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Reviews > Animal Companion Gear > Dog Packs > Granite Gear Ruff Rider > Owner Review by Sheila MorrisseyGRANITE GEAR RUFF RIDER DOG PACKOWNER REVIEW Date: February 11, 2007 Name: Sheila Morrissey Age: 26 Gender: Female Height: 5’ 8” (1.7 m) Weight: 150 lb (68 kg) Email address: geosheila(at)yahoo(dot)com City, State, Country: Goleta, California, USA My Backpacking Background: I’ve been car camping and day hiking since I was born, but I only started backpacking in 2005. So far, most of my backpacking trips have been long weekend hikes into the Sierra Nevada with friends and my dog, Patch. In fair weather, my pack is usually around 25 lb (11 kg), including consumables. Dog: Patch Breed: Boxer Sex: Neutered Male Age: 4.5 years Weight: 60 lb (27 kg) Collar to Tail Measurement: 21 in (53 cm) Girth Behind Front Legs: 31.5 in (77.5 cm) Patch's Backpacking Background: Patch was adopted in September 2003 and started hiking the following weekend. He first carried a pack for day hikes in 2004 and he started backpacking with me in 2005. We typically start a hike with his pack weighing around 6 lb (3 kg), most of which is consumables. He does a mix of on-leash and off-leash hiking, but never jumps into water (he's afraid). Patch has a very short coat and sensitive skin, which can be bothered by some harnesses. PRODUCT INFORMATION Manufacturer: Granite Gear Year: 2004 Manufacturer’s Website: http://www.granitegear.com Size: Medium Listed Weight: None Measured Weight: 19 oz (540 g) Capacity: 1100 in3 (18,000 cm3) MSRP: $51.00  PRODUCT DESCRIPTION The Granite Gear Ruff Rider dog pack slides over Patch's head and has an adjustable strap across the front of his chest (below his neck and in front of his front legs) and an adjustable plastic buckle clip that secures the pack around his chest behind his front legs. Two side pouches, totalling 1100 in3 (18,000 cm3) capacity, are constructed of 210 denier Cordura fabric. The fabric has proven to contain small spills inside the pack and so seems to be water resistant. Patch is afraid of water and is carried across any stream higher than his ankles, so we haven't tested the waterproofness of this pack in the field. However, at home, I held the pack under the sink faucet. Most water rolled off the material, but some water was able to seep through and dampen the inside of the pack. Water was also able to get through the zipper. I don't take Patch hiking in the rain, but if I were to, I might try a waterproofing spray on the side pouch material. Rain wouldn't likely enter through the zipper because an extra 1-inch (2.5 cm) flap of material covers the zipper. 550-g fleece pads the sides of the pouches where they rest on Patch's ribs, and on the more recent versions of this product, fleece also pads the top yoke. 2-inch (5 cm) flaps of the Cordura fabric lined with fleece extend from the pouches to pad the adjustable chest strap below Patch's neck. On Patch's older version of the Ruff Rider, the top yoke is constructed of plastic webbing which rests directly on his back to distribute the weight of the pack on his shoulders and spine. The open plastic webbing may allow for more air flow and doesn't seem to be uncomfortable for Patch, so I don't know what the advantage was for Granite Gear switching to fleece on the underside of the yoke. A D-ring on the end of the yoke closest to Patch's tail is supposed to be an alternative leash attachment point, though I have found that attaching a leash here tends to shift the pack on Patch's back, so I attach a leash to his collar instead. The yoke distributes the weight of the side pouches with three adjustable straps on each side of the pack. The six adjustable yoke straps offer many options for places to tie on those full poop bags. They also, along with the two adjustable chest straps (one in front of and one behind his front legs), ensure a very good fit of the Ruff Rider. FIELD INFORMATION Patch has used the Granite Gear Ruff Rider on at least four backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada and Santa Ynez Mountains in California. Patch typically carries about 6 lb (3kg) of his own gear in his pack while backpacking on mountainous trails in temperatures ranging from 40 to 80 F (4 to 27 C). Patch has also used the Granite Gear Ruff Rider to carry up to 10 lb (4.5 kg) of water samples for me while we worked, day hiking off-trail in mountainous terraine with temperatures ranging from 20 to 80 F (-7 to 27 C). When Patch uses the pack on longer day hikes, the total weight is generally under 5 lb (2.3 kg). FIELD TESTING - TRAINING It took no training for Patch to accept wearing the Granite Gear Ruff Rider dog pack. Everytime he wears it, it does take a few minutes of hiking for him to remember that he's a little wider with the pack on and needs to step further from trees and boulders. Patch tends to only walk (not run) while wearing the pack. I don't know if this is because it is uncomfortable for him to run with the pack or if it's some sort of doggy mentality that he's "working" while wearing the pack, but I suspect it's just because running with a pack is difficult. I never run when I'm wearing my pack!  FIELD TESTING - FIT I chose the size medium Granite Gear Ruff Rider for Patch because it was the only pack, of about a dozen different sizes and brands that he tried on, that fit him. I wish we'd had more options, but the other brands we tried had chest straps that didn't adjust long enough to accomodate his deep boxer chest. The larger sized packs had side pouches that extended too far down his sides and were generally too loose. Despite the great fit all of the adjustable straps on the Granite Gear Ruff Rider provide, I have found that all of the straps loosen during our hikes, requiring many time-consuming adjustments. In the photo above, the straps are not doubled-back in the plastic buckles because I was continually adjusting them for Patch's heavy load that day. Though I try to make sure Patch's gear is evenly distributed between the two side pouches, I find that the pack sometimes shifts to one side, particularly when he bumps into boulders or trees on the side of the trail. A strap between his legs might not have been included on the Granite Gear Ruff Rider to eliminate chaffing, but such a strap (properly padded) might help with this side-to-side shifting of the pack. FIELD TESTING - FUNCTION Patch generally carries a homemade identification card with my phone number and our home address (because I've heard of dogs losing their packs, though I can't imagine how that could happen), two 0.5-L (0.25 US gal) Platypus water bottles, a coat (Ruff Wear K-9 Overcoat II), a foldable dog bowl, dog food in sealable plastic bags, poop bags, and a small first aid kit. The fleece lining the sides of the pouches cannot pad sharp-corners objects or uncomfortable loads, so I always make sure to pack the Ruff Rider comfortably for Patch. Usually, I put one flexible water bottle in each pouch, placed closest to his ribs. When the trail gets too rocky or the weather gets too warm, I can easily strap the dog pack to my own pack and let Patch hike without it. One change I would like to see Granite Gear make to this pack is to add reflective strips. Patch's version of the Ruff Rider has no reflective strips at all and the newer versions have only a small reflective piece. FIELD TESTING - DURABILITY There have been no problems with stuck zippers, broken buckles, or holes developing in the fabric. The fleece is full of short white dog hairs, but that's the only sign of wear on Patch's Ruff Rider. Patch doesn't tend to run off trail or tumble through muddy streams, but he has scraped his pack along plenty of boulders without a mark on the pack. PROS
 A NOTE ON TRYING ON DOG PACKS When selecting a pack for Patch, I found that several major outdoor companies allow dogs inside their stores. I always asked first, then made sure Patch quickly and politely walked straight to the dog section. Of course, since Patch is the cutest dog in the world, he always caused a scene. Still, if I were shopping for human gear, I wouldn't be happy finding dog hair everywhere. I hope other dog owners will also remember to keep their friendly dogs on a tight leash and under control in outdoor stores so that Patch and I will be allowed to return. Read more reviews of Granite Gear gear Read more gear reviews by Sheila Morrissey Reviews > Animal Companion Gear > Dog Packs > Granite Gear Ruff Rider > Owner Review by Sheila Morrissey | |||