 Ruff
Wear
Bark'n Boots Grip Trex
Ruff Wear's all condition, all season, all
terrain boots.
Andrew Buskov
Initial Report: April 21, 2008
Field Report - June 27, 2008
Tester
Biographical Information |
| Pet
Biographical
Information | | Name: |
Andrew Buskov | | Age: |
33 | | Gender: |
Male | | Height: |
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | | Weight: |
217 lbs (98 kg) |
| Email: |
Rescue(at)Corridor9(dot)net |
| City, State Zip | Madisonville, Kentucky
USA |
| | Name: | Sadie | | Age: | 10
Months | | Gender: | Female | | Breed: | German
Shepherd Mix | | Height: | 22
in (56 cm) | | Weight: | 35
lb (15.8 kg) | | Girth: | 24
in (61 cm) | | Paw Width: | 2.25
in (57 mm) | | Length: | 22
in (56 cm) |
|
Backpacking
Background:
I started backpacking young, hiking
various environments from the green mountains of the
Appalachians to the barren desert of Arizona. I enjoy the solitude of
deep
backcountry and prefer colder weather and snow. I’m moving
toward becoming a light weight hiker, but am still safety conscious
and want to be as prepared and comfortable as possible. My
goal is to get my pack weight between 15 to 20 lbs (6 and 9
kg), but right now I'm hovering around 25 lbs (11 kg). Additional
information about the author can be found at http://www.corridor9.net.
Product Information: 
| Item: |
Ruff Wear Bark'n Boots Grip Trex
|
| Manufacturer: | Ruff Wear
|
| Website | http://www.ruffwear.com
|
| Year of Manufacture: | 2008
|
| MSRP: | $59.95 |
| Weight of One: |
1.06 oz (.030 kg)
| | Weight of All 4: | 4.30 oz (.122 kg) |
| Color: |
Red Currant
|
Product
Overview:Ruff
Wear's Bark'n Boots Grip Trex version is designed with serious hiking
dogs in mind. These boots are built just like human shoes; anatomically
correct for dogs right down to the way they are sized. No longer is
there a "one size fits all" mentality. They are designed to fit around
the dogs ankle just below the carpal pad instead of 3 or 4 inches up
the dog's leg. The top of the boot is constructed of a breathable mesh
material that aids in helping the boot drain when exposed to watery
conditions. The mouth of the boot has a gusset that expands making it
easier to apply and remove from the foot. The entire closure strap has
hook and loop fastening material so that there is no little tabs
hanging
that can catch onto something to snag, while the bottom is constructed
of a Vibram high-grip, high traction sole that enhances
stability and traction.
Initial
Impression: The Ruff Wear Bark'n Boots Grip Trex arrived at
my door complete and without any noticeable damage. Included
in
the box was one set of 4 boots, a stuffsack, and a hangtag with
information about Vibram's history. The outside of the box included
documentation regarding the size and color of the enclosed boots, and
additional information including manufacturer's address, warranty
policy, and a general description of the boots inside.
When
I first opened the package I was quite a bit surprised at how well
these boots appeared to be constructed. In the past, the only
experience I had with any sort of dog boots occurred with the standard
"one size fits all, bag-style boot" that slips over the dog's leg and
must be duct taped half way up the forearm, or calf, to remain in
place. I had only attempted using this older style twice till it became
obvious that Sadie didn't' like them and was intent on removing them
however possible. This usually included her finding a tree somewhere a
bit ahead of me on the trail, hiding behind it, and vigorously chewing
at the boot till I got close enough to notice what was going on. The
last trip ended in one of her boots being lost in the snow because she
eventually chewed her way through the duct tape and the boot slipped
off.
The
Ruff Wear Grip Trex boots are constructed
very differently from those other boots though. Instead of
having one long gusseted seam that ran the entire length of
the boot, these Grip Trex boots are designed to be fitted to the
individual dog's paw size. Just like we might go to a store and try on
boots to see which size fits us best, Ruff Wear's Grip Trex boots also
have different sizes to fit a variety of dog paws tightly. Ruff Wear
goes as far to state how important sizing is on their website and
provide detailed instructions on how to properly measure the size of
your dog's foot to make sure you get the right size. The boots are
sized from XXS to XXL in increments of .25 in (6 mm). The size of the
boot is silkscreened onto the inside of the tongue just like it would
be in human shoes. Also silkscreened is Ruff Wear's toll free number
just in case you happen to lose a boot on a thru trek
 Do
to the typical German Shepherd breed size being between 22 - 26 in (56
- 66 cm) in height, her paw size of roughly 2.25 in (57 mm) in width
puts her in a size XS. I was real worried when I sized her thinking
that she should surely fit into a larger size. In fact, I ended up
sizing her on 5 different occasions to make sure I was doing it right.
Sure enough, her paw size is XS, and the Grip Trex boots fit "like a
glove". The gusset on the front / top side of the boot made it real
easy for me to put the boot on and off. The cinch strap is made of
tough strap material with reflective ribbon sewn on. The back side of
the strap is covered completely with hook and loop material. Because of
this, there is no hanging pull that is found on other boots. This made
it that much harder for Sadie to grab at it with her teeth and loosen
up the boot till it falls off.
I
must say that with the
little bit of testing we did, in house only, she didn't really bite at
the boots as much as I thought she would. Sure there was a bit of
"puppy prancing"
around till we started running around and playing more and her
attention was no longer focused on the way her feet were feeling. Being
as how Sadie is primarily an outside dog due to our daughter's mild
allergies, the only rooms that she's allowed to be in while inside are
the kitchen and utility room. She has become used to the linoleum and
faux wood flooring in those areas, and learned that there is likely to
be a bit of sliding when she runs. I could tell it was taking
her
a bit of adjusting when we were running around due to the way the boots
gripped the floor. It only took a few minutes before she realized that
she now had a whole lot more traction than without the boots though.
I'd
like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Ruff Wear for allowing me the
wonderful opportunity to test the Bark'n Boots Grip Trex.
Field Report - June 27, 2008
 Field Locations:
During this testing period I was only able to use
the Ruff Wear Grip Trex on two occasions. Both of these occasions were
day trips to the Pennyrile State Resort Park area of the Pennyrile
State Forrest, a 14,000 a (5600 ha) section of forest that has roughly 23 mi (37 km) of
trails. The elevation
for the area is between 400 -700 ft (122 -
213 m). Both
hikes were on the Lake trail loop that is roughly 2 miles in length.
Temperatures for these trips hovered around 75 F (24 C) and there was
no precipitation on either trip.
Performance:I
was very wary about taking these into the woods. They're such nice
boots, I was really scared that Sadie would lose one as she did with
her previous boots. I decided that taking shorter trips to start
would help me to better keep an eye on Sadie, allow her to get used to
the boots and break them in without the strain and stress of a long
haul. I know I don't like buying a new pair of shoes then taking them
out my first time on a marathon hike, I can only assume that the same
is true of dog boots.
 These
boots fit Sadie's feet real well throughout the whole hike. I believe
this was largely in part to the way these are fitted to her feet as
opposed to a one size fits all boot. Not only did they keep from
falling off, but I didn't once find her boot wrapped around her foot
like I did with other boots she's worn. The hook and loop attachment
held these boots well enough that I didn't need to try duct taping them
to her feet. It was a bit nerving to keep my eyes on her more actively
to make sure we didn't lose one, but it was also nice to know that if
one did turn up lost I wouldn't need to purchase a complete set of four
as Ruff Wear sells single boots just for this reason.
The
elastic top did well to keep out rocks and sticks allowing only a bit
of fine dirt to enter into the boot area. This fine dirt didn't appear
to be enough to irritate Sadie in the least. The boots also didn't
catch long grass, twigs, or stickers as we were walking.
This is a definite plus as previous boots were covered with grass
and sticker bush heads all over them.
I was surprised at the
lack of interest that Sadie seems to pay toward these boots. She hasn't
been biting or gnawing at them at all during our trips. It's almost as
if she doesn't know that they are there. I also have not had the
need to wash these yet, but will probably do this prior to the next
report just so I can include it. So far though, these boots have not
held any stains, but they haven't been completely covered in mud yet
either. Maybe throughout the upcoming testing period we'll get an
opportunity to go walking where more rain has fallen as it's been
rather dry this summer in our usual walking areas.
This
concludes the Field Report phase of this report. Be sure to check
back in roughly two months for information from the Long Term Report
phase.
Read more reviews of Ruff Wear gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrew Buskov
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