Wolf Packs come in four different sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large. Instructions for measuring the dog are on their website, measuring was a good idea as I thought Quinn would have needed a large, when he acutally needed a medium. The medium pack is sized at 1150 cu in total volume (18.8 L). Measuring Quinn's pack I get the following dimensions:

• The map pouch measures 8-3/4" long (22 cm), 3-3/4" wide in front (9.5 cm), 5-1/4" in back (13 cm)
• Each side pouch measures 12-1/2" wide, 7-1/2" high, and 4-1/4" thick (31.75 cm x 19 cm x 10.8 cm)

There is a choice of colors, to blend better into the outdoors I selected a forest green, but other choices include red and royal blue (light blue, not dark). The packs are made of Cordura nylon, except for their top-of-the-line Banzai pack, which is made Cordura Plus (upper section) and Ballistic nylon (pouches).

I was concerned about how the pack would fit, and how Quinn would take to the idea of wearing it. As it happens, I was worrying unnecessarily about nothing; the pack fit perfectly, and Quinn was more concerned about where we were going than that there was a pack on his back. I actually think that he now feels more like one of the group, we have our packs and he has his.

On our first trip (a day hike) I kept an eye on Quinn in case there were any signs of discomfort, or other issues with the pack or with Quinn. Our hike was in the Roaring Run Natural Area in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. This has become my favorite area for testing new equipment, or teaching Leave-No-Trace ethics, as it contains every type of environment in Pennsylvania: steep climbs, rocky descents, bogs, pine forests, and stream crossings (28 in all) which vary from ankle to shin depth. The first problem Quinn encountered was the added width to his body - he no longer fit easily between close bushes. He adjusted quickly by slowing his pace and allowing the bushes to brush aside more easily.

The second problem, more of a concern, was the stream crossings: how well would the pack keep the contents dry? As it happens the tight weave of the cloth, and the interior coating, do an excellent job - even after 9 years the pack is still very waterproof. Quinn has never gotten deep enough to submerge the zippers, so I can't attest to the water resistance of the zippers.

I quickly discovered the importance of load balancing with respect to the pouches - if there is too great a discrepancy between the weight of the pouches they do tend to shift a little with Quinn's gait. I usually start off with an equal number of water bottles and food in each pouch. While an empty bottle in one pouch and a full one in the other isn't enough to cause shifting, two empties and two fulls does, so after emptying the first bottle in the right side I will next use a bottle from the left side. In this manner I can keep the pack in balance.

One final note, the pack cleans up well either by hand or in the clothes washer. I just need to be sure that all of the clips are connected, and I usually don't use detergents as a personal preference.

Before settling on the Wolf Pack I had previously purchased three other packs: one online and two from local pet stores. These packs were either too small to be useful, poorly fitted to my dog, leaked, or just failed to remain in place. While I have been happy with the usefulness of the Wolf Pack, Quinn has been quite happy with its' feel - and that's probably the best endorsement a pack can get.