# Carrying people water and other things you want on your person



## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

Just curious what other people do.

I started carrying my Camelbak (off brand, but works the same) when I go on rides longer than a few minutes. I've found over the years that I need a pretty constant influx of quite a bit of water and the Camelbak is the most convenient way I've found to get a sip while riding.

The pack also has enough room for extra gloves, a light jacket, snacks, GPS, Spot emergency locator, and a few other odds and ends that I want with ME, not just on the horse. If I get tossed and Mr. Big decides to meet me in the next county, there are a few things I want with me, not him!

I've tried the water bottle in the pommel bag routine and it didn't work very well for me--although it'd probably work better now that I'm more comfortable sitting the horse! But that doesn't solve the problem of other stuff I want with me, anyway.


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## Nokota (Jan 6, 2011)

I have a leather bottle holder that hangs off my rope strap. Holds a water bottle of the style you see bikers have on their road bikes. It hangs down right in front of my left leg but does not interfere with my leg. I always have it with me as I seem to get thirsty while riding. I will try to get a pic up for you later but again, my photo hosting web site is down.


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## Trails (Jan 28, 2009)

Water bottle (s) go in my pommel bags. I tried the Camelbak rig and didn't like it, left like it caused my balance to shift.

For the items that I keep on my person (cell phone, E-kit, etc) I use my fly fishing vest, lots of pockets for lots O' things. The vest is light weight and also fits well under a jacket.


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

I have a safari style vest I'm going to try this summer. It has gobs of pockets, but won't work well under a jacket. Hadn't thought about a fly fishing vest. 

I used a flight vest with a built in camelbak style carrier on my ATV. I think it'd be pretty hot for riding a horse, but might work in milder weather.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

I have just started using my camelbak on rides too. I really like it though I am not completely comfortable with it as yet but I figure that the more I use it the more normal it will come to feel. I started using my camelbak because I can not for the life of me find my saddle bags - ******ed if I know where they have got to. But the bonus of my camelbak is that I can carry the stuff that I want to with no hassle whereas with my saddle bags I had to stuff them with newspaper to stop my stuff rattling around in them. With my camelbak I can carry 2 litres of water, cell phone, lunch, sunscreen, chapstick, smokes and a lighter all very conveniently. And also I like having them on me rather than the horse too, certainly safer if I come off and am hurt.


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## Nokota (Jan 6, 2011)

Here is the water bottle holder I use for drinking from the saddle. If I need to carry more I put it in my cantle bag. I also carry a machete for the brush and blow downs that come down on the trail.
Water bottle holder








Machete and gps watch on saddlebag.


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

Nice lookin' rig, Nokota! I like the blanket, especially!


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## Nokota (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks, My wife bought me the blanket for my birthday when we were at the Equine Affaire in Ohio. It was a great opportunity, I got to search the whole trade show to find the one I wanted. It has really held up well. I use a double diamond wool pad underneath it.


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

Someday I hope to get tacked out in nice leather everything. Right now I just don't have time to take proper care of leather anything so I'm mostly synthetic. It works, it's comfortable, and it doesn't look TOO bad for "today's society"--but a nice, natural, look is SO much better!

Since I knew I would be getting a big horse (Mr. Big is 16.3 hh and 1350 pounds) I figured I'd have trouble finding a saddle that fits. So I got a treeless that I really like--but it just don't got no eye appeal, if you know what I mean. And my "luggage" is really user friendly and perfect for what I need to carry--but it's hunter orange (great for visibility when idiots have rifles!) and looks like Hades on a death march. 

But it all works, works well, and is comfortable for both horse and rider.

But, someday . . .


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## RATHER BE RIDING (Dec 7, 2010)

I do keep my cell phone attached to me, but I always worry that if I were to fall off and land on it, it would be crushed. Does anyone have a good way to protect the phone?


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

Uhmmm. . . . don't fall off? ;-)

Other than that, put it in a carry case, in an inner pocket. You don't really need to get to it during a ride so it doesn't have to be easily accessable. Heck, probably wouldn't hurt to turn the fool thing off! You just want it for emergencies. 

Anyone who just HAS to answer the phone when out riding probably needs a different hobby!!


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## Nokota (Jan 6, 2011)

Sailorgriz, I know what you mean about having time to keep everything clean. I think time spent cleaning would be better spent riding. That is why I went with a work model saddle rather than a fancy showy one. Because If I give it the basic care, it should last a long time. And I dont care how worn or beat up it looks, as long as it is holding up structurally.


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## SailorGriz (Nov 28, 2010)

One of the reasons it looks so nice, IMHO, is because it is obviously a working saddle. Show saddles don't look near as good! Being a bit "weathered" makes it look like it belongs on a horse, not in a showroom nor ring. 

Someday I'll get a nice looking western (or Aussie) saddle and retire the treeless I have now--or save it for when we just need an extra saddle, more likely, since it'll fit about any horse.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

I know what you mean Sailorgriz. I had the most beautiful custom made leather saddle, it was my pride and joy, I loved and nurtured it for 16 years and it had worn into a beautiful utilitarian saddle that fitted my bum perfectly. Then I bought my current horse who out grew that saddle in her first three weeks of being ridden. I was gutted because I had to sell my beautiful custom leather saddle to buy a new one to fit Phoenix. Unfortunately Phoenny is 3/4 draft horse so I the only saddle I could find to fit and was affordable was a synthetic saddle. Don't get me wrong, my new saddle is nice and light and I love the fact that I can just turn a hose on it and it is comfortable but I often find myself thinking of my leather saddle. One day when money is permitting I am going to get myself another custom saddle built for me. Because there is nothing like the feel, look and smell of leather on a horse.


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## Nokota (Jan 6, 2011)

Well my wife has an Aussie saddle she is interested in selling. It is a wide tree. fits our Gypsies, Halflingers, and was even used on a Percheron if anyone is looking for one. I have not listed it yet, but we have been kicking the idea around.


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## traildancer (Oct 27, 2010)

Some people I know will use a fanny pack to keep essential stuff close and on their person. I have also heard of wrecks when the person needed to come off because the horse was pitching or something and got hurt worse because the belt got hung up on the saddle.

I carry water in a bottle holder than holds a 32 oz Nalgene bottle. Water for the dogs, if necessary in empty 20 oz soda bottles, in my cantle bag. Usually leave the phone in the trailer because most places I ride there is no service. Other stuff, like bandana, Leatherman, flashlight, lighter, snacks, are in my hornbags. Lead rope and raingear in the cantle pack. Pocket knife in my jeans pocket but under my ****** so I can hardly get to it anyway.

Guess I'm not very safe. But in all the riding I do, I've not ever had a problem that happened so fast that I needed any of the above stuff after being dumped by my horse. Actually, can't remember being dumped in the wilderness. Anyway, any situation that has come up, I've been able to get off, get my stuff out of the bags and deal with it.


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## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

I had a matching set of nylon saddle bags that included: a horn bag, cantle bag and the 2 saddle bags that went behind the cantle bag. For my water I would buy bottled water in the smaller bottles after the water was drank I would put tap water in them and then freeze them. When I was packing to go on a long trail ride I took several of those frozen water bottles. I never had a problem with carrying them in my larger saddle bags then as I wanted to drink I put a bottle in my horn bag. For if my horse and I got separated I bought a luggage ID tag with a strip of leather or nylon that had a buckle on it. For me to keep an emergency phone number I bought a small flat leather pouch and kept that in one of my pockets.


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