About Llamas

PACKING IS IN
THEIR DNA

RENT NOW
SHIPS OF THE ANDES: LLAMAS HAVE PACKED FOR CENTURIES
Llamas connected the vast Inca Empire of the rugged South American Andes. They connected the mines of the altiplano (12,000-16,000 feet of elevation) with the lower agricultural and population centers. Food and supplies up, and ore down; they always had a back haul. They didn’t just survive a tough environment, they thrived in it.
Built for the Trail
They are athletic and surefooted and can negotiate deadfall, talus, and slick rock.
Soft, Padded Hoof
Low impact soft hoof does not cut soil and requires no shoe for protection.
Quiet and Calm
Their low key, controlled disposition helps them avoid over-reaction and makes them safe and easy to handle.

Adapted To Wilderness

They are efficient browsers eating small amounts of a variety of forage and are able to sustain themselves in the backcountry without supplement or heavy impacts, and with little water.

They have a soft, padded hoof which gives them superior traction and negligible impact on trails and vegetation over which they traverse. Their gait is evenly matched to that of the average hiker and their quiet demeanor and low-key disposition makes them safe and easy to handle.

These qualities offer wilderness users of all levels a pack animal that fits easily into their existing packing routine, preserves the aesthetics of their experience, and at the same time extends their range and comfort. Trail maintenance crews, fire fighters, photographers, fishermen, hunters, climbers and others requiring additional capacity find llamas to be an ideal solution.

Benefits of Llamas

Llamas have many beneficial attributes that make them a preferred choice for pack animals.

No. 1

Llamas only need to eat a tenth of the amount that a horse or mule does.

No. 2

Llamas utilize lower protein, less palatable forages and don’t require supplemental feed in the backcountry.

No. 3

Llamas' low impact soft hoof does not cut soil and requires no shoe for protection.

No. 4

Llamas’ acute vision, hearing, and sense of smell can help a hunter spot game. Their quiet demeanor reduces game awareness. They are not blood shy and are comfortable packing meat.

No. 5

Llamas are naturally healthy, have no endemic diseases, and pose no disease threat to wildlife.

No. 6

Llamas adapt well to different modes of transportation.
Use of llamas as pack animals has a very low impact on the environment. For this reason, they are the pack animal of choice in sensitive ecosystems of alpine and desert environments.
Llamas are a huge asset in the backcountry in a wide range of applications. They are a superior assist animal for hunting, recreational packing, backcountry maintenance, private business, education, and military applications.

Reduced Impact

Llamas are camelids and browse small amounts of vegetation from a wide variety of plants, digesting them efficiently and lowering their impact on vegetation . Their manure has a low nitrogen content, eliminating "plant burn" common to simple stomached animals whose manure contains higher levels of nitrogen. The manure breaks down quickly and enhances the light soils common to alpine and desert eco-zones.

The llama's hoof is padded and has a large surface area compared to the animal's weight. This limits the cutting and loosening of soil that occurs with other stock. Trail degradation and erosion are significantly less because of this hoof structure. Because of their size and quite demeanor, llamas are easily transported to and from the trail head in a variety of vehicles (pickups with racks, vans, and trailers.)

The reduced fuel consumption and equipment required minimizes transportation impacts.