yes the current protocol is for us to ride to a camp; stay 2 nights and then move.  we have 3 camps for the entire trip.  yes the wind which blew down those tents on your trip is what concerns me with a 6 ft high  - essentailly a car camping tent.  no, no rigs, we go out and ride for 6 days.

what about chairs?  do they have them provided to sit by the campfire?  do you need a light to find the "facilities" at night?  any other things you wish you had brought?

I don't know anything about that particular ride, But I would suspect that if your tent is correctly pitched, It should be able to tolerate normal winds. This isn't a ride that takes place in winter blizzards. So unless you get hit with microburst or severe summer thunder storm. Your tent should be fine.

Look at the design of your tent, If you think it's suseptible to catching the wind and blowing over, Maybe you should consider a different design.

I have done this ride 3 times. My concern is the condition of your horse. The first time we did this ride, it was HOT, and the vet tech had horses lined up to be seen for literally hours after we got into camp. The weather was more cooperative the past 2 times. However, it is a ride that requires a horse who is well conditioned, and arriving a few days ahead of time to get your horse acclimatized would be a good idea. Each ride had it's share of wrecks. Basically horses who had no business being on the ride because of behavior issues, or poor riders, as in the case of a guy who wanted to wear spurs on his young horse(horses younger than 5 are NOT recommended for this ride. Some have brought younger horses, and end up walking their horses up some of the endless grades) to look cool, the horse spooked, he was not a good rider, gouged the horse and he got dumped to the tune of broken ribs and a punctured lung....can't fix stupid. Or the person who rode their horse to water bareback with a metal bucket with a brush inside, trotted the horse, bucket clanged, rider dumped, horse ran. I noticed this year they are only taking 25 riders. We have had close to a 100 in the past. I love my air mattress and battery operated air pump!

I used to put on an endurance ride here in Utah. We had folks from all across the nation show up to ride it. The first year, I laid out the trails so they were almost exactly 50 miles long.   The first day the riders went out and all complained about it being so long. The Vet came to me and asked, How long was that trail. I told him 50 miles, isn't that what endurance rides are supposed to be. He replied, Not in this terrain.  He told me to make the trail 40 miles long and tell everybody it was 50, because miles in the mountains that we were riding was just too tough.  The trail I had laid out had 16,000 foot of elevation change in the 50 miles.

The point being, It's not so much the altitude that you will be riding at, But rather how hard the horses have to work to climb and descend that much elevation.  I don't know how long the legs are at OTR, but a 20 -25 mile day isn't a problem for most horses that are mature and in good condition,  For an 8 hour day, that's only averaging 3 miles per hour. Which is just a dog walk.  If your horse has been standing in a 12x12 stall, Thats a lot of walking, But if he has a pasture to run around in and has been on 20 mile rides each saturday for the past few months. It's not a big deal. The real test of conditioning comes in doing 25 mile legs for 3-4 days in a row. Thats when the soreness and tenderness will manifast itself.

Because you do not know what the heat index will be (high on my first ride), and the terrain.....you swear once you get up this grade, you will be at the top...noooo...there's another one..I would suggest getting your horse in the best shape that you can. Limit the weight in your saddle bags. If you follow the packing list provided, you will be fine. On your horse you will have a canteen, all that you will need in the saddle bag is your lunch, kleenx, sunscreen and suntan lotion. Possibly some biodegradable TP. Depending on weather, you may want a slicker (not the plastic kind, but oilskin duster). If you do not wear a helmet, make sure you have a stampede string on your hat! Also, PROPER FITTING equipment. A 4 hour ride at home is not the same as having a horse saddled all day. Does the bit fit properly? What about the girth? saddle? Raw equipment sores can get you a ride with the camp crew and horse a trailer ride to the next camp. Don't forget about electrolytes, especially if it is hot. The vet techs usually carry some for those that forget. Arrive a few days early to let your horse recover from the trailer ride and get use to the water, etc. Rental horses are available, and the suppliers are reputable. The ride is shorter than in the early years. We use to ride all day everyday. Now they have a half day ride mid-week. As for any special things to take, follow the suggested packing list, and you should be fine. The nights can get cold, so a warm jacket for the campfire is a good idea, and warm sleeping bag. A solar shower is a nice treat. As for what drew me back for 3x....the people! Hard core horsemen & women are a part of this ride. I loved talking to them and learning new ideas and methods of horsemanship, as well as their wonderful stories. They had a historian dress in period clothes who did a great job of campfire storytelling about the rich history of the area where we rode.

Great Tip Flying.  Isn't it amazing how much "Night Riding" we do for hunting season.

That month in the fall I spend more time riding in the dark than the rest of the year combined.

I use the red led a lot to save the horses night vision. Gives me just enough light to see the branches coming at my face.