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Reviews > Animal Companion Gear > Dog Packs > Ruff Wear Approach II Dog Pack > Owner Review by Amanda TikkanenOwner Review: Ruff Wear Approach II Dog PackName: Amanda Tikkanen Age: 24 Gender: Female Height: 5'4" (1.6 m) Weight: 135 lbs (61 kg) Email address: uberpest at uberpest dot com City, State, Country: LaGrange, IN USA Name: Beau (2x-BIMBS CH Cat's Cradle's Beaufort, CGC, TDI) Age: 5.5 Gender: Male Height: 24.5" (.6 m) Weight: 95 lbs (43.2 kg) Breed: Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog Additional training: backpacking, bicycling, conformation, hunting, competative obedience, and therapy. Date: December 28, 2005 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 since he was two. Before Beau I hiked with Lucy, who is now retired. My style of backpacking is moving from overnights to long distance hiking, including multi-day trips. While I don't favor ultralight equipment, I do like to go as light as possible while still being comfortable. Product Information: Manufacturer: Ruff Wear Year of manufacture: 2004 URL: www.ruffwear.com Specifications: Fabric: 1680 denier ballistic nylon Dimensions: (each side) 9" H x 12" L x 4" W (20 x 30.5 x 10 cm) Volume: 906 cubic inches (14.8 L) Size: Medium Fit range: Dog girth (at widest part of chest) 23"-36" (58-91 cm) Dog Length: (collar to base of tail) 19" (48 cm) Weight: 1 lb 2.5 oz (.52 kg) MSRP: $59.95 US Product Description: I ordered this pack from an online retailer in the early summer of 2004. It had one large hangtag with instructions on how to fit the pack to the dog and train the dog to wear the pack. The Ruff Wear Approach II dog pack is two elliptical zippered saddlebags constructed of black 1680-denier ballistic nylon and either red or blue cordura packcloth attached to a harness. Each pack is a single compartment. The harness puts the weight of a load directly over the dog's shoulders. The harness consists of padded nylon material and webbing which runs in a Y-shape around the dog's neck and between its front legs, where it attaches to one of the straps on the bottom of the pack. There are two straps on the bottom of the dog's chest, one that goes around the widest part of the chest and one that cinches tight to the rear of the rib cage. The belly straps are adjustable, secure with side-release buckles, and are padded with polyester fleece. There is reflective piping on the sides of the pack, an assistance handle on the top between the panniers, and two leash attachment loops on the top of the pack. One loop is at the rear of the pack, at the center of the harness, and the other is directly in front of the assistance handle, about halfway up the length of the pack. The zippers are heavy duty and have ribbon tabs featuring the company logo attached to the pull-tabs. There is a small blue paw print logo embroidered on the ballistic nylon. This is visible in the photos below. This pack is available in five sizes to fit most dogs. Sizing adjustments are made by sliding plastic sliders to take up slack in the webbing. I purchased this pack due to the construction of the harness, which was reported to be non-restrictive of the dog's shoulders, allowing for freer movement on the trail. I found this to be true, especially on long or steep inclines. My dog was able to move efficiently and the harness did not ride up and restrict his airway. The padding on the harness prevented any chafing that may have occurred from the straps, especially on a short-coated dog like Beau. The pack carried a load well and I try not to load more than 15-20% of the dog's bodyweight into the pack. I load the pack with the weight evenly distributed between the two panniers to properly balance the road. I was initially unsure which size to get Beau, since his girth was just big enough for the next size larger pack, but after consulting with Ruff Wear's customer service, I decided to go with the medium pack. I was advised it would fit him better since he is in the middle of the medium but at the small end of the large pack. Although I would have liked to get the larger pack because of its larger capacity, I do like how well the medium pack fits Beau. Note: the Ruff Wear Approach II dog pack, like its higher-end sibling, the Pallisades II pack, are completely redesigned versions of the original Ruff Wear dog packs. These originals are now discontinued. Field Information: The harness was easy to get on and off my dog-he has worn harnesses in the past, so he knew how to lift his front leg to put the harness on. Other users may find this difficult. The leash attachment points on the harness are advertised as either a restraint (front), or for the dog to help pull you up a hill (tail loop). These seemed thin and I was skeptical they would hold with a large, strong dog pulling on them. The tail loop / rear attachment point is a simple nylon loop and the front attachment point is a plastic D-ring sewn into a piece of nylon webbing. Photo, pack in use with leash attached and dishes clipped to outside:  I tested this pack on my Catahoula, Beau, during several 6-10 mile (9.7- 16.0 km)day hikes, 3 overnight hikes ranging from 17 to 25 miles (27 to 40 km), one 5 day, 72 mile (116 km) trip on Northern Michigan's High Country Pathway (HCP). The pack was also used to get Beau in shape for these hikes. In all the pack has about 200 miles (322 km)on it. During most hikes Beau carried: a map of the area, compass, pocketknife, 2 L (2.1 qt) of water, snacks, clean up baggies (for feces), a first aid kit, dog booties, an extra collar and leash, a AA mini-mag flashlight or photon microlight, with two dog dishes clipped to the outside of the pack. For the overnight trip he carried the same gear, plus two days' worth of food. On the HCP he carried this gear plus five days' worth of food. As long as I packed all his food in one 1 gallon (3.8 L) bag per side, all his food for five days fit. When I packaged each meal separately-each double bagged in 1 qt (.9 L) Ziploc bags-I could not fit all his food and gear for five days in this pack. I believe the five individual bags per side were bulkier than the single large bag. Weight for the day hikes was approximately 6 lbs (2.7 kg), and 13 lbs (6 kg) for the longer trips. Weight was total for the pack, distributed evenly between the panniers. The highest elevation gain during use was two trips up Rattlesnake Hill on the HCP. On the first trip up the hill we gained 200' in ¾ miles (61 m in 1.2 km) and the second, on the opposite side of the hill, we gained 200' in 1 mile (61 m in 1.6 km) (NOTE: elevation gains and distances are approximate and taken from my topographic map of the area). The pack has held up well to thick brush and Beau lying down while wearing the pack thanks to the ballistic nylon. The embroidered blue paw print has darkened due to trail grime, but that is a cosmetic concern. The only major wear on the pack was where the tail loop pulled out of the rear of the harness. I had Beau's leash attached to the rear fabric loop while walking up a long incline and the loop tore free. I returned the pack to Ruff Wear for repair (under warranty and at no charge) and have had no trouble with this loop since the repair. In fact the stitching looks like it did when the pack was new. Other than this point the pack seems durable enough for most dogs and most trails. I have not seen any wear on the fabric, hardware, or zippers. The zippers still run as well after all this use as they did when it first arrived. I haven't noticed any fraying of the nylon or cordura fabrics, but the polyester fleece has some slight pilling. I haven't washed the pack since it hasn't needed it--it hasn't even built up a doggy odor. The assistance handle isn't showing any wear, though it wasn't used for its intended purpose often since Beau is a large dog and good at climbing over trail obstacles. The flaps that cover the zippers on the pack would regularly pull up, exposing the zippers, which could allow rain to seep into the pack. I have included a photo of this.  When I loaded the pack evenly (equal weights in each side) it didn't affect Beau's range of motion or balance. Beau was easily able to climb logs, cross bridges, and even take a nap alongside the trail while wearing this pack. Although I could fit everything he needed in the pack, I would like some extra room for light bulky items, such as my rain gear or his dog jacket. When I loaded the pack even slightly unevenly (as little as my pocket knife on one side or the other) the pack would slump to the heavier side. I never loaded this pack to the point where Beau had trouble carrying it, but he seemed quite happy to be hiking even when carrying about 15% of his body weight. photos: Beau climbing a log:   photo: Beau on a bridge:  
 Several open areas on the back of the harness allowed for heat to disperse while evenly distributing the load over the dog's shoulder area. Beau never seemed overheated while using this pack. After the five-day trip I noticed a small patch of thin hair on Beau's side where the rear buckle fastens. The spot was approximately 1" (2.5 cm) across by ½" (1.3 cm) high. The harness is padded at this point but there does appear to be some rubbing. For day hikes and overnights this was never a problem. I was unable to get a clear photograph of this spot since it was so thin on dark hair, and Beau's coat is very shiny. The point where the front buckle attaches never caused any chafing. Summary: The capacity of this pack is good for most day hikes or overnight trips. The assistance handle performs well for helping Beau over objects in the trail, restraining when near other trail users, and carrying the pack when not on the dog. The non-restrictive harness allowed my dog to negotiate trail hazards, such as narrow bridges, downed trees, and steep inclines with ease. The pack performed well, despite the tail loop tearing out. I found the design functional for multiple days on the trail. A favorite design feature is the assistance handle, which I used to carry the pack when not on my dog, and for a more visible physical restraint when waiting for other trail users to pass by. The pack is lacking lash points to attach items such as a sleeping pad, but does have two loops designed to be used with a leash. In my opinion these loops are good only for clipping on a dog dish to dry. If you are looking to attach a leash directly to the pack, I suggest using a carabiner or knot to attach the leash directly to the assistance handle on the pack. Ruff Wear's customer service was excellent, both when I was originally deciding what size to order and again when repairing the damage to the tail loop. Likes:
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