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Jesse's Hunting > A Gun Dog's Life > Gun Dog Gear > Outfit Your Dog With Ruffwear
Outfit Your Dog With Ruffwear
Bryce Mann - JHO ProStaff
- Tollhouse, CA
June 19, 2008
The month of April is a very busy time around here for the Gun Dogs because it not only nears the end of the upland bird season, but it is time for the North American Gun Dog Association’s (NAGDA) National Finals.
While our tournament hunting team was back in Eastern Colorado for the competition I was asked to field test some equipment for the dogs. RuffWear is a manufacturer of outerwear and equipment for dogs. Hiking boots I know about. Dog boots, I know about. But when it comes to backpacks, I seldom use one myself much less for the dogs.
So I asked for some help on this test from some friends who not only backpack but pack with their dog. When I called to ask, they quickly told me they already had a backpack for the dog but are willing to do a comparison test well. “Even better,” was my reply.
My thanks go out to Austin, my favorite Vizsla, and his people Dan & Stacie. Here’s 
The well equipped canine!
Austin here sporting the Ruffwear pack. In the field, Austin's owners were impressed with the performance of the Ruffwear pack and boots. |
Here's our full assessment of the RuffWear boots and pack including a comparison to his Kelty Chuckwagon pack.
About a year and a half ago we purchased a Kelty Chuckwagon backpack for Austin and have since used it extensively on jogs, walks and hikes lasting from less than an hour all the way up to nine hours at a time, and have been generally very happy with its performance. In fact, we have enthusiastically recommended the Kelty pack to several friends and family members. However; we can honestly say that this RuffWear pack out performs our Kelty hands down. The RuffWear pack will be our preferred dog backpack and number one recommendation from now on.
The RuffWear pack is superior to the Kelty Chuckwagon in the following ways:
- It has more reflective detailing
- Its zippers have the addition of a self-sealing mechanism when closed that appears to keep water out
- It has a sturdy, ergonomic mainframe of sorts that gives the pack more stability compared to the more malleable and not reinforced pad that makes up the Kelty's core
- Besides the main strapping which crisscrosses the collar bone and encompasses the rib cage, it has an additional strap that encompasses the lower torso which seems to better prevent the bag from becoming unbalanced and lopsided should the contents of the two pockets not weigh the same. Whereas the pack tipping and sliding to one side or the other is a frequent hassle with the Kelty, requiring a constant adjustment of contents to keep the pack balanced once water, food, etc are consumed or added from/to either pocket of the pack, we never once needed to shuffle the contents of the RuffWear pack. And Austin wore the pack for the entirety of our 7.5 mile, 2.5 hour hike and there was about a 50% difference in weight of the 2 pockets by the end of the hike since he began with equally full water bottles and drank almost all of one, but none of the other.
- While the Kelty only has padding under the clips and strap intersections of its strapping system, the RuffWear pack has padding surrounding the entire length of the two straps encompassing the chest wall and lower torso. Austin has been abraded by the straps of his Kelty after long hikes/walks but he was not abraded at all by the RuffWear.
- The handle on the top of the RuffWear pack is sturdier than that of the Kelty.
- The RuffWear pack has 2 daisy chains, 1 on each side, while the Kelty has none.
- The leash clip on the RuffWear pack is metal and thicker than the plastic leash clip on the Kelty.
- To top it all off, the RuffWear pack just looks cooler.
While we only have limited experience using boots for Austin, but RuffWear's version once again proved superior to all the other two or three dog boot products we've tried. All the other pairs we've tried have been complicated to put on, quick to become crooked and slip off, and have abraded Austin's wrists/ankles in the process.
We were impressed by the RuffWear boots the moment we pulled them out of the box and noticed the superior construction with mesh uppers, Vibram soles with traction, reflective detailing and secure hook and loop closure. Confirming the proper fit was quick and easy thanks to the clear and concise fitting instructions provided in the pictorials and packaging. Slipping on and securing the RuffWear boots was also a cinch (pun intended), they did not once become crooked during the 2-3 mile, approximately 1 hour-long hike he wore them on, and the only reason one boot came off one time was because one of us accidentally stepped on the end of it, pulling it off his foot. He high-stepped in the boots for about the first 30 to 60 seconds he had them on, but immediately after that he focused completely on the hike and was striding, even running, unabashedly on the trail, over rocks, through fields, through creeks, over a bridge, up and down hills, and having a grand old time. Upon removing the boots we found no evidence of abrasion or bruising or any other wear and tear injury. While wearing them he never limped or favored a foot.
So aside from my husband's slight embarrassment over the pointing and giggles and exclamations of "Oh my goodness, look! That dog is wearing boots!" from several passers-by, we were nothing but pleased with the boots and their performance. Once again, we can honestly and enthusiastically report that the RuffWear boots will be our boots of choice in the future and our number one recommendation to anyone else.
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