K-9 Pack

A great, GREAT pack!!!! I was honestly somewhat surprised at the quality and workmanship that went into making this pack. It fits my 70+ lb pit mix like a glove, I purchased the medium and followed all the sizing guidelines...let's just say that my buddy (Cholo) and I were VERY HAPPY!! I've never been one to rate anything, unless I was disappointed with a product and wanted to warn others. I was looking at the Ruffwear pack that MSRP'd for around $150 (that's HALF of MY ULA pack!!!) but decided to opt for this, figuring if it was poor quality I would deal with the hassle of returning. I'd read other's reviews and looked over photos of how the pack sat comfortably placed away from the hips, significant in larger breeds. I'm perfectly fine, happy, grateful, ready to go packing etc. So is he, he's sleeping with it on right now, empty of course. Will upload images as well. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow for his pre-trip physical and am having the vet check it out so will update it he approves/disapproves and eventually how it performs on our short hike to test our new gear. So far I definitely say BUY THIS!!! Especially if you're looking for your pup to help carry his load of dehydrated dog food, toys, regular food on a short trip. Just remember that although your dog may be large, he can only carry so much and to balance each side appropriately. Get him or her conditioned before heading out, just like yourself! Have fun Fidos!! Photos; notice with flash there are excellent visibility decals sewn on, the sewing seems meticulously done throughout. If anyone is concerned about the water repellent qualities, it is not waterproof, however all you need to do is simply buy some Kiwi Campdry at your local retailer and follow the directions and it'll help considerably. You could also seam seal the sewn parts as well, keep in mind this may nullify the manufacturers warranty however. For those who sew it wouldn't be very difficult and inexpensive to make two raincovers or one that covers the unit. Also for any rubbing that may occur I bought some Mushers Secret, he doesn't do well with shoes, so they are ideal in all weather for his paws and will work to prevent chaffing where the pack may rub after long hikes. Please remember to take the pack off your dog when YOU STOP AND TAKE OFF YOURS...they NEED breaks TOO!!!! Another thing I noticed about the pack is while the ring is strong and durable for line attachment it was messing with the adjustment of the pack with him pulling against it. I simply left his regular collar on and lead him that way and the pack stayed put after full adjustment and locking the mechanisms. AGAIN, great pack IMHO.

I tried a couple different brands of dog packs before finally spending the extra money to get the Mountainsmith. I should've just bought this pack from the get go. I got a medium sized for my 65# Golden Retriever and it fits him perfectly. There is actually a ton of room for adjustment on these packs. This allows you to get the perfect fit for your dog. Lots of slight adjustments can be made and I feel like they allow this to be a lot more comfortable on a dog. It is also very easy to put on. The way all the straps unbuckle makes it a lot less cumbersome to put this pack on. The material itself seems very durable. I feel confident it will definitely hold up in our outdoor excursions. Furthermore, the design is very ergonomically friendly to the dog. It keeps the saddlebags close to the dogs side and over his front legs. My dog doesn't even seem phased by it in the least. I bag sizes are also very large. There is one on each side and that's the only storage. However, they are very spacious. I can fit plenty of food, a travel doggy bed, travel bowls, towel, and still have room to pack more. Word of caution, don't go too overboard loading up your dog with weight. My dog weighs 65# and I wouldn't put much more than 4 lbs. on him at any given time. It may be easy to pack a lot in these bags, but keep it comfortable for your dog too.

just got it, but so far so good, fits her well, lots of padding so shouldn't chafe, buckles and straps don't touch skin, lots of room in bags, moves with dog and allows dog to have full range of motion. materials seem good and reflective, easy to open and adjust. only drawback i found is the straps on the front that are just held by rings not clips can slide loose. i folded the strap before the ring and zip tied it into place. its secure and works well. not sure if i can post links, so instead, on youtube search up: How to prevent a webbing strap from slipping - Ron Gallant

This Mountainsmith K-9 pack is definitely a sold, well put together pack. I chose a medium size for my 73 pound American Bulldog/Pitbull mix and it great! Spot is stocky, has broad shoulders and a deep chest so I was a bit worried whether it would fit properly, but glad to say this pack functioned well above my expectations. I hate dealing with returns on online orders, as i'm sure everyone does, so we were really happy with this packs performance. We backpacked in early spring for 3 nights/4 days in the Texas hill country/canyons in rugged, undeveloped, steep terrain. The weather was sunny, rainy, warm, cold and windy and this pack held up great! My thought is if it's built in Colorado for backpacking, then your boy's good! The packs have great capacity, the stitching and fabric is durable, the padding is comfortable and the reflective strips and definitely a plus. I did some trial runs a couple weeks before our tip, gradually adding weight on small hikes and he definitely didn't mind it. I'm sure the padding helps retain body heat since it seemed like he preferred to have it on, even during camp. We packed 10 cups of dog food, a first aid/trauma kit ( I.V. fluids included), treats and medications. ( I don't mess around when I take my boy backpacking with me ). The straps stayed cinched down, no signs of irritation on his skin/underarms. MAYBE some occasional adjusting but that's normal. Big fan of the sternal/back padding and padding under the buckles. I've experienced a lot of movement with other packs, but didn't with this one. Everything seems to hold well in place. My boy is active, fit, has high endurance, kind of a big boy and LOVES to go backpacking and this pack definitely suited him perfectly. As a veterinary technician, I have been recommending this pack to my friends, family and clientele. I love to go backpacking and I'm a firm believer of " if you cant carry your own weight and gear, then stay home" even with my dog. It was a bit pricey at first, but definitely worth every penny.

Our dog absolutely hated this pack. Every time we would take it out she would walk away and avoid us even though we were going to go for a walk. After several months of use, she never changed her mind about it, although after a few minutes with it on she didn't seem to mind or really notice it. This pack works very well and seems to be well made. We packed a total of 10 pounds of weight equally distributed on each side using water bottles, which made it possible to reduce the weight if necessary by dumping out some of the water on each side. Once properly adjusted, the pack fit very well. Every time we put it on it took a bit of walking around for our dog to adjust to the extra load, looking like she were drunk, bumping into things and staggering, until she got used to it again (since she would use it every day). It worked extremely well to burn off some of her energy so that she was reasonably content for several hours (wouldn't recommend a Husky if you aren't able to seriously exercise them daily). I usually removed the pack when we got to the park while she would run around off leash, but sometimes it stayed on, which was not a problem. Even when our dog was running at full speed the pack performed beautifully. Our dog was unable to corner or maneuver as well as she could without the pack, but that is to be expected. Check out the video I uploaded to see how it performed with 10 pounds of weight and a full speed take off. She wore the pack for about 45 minutes each day, running several miles alongside a bike. It never seemed to irritate her skin or body, and we never saw any symptoms from her wearing it, other than the fact that she was significantly more tired exercising with the pack than without. Would definitely recommend.

Great pack, well made and dog seems to like it. I was worried that he was going to take some getting used to with this pack just because he wasn't very fond of his collar or a gentle leader the first time, but he has never tried to get the pack off once and wags his tail when he sees it because he knows it's adventure time. He really does seem to like it and it looks comfortable and well designed for a dog's physiology. I put a small amount (250mL or so) of water, a collapsible dog bowl, some treats and some bags in the pack, adds about two to three pounds and he hardly seems to notice. I think he knows that he's carrying his own treats and water and I think he likes having a job. The D ring is strong and I like having the handle to help pick dog up over big rocks or questionable terrain. Don't go just off of weight for sizing. My dog is a 45 lb short hair border collie, and I bought the medium the first time and it was too big. So if your dog is a lankier breed and you're on the border of two sizes, going for the smaller may be your best bet. Good adjustability but the straps only go so small. One minor nit pick is the chest straps occasionally loosen while he's wearing it but it's a quick fix. Overall, great pack and I highly recommend for any furry adventure pals.

Second purchase in a different size for dog #2. Both of these backpacks fit my dogs (border collie mixes) well. Very adjustable, easy to fit and to use, so far so good on durability, and seems like it will last a long time. No rubs on my dogs' bodies. Has a harness attachment point so it is multi purpose!

We want to start hiking with our dogs, and so our second pup needs her own pack. Started looking at what was out there since I'm not 100% thrilled with the pack we have for our Boxer. Doesn't fit her the best, doesn't breath well, etc. So I figured I'd try a different one. Just got this pack last night and tried it on my Golden Retriever. She's a bit skittish, so making sure she's comfortable is always a priority. So far we've only had one walk with it, but Luna acted like it wasn't even on her back once we got going. It's sturdy, easily adjusted, has a large reflective strip down both sides, and has plenty of room in the two compartments for food and water. It doesn't slide around when she gets bouncy, and the handle on the back is great for helping get her over obstacles she can't or won't climb herself. Plus, overall, the pack itself is pretty light despite the sturdy design/construction. I'll probably end up buying a second one for the Boxer, as I like the construction of this pack a lot more. My only "con" is the lack of brighter colors ~ living out in the country, we want our dogs visible during our walks.