Things To Take on Your Dude Ranch Vacation

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So, you’ve decided to go to a dude ranch. Especially if you aren’t from the western half of the United States, you might have absolutely no clue what to pack.

Some ranches and outfitters provide a packing checklist, which can be really helpful. Occasionally, though, they can be kind of out of date (camera film?). Some don’t. So, here are the most important things you should take with you:

A Helmet

Yes, yes, helmets are dorky. Know what’s even dorkier? A coma. Some dude ranches do provide helmets, some require them (possibly only for minors), and some, unfortunately, discourage them.

Wear a helmet. Trust the person who has been kicked in the head by a horse. As you can see, I’m still here. Without the helmet I wouldn’t be.

You must wear a helmet designed for horseback riding. Do not wear a bike helmet. Bike helmets are designed to protect you from a completely different impact profile. They’re almost worse than nothing.

Unless you plan on borrowing a helmet at the ranch, buy a new helmet. Never buy a used helmet. Any helmet that is involved in a fall directly should be immediately replaced. With a used helmet, you may have no way of knowing whether it was compromised. Sometimes damage is obvious, sometimes it isn’t.