|
| Home | Guest - Not logged in | |||
|
» Register
» Login
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
» Contact
|
Reviews > Animal Companion Gear > Dog Packs > Wolf Packs Reflector > Owner Review by Amanda TikkanenOwner Review: Wolf Packs Reflector Dog PackReview Date: April 1, 2005 Revised: January 8, 2005 Name: 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 Canine Tester #1 Name: Lucy (Lucy Anna Skye, MB-CD, CGC) Age: 13 (7.5 at time of use) Gender: Female (spayed) Height: 19.5" (.5 m) Weight: 50 lbs (22.7 kg) Breed: Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog X Australian Cattle Dog Canine Tester #2 Name: Beau (2x-BIMBS CH Cat's Cradle's Beaufort, CGC, TDI) Age: 5.5 (2-4 years at time of use) Gender: Male Height: 24.5" (.6 m) Weight: 90 lbs (40.8 kg) Breed: Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog 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 almost three years. 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: Wolf Packs, Inc Year of manufacture: 1999 URL: http://www.wolfpacks.com Specifications: Fabric: Cordura Plus nylon Manufacturer's Dimensions: (each side) 8.5" H x 15" L x 5" W (21.6 x 38.1 x 12.7 cm) Dimensions as tested: (each side) 7.75" H x 14.5" L x 4.75" W (19.7 x 36.8 x 12.0 cm) Volume: 1150 cubic inches (18.9 L) Size: Medium Fit range: Dog girth (at dog's last rib): 26"- 34" (66.0 - 86.4 cm) Weight: 1 lb (.5 kg) on my scale; no weight provided by manufacturer MSRP: US $59.00 Product Description: I ordered this pack from the manufacturer through their website in the fall of 1999. When it arrived 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 Wolf Packs Reflector dog pack is two elliptical zippered saddlebags constructed of Cordura Plus packcloth attached to a band of pack cloth that rests over the dog's shoulders. Each pack is a single compartment, the seams of which are not taped or sealed. The interior surface of the pack does have a waterproof coating of some kind. The back band of the pack puts the weight of a load directly over the dog's shoulders and also contains a zippered flap for maps or ID. On top of the saddle bags there are lash tabs, one on each side. These lash tabs will accept straps up to 1" (2.5 cm) wide to attach items such as a sleeping pad. The packs fit the dog via webbing straps. The first strap goes in front of the dog's chest, approximately on top of the breastbone, and the second strap goes under the chest at the last rib. The belly and chest straps are adjustable and secure with side-release buckles. The buckles are padded with polyester fleece. There is a strip of 3M Scotchlight reflective tape on each side of the pack. The zippers are heavy-duty YKK zippers with large, rubber-coated pull-tabs. This pack is available in four sizes to fit most dogs. Sizing adjustments are made by sliding plastic sliders to take up slack in the webbing. Colors available are red, royal blue, and forest green, as well as custom colors such as purple and orange. My pack is orange.  I purchased this pack due to the company's reputation for manufacturing quality equipment. I chose orange for this pack because it offered better visibility in the woods and when hiking along roads. I thought this would be especially helpful if I were to be hiking during some hunting seasons, and because my dogs are mottled colored, which allows them to blend into the surrounding woodlands. The padding on the harness prevents any chafing that may occur from the straps, especially on a short-coated dog. The pack carried a load well and I try not to load more than 15-20% of the dog's bodyweight into the pack. Field Information: This pack was used on dayhikes and overnight hikes in northeastern Indiana and throughout Michigan's lower peninsula. Overnight hikes were two days of hiking with an overnight backcountry campout in between. Trail conditions included dry, sandy trails, some gravel covered trails, muddy trails, brushy overgrown trails, some minor water crossings, rain, snow, and sunshine. Trails were often hilly, but exact elevations are unknown. Temperatures ranged from the mid-20's F (-4 C) to over 90 degrees F (32 C). I originally purchased this pack for my dog Lucy in the fall of 1999. She carried the pack on day hikes in Indiana over the winter of 1999 and the summer of 2000 for a total of about 30 miles (48.3 km) before she was retired due to a tear to her anterior cruciate ligament. The following summer Beau started carrying the pack and has carried it about 100 miles (161 km) during day hikes and overnight trips in Michigan and Indiana. One overnight trip included a 17-mile (27.4 km) day. Items carried in the pack varied, but were usually some combination of: a map of the area, compass, pocketknife, 2 liters of water, water bowl, snacks, clean up baggies (for feces), a first aid kit, dog booties, an extra collar and leash, a AA mini-mag flashlight, and kibble, which was double bagged in zippered plastic bags. Weight for the load varied from 3-13 lb (1.4- 5.9 kg). The pack never seemed to slow down either of my dogs, even in snow reaching above their elbows or in thick brush. According to the manufacturer, the packcloth used in this pack should be tough enough for any trip, unless the pack is being constantly dragged across rock. I have found this to be true. The pack has held up well to thick brush and the dogs lying down while wearing the pack. The only notable wear on the pack is from when Beau crawled through some thick muck, which has lightly stained the orange material. While washing the muck off the pack some of the color seemed to bleed out into the wash water. Other than this point, which is mostly aesthetic, the pack seems durable enough for most dogs and most trails. There are no frayed threads or worn spots on the pack. As for fitting, Lucy is at the low end of the comfort range for the medium Reflector, while Beau is at the upper range. This doesn't seem to be a problem for either dog as the pack adjusts easily and will hold enough food for either for several days. One nice feature of the belly and chest straps was that, once adjusted, the straps rarely needed to be tightened or loosened. At rest stops or water crossings I only needed to undo the belly strap, then lift the pack over the dog's head. There was no need for the dog to do anything but stand in one place to put the pack on or take it off. I have heard this type of pack referred to as a "restrictive harness." I have not had any trouble with the chest strap riding up into the dog's windpipe or impeding shoulder movement. The only fit problems I had were actually due to there being nothing on the pack where I could attach a leash. If the dog walked in front of me with a leash attached to his or her collar, the leash would get caught under one of the saddle bags and pull that side up, throwing off the balance of the load. The only remedy I found for this was to have the dog walk behind or beside me when on leash. Small details from the pack designer that I appreciated are the large rubberized pull-tabs on the zippers. These were easy to manipulate, even with winter gloves on. The rubberized coating eliminated any annoying jingling while on the trail. The reflective strips on the pack did improve visibility in the dark or in low light conditions such as fog. This is a definite bonus if one is hiking along roads. I have seam sealed the pack to further waterproof it. I usually carry all items in plastic bags just in case the dog takes an unexpected swim. I also added a piece of shock cord to the lash tabs on the top of the pack so I could store the dog's jacket for easy access. I do wish that, instead of lash tabs, there were daisy chains on the back of the pack. This would allow more options for attaching items than the lash tabs afford. For instance, carabiners could clip dishes to the outside of the pack to dry, and foam pads could be lashed down in a nose-to-tail direction and across the shoulders, instead of across the shoulders only. I also wish there were some kind of handle on the pack to carry the pack during water crossings or assist the dog over trail obstacles. One final request to the manufacturer would be to tape the seams of the pack to further waterproof it. Summary: The capacity of this pack is good for most day hikes or overnight trips. It is an easy to use entry-level pack. Likes:
Read more reviews of Wolfpacks gear Read more gear reviews by Amanda Tikkanen Reviews > Animal Companion Gear > Dog Packs > Wolf Packs Reflector > Owner Review by Amanda Tikkanen | |||