made of nylon or other materials. The lower portion of the half-breed is padded with felt or some other stuffing material for the animal's comfort. Two wooden pack boards are attached on the outside of the half-breed over this stuffed area. These help distribute the weight of the load across the entire rib cage, much like the bars of a saddle distribute the weight of the load along the back.

This simple addition to the Decker Pack Saddle gives it a better overall design for larger, bulkier loads. Long, awkward items like logs, poles, and tent frames can be easily loaded by the packer and comfortably carried by the pack stock because of the protection and weight distribution offered by the half-breed. Indeed, standard items such as panniers can be more comfortably carried by pack stock with a Decker because the bottom of the pannier rests against the pack boards, thus keeping them further off the animal and distributing the weight of the pannier along the rib cage.

Better Rigging
The rigging on a Decker Pack Saddle buckles to the tree beneath the half-breed and is easily adjustable over a wide range, this allows the position of the cinch to be moved as needed. The rigging of a Sawbuck pack saddle is screwed (or riveted) to the tree and can not be easily adjusted.

Cargoing
How would you pack a large, bulky, or awkward load on a Decker Pack Saddle? The simple answer is by mantying or cargoing the load. I know that manties (large pieces of canvas used to wrap loads into easy-to-handle bundles), ropes, knots, and hitches can be intimidating to some people. That is why I've designed the Not-A-Knot pack system, which is knot-free and done in four simple steps. If you would like to learn more about the Not-A-Knot pack system visit my site at www.outfitterssupply.com/searchprods.asp.

Mantying a load on a Decker is much easier and more efficient than on a Sawbuck for three reasons: When you need to tighten the basket hitch on the sling ropes, the rope will slide far easier through the smooth steel hoops of the Decker pack saddle than it will over the wooden corners on the cross bucks of a Sawbuck. The pack board in the half-breed of the Decker distributes the weight of the load across the animal's ribs and the extra padding further protects the animal from the load. The lower profile of the steel hoops allows the cargo to be better positioned in an 'A' shape with the tops touching over the animals back for a more secure load.