After being raised with horses and mules, it was hard to explain to Amy's dad why we didn't choose mules. There are several reasons llamas make great companions on the trail.

• Llamas are very intelligent animals and learn quickly.

• They are pretty laid back and in our opinion are "easier" than horses and mules. 

• Llamas can carry about 70-100 pounds (depending on the llama). When we hike with them, we only carry our camel packs so our water is always at hand and our fist aid kit.

• They make less of an impact on the environment than horses...how? 

  • They eat and drink less than horses. 

  • ​They have soft feet, so their impact off the trail is minimal. 
  • They browse and graze and won't rip grasses out by the roots. 
• They can cover some tough terrain. If you can make it on two feet, so can they!​
• They will alert you when they feel uneasy about something like a bear in the area. We call it the velociraptor sound.
• Llamas don't get spooked by the smell of blood. When you quarter out your elk, you don't have to worry about a nervous llama.

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Of course there are cons to everything; here is our list: 

• You can't ride a llama. However, if you like hiking, this is a positive! Plus, there are no saddle sores on your keester. 

• They can't carry as much as a horse or mule, so you may need to get more animals...we don't see how that is a negative. 

• They are unique. People will stop you on the trail and ask you a million questions about llamas. Of course, if you are a people person, that isn't a bad thing, but it can keep you from getting to where you want to be in the time you wanted to be there. 

• Llamas spit. Llamas don't usually spit at people, but they will spit at each other. Depending on the type of spit (warning or totally ticked off) this can have quite an unpleasant aroma. If you are caught downwind, which is not uncommon in Wyoming, your showering frequency will increase.