I had a coworker that would buy small raw MO mules and break them to bridle/pack each summer. He would take them elk hunting to CO in the fall and sell them to outfitters before his return to help finance his trip. He said that outfitters out there were always looking for them.
My dad and his family were very good hostlers. I still have family that keep draft horses, go to pulling matches, and ride working cattle horses for a living. My dad liked working mules, but we never had any in my time. He talked about their personalities. He always rode one home from the field. He said that once in a while the one that he would be riding would plant his feet and dad would pitch off of the front. He also said that in a hard rainstorm, the mules would go through a single barn door with the harness on, by one holding back and the other going through. He said that he never had horses that could do that.
It has not been mentioned that some hikers use llamas for pack.
