Llamas have been raised in South America for centuries as pack animals who were also used for fiber and meat. To be good pack animals, llamas need to be calm, trusting and work well with people. These traits were bred into llamas and are still present today.
The packing ability of llamas combined with their ease of transport enables them to be utilized in a wide variety of situations. Some owners take their llamas on short day hikes at local parks and trails. There are Bed and Breakfasts which have llamas for their guests to enjoy. Some even take guests on day hikes with llamas who carry a gourmet lunch for everyone. Pack llamas accompany more serious hikers on longer overnight trips and carry most or all of the gear. Hunters and fishers use llamas to carry equipment into and game out of the back country. Some park rangers use llamas to carry their equipment and supplies while they perform trail maintenance. Those who use llamas are thankful for the quiet companionship provided by a team member who will carry all the gear without complaining. People who have packed with llamas will often not do it any other way again.
Advantages:
There are many advantages to using llamas over other types of pack animals.
Llamas do not have hooves. They have two-toed padded feet with a toenail which grows over the top of each toe (feet detail). This makes them very sure-footed. The pads do much less damage to the environment because they do not tear into and dent the ground the way hooves can.
Llamas are both browsers and grazers, and can eat various plants while moving along the trail. This means less time required to stop and graze. Llamas also require less feed for the same time than other pack animals. This means that less weight in the packs is devoted to llama feed.
Llamas are more maneuverable and smaller than other pack animals and they can go through/over/under/into almost any area that people can. This is not true of other pack animals and gives llamas a tremendous advantage for hikers, hunters and park rangers.
The amount of weight which llamas can carry depends upon their age, condition, the terrain and distance to be travelled.
Younger animals which are still growing should carry less weight to avoid creating orthopedic problems later in life. Just like people, llamas need to get into shape before going on long hikes with a lot of weight. Llamas packing over more difficult terrain should carry less weight than when on less difficult terrain.
Based on age, llamas can carry a certain percentage of their lean body weight. You must estimate their body condition before determining if the actual weight of the llama is a good estimate of lean body weight. An overweight llama will not be able to safely carry as much weight as one in good body condition. A one year old llama will be about 125 to 200 pounds. A 2-3 year old llama will be about 175 to 300 pounds. An adult llama will be about 225 to 450 pounds if not overweight.
The Amount of Weight Llamas Can Carry
Age Percent of Body Weight
1 year10%
2 to 3 yearsUp to 20%
Adult 20 to 30%