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Reviews > Animal Companion Gear > Animal Leashes and Collars > Granite Gear Absorber Leash > Owner Review by Amanda TikkanenOwner's Review--Granite Gear Absorber LeashReview Date: July 2, 2005 Name: Amanda Tikkanen Age: 23 Gender: Female Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.6 m) Weight: 135 lbs (61 kg) Email address: uberpest at uberpest dot com (Website http://www.uberpest.com) City, State, Country: LaGrange, IN USA Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking and hiking for five years throughout Michigan and Indiana, covering several hundred miles, always with a dog by my side. Beau has been happily carrying a pack for three years. Before Beau I hiked with Lucy, who is now retired. In the past I have used a tarp with ground sheet, but have gone back to using a tent due to its bug and weather resistance. My base pack weight is usually around 20 lb (9 kg) for summer. Product Information: Manufacturer: Granite Gear Year of Manufacture: 2005 URL: http://www.granitegear.com Manufacturer's weight: 5.5 oz (0.16 kg) Weight as tested: 6.4 oz (0.18 kg) Manufacturer's length: stretched 6 ft (1.8 m) unstretched 4 ft (1.2 m) Length: stretched-5 ft 8 in (1.7 m) unstretched-3 ft 10 in (1.2 m) MSRP: $12 (US) Warranty: Lifetime for defects in materials or craftsmanship to original owner Color: Royal Blue. Note: at this time the only color listed on the Granite Gear website is red. Owner's Review: Product Description: The Granite Gear Absorber Leash is a very simple design. It's a length of bungee cord inserted down the center of 1 in (2.5 cm) tubular webbing (will be referred to as "hoopie" for the rest of this review). On one end there is a scissors type snap and on the other is a hand hold loop which sports a Granite Gear logo patch. The loop is sewn together with a half twist (like a Mobius strip). I'm not really sure of the purpose of the Mobius leash, unless someone at Granite Gear is a real math nut. The bungee cord allows the leash to stretch to approximately 6 ft (1.8 m) while the hoopie keeps the leash from over stretching. When the bungee cord is relaxed the hoopie scrunches up neatly and out of the way. At first I didn't like the scissors snap. I didn't think it would be as secure as what I normally have on my leashes, bolt snaps. I thought the thumb tab on the snap would catch on something on the trail and release from Beau's collar. So far this hasn't happened. I have grown to like the tab since it is easy to use when I'm wearing winter gloves or mittens. I have used this leash for more than six months both on and off the trail in Michigan and Indiana. While hiking I am able to use my trekking poles with my dog on lead without any interference by Beau picking his own way down the trail. Even on very rough or rocky trails I haven't had any trouble. I have also used this leash to run Beau alongside my bike. Since Beau can trot at 7 mph (11.3 kph), I can't run fast enough to keep up with him for a workout, so he runs alongside my bike. I am able to keep balance and control of my bike without any trouble. I don't attach the leash to my bike at all-I just slip the loop over my wrist, clip the other end to Beau's collar, and away we go. The tubular webbing is soft and doesn't chafe my wrist even after a full weekend of hiking. There has been no significant wear in the time I've used this leash. The hoopie has frayed very slightly and picks up soft forest litter from time to time. This isn't a big problem to me since the leaves and other debris wipes right off. I must add that Beau has had a lot of training to keep both of us safe while on the trail or when biking down the road, even in traffic. I do NOT recommend this lead for training or with an untrained dog. An untrained dog would be very difficult to handle with this leash. There is no solid loop near the dog's collar to give corrections or to restrain a dog if needed. Even though the bungee lessens the shock of a dog jerking on a leash when starting or stopping suddenly, it does not eliminate all shock. A pulling dog would keep the leash tight at all times, negating any usefulness as a shock absorber. Summary: Overall this is a great product. The price was a big factor for me since other companies sell similar leashes for about twice the price. Likes:
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