Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

I have a 30lb sheltie who wears the small. The material is lighter than the old model (durability?) and is also tighter to the body (doesn't stick out to the side as much as the old one). There is more padding at the wear points on your dog (the Y and waist of the harness) instead of the fleece thingies. The bladders are MUCH better than the old mylar ones, although I'm not sure I'll use them. 2 small platypus bladders would do the same thing and be easier to use. The clips are better than the old velcro system; they have velcro ties to keep the packs from flapping, but since they attach to the harness you can't use them with the clips to release the pack. I think a separate strap with velcro that goes under the dogs belly might have been better for that. All said, I really like it, but it is the most expensive dog backpack on the market [...]

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

The pack is fantastic. I love that you can unclip the bags and let my pup wear the harness alone. This feature was really handy for climbing a 14er in Colorado as it allowed us to leave our pooch's pack back at camp while still being able to help guide him over the larger boulders with the harness. Expensive? Yes, but much better, and tons more features than all the other dogpacks I have seen/tried.

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

I purchaced this pack after weeks of researching it and other similar packs. From the first moment I put it on my Malamute mix (Chinook), he loved it. He pranced around very excited. After a few uses on the Appalachian Trail, he is still very happy with the pack. It is balance well enough for him to carry my sleeping bag when we are carrying minimal gear for an over night. I thing the best part is the detachable saddle bags. Chinook knows the difference between his regular collar for outings around town and the Palisades harness for trail hiking. He likes to go anywhere but when he has the harness on he is truly excited.

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

This pack really stands out from the rest in a number of ways, making it well worth the cost. The three things it offers that separate it from the rest are as follows:

1) A solid harness system that puts the weight on the dogs SHOULDERS not his/her back. This is key, the weight should be on the shoulders not the back, most dog backpacks put the weight on the back which is not good for the dog.
2) Detachable saddlebags! This is an awesome feature. When you stop for a break you put your pack down, why shouldn't your dog? With other dog packs you would have to remove the entire harness, with this system it is incredibly easy to take the weight off your dog.
3) Built in water reservoirs. This makes it really easy to balance the load and dispense water to your pup.

You wouldn't wear an uncomfortable poorly designed pack yourself would you? Then why put one on your dog, this pack design is well thought out and easily the best out there. My dog thoroughly enjoys the harness and pack. I haven't had any issues with rubbing or raw spots. He will even play fetch with the harness on and not have any issues. Overall a great product and well worth the money. Your dog will thank you for getting such a nice pack for him/her.

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

I purchased this pack for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike with my 70 lb. mastiff/lab mix. She's a very athletic, muscular dog and a natural trail hound.Before purchasing this pack I did a lot of research on dog packs and products before finally settling on the Palisades. The removable saddle bags, hydration sleeves, martingale harness, and brand reputation were all very attractive features of the Palisades pack. Also, I was persuaded positively by the reviews here and by the features of this product. Upon purchase of the pack I continued to be impressed with the features and the fit (though be aware that the pack sizing is extremely off... 70 lb. dog wears a small???). After a few "test drive" days and overnight hikes problems started accumulating. The overall capacity of the pack was disappointing; I'd expected to easily fit more gear and days of food than allowed. Only about 5 days fit in the pack (very tightly), one toy, and a small first aid kit. That's without any water in the bladders and it's very difficult to zip at that capacity. The compression straps are a nice feature and could help stabilize the load greatly however, the straps are over-engineered and not placed correctly to really affect the load. Also, after filling the hydration sleeves for simulating weight, I found a manufactures defect that causes a leak at the seam between the seam and the bladder.... bummer, but not a huge deal.Upon reaching the trail problems really started piling up. One of the clips that secures the panniers to the harness broke on Springer Mountain (mile 0) which we repaired with an extra carabiner and p-cord. By about mile 14, Aya had developed a large soar behind her elbow. These problems of rubbing and chaffing only continued no matter how the straps were adjusted and loosened or tightened. The final straw with the pack is when the other snap between panniers and harness broke but in a totally different way from the first. Bottom line: this product sucks and it's quality doesn't live up to the reputation. We're switching to a pack with less bells & whistles, less cost, better quality, and not overengineered. F[...]

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

This is a great pack. I did a lot of research before I bought this pack. By far Ruff Wear has the highest quality packs I found. It looks great and is very functional. The best feature is that the packs can be removed from the harness. I use the harness a lot. The pack fits well. I have a 45lb female Siberian Husky and she fits in the small. They tend to run big. I look forward to years of use. If you are looking for a pack, look no further. This is worth the price.

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

The Dog:
95lb Rhodesian Ridgeback

Pack Size:
Medium (be careful with sizing, I almost ordered a large simply because I thought a 95lb dog was considered "large")

Pros:
-Great fit: he doesn't even notice it when it's loaded with 15lbs of stuff.
-Removable saddle bags: we do a lot of off trail hiking over large rocks and the harness has been invaluable with helping lift our dog over rocks etc.
-Easy to take on and off

Cons:
-Sizing: can be deceptive, make sure to measure. I know all dogs are different, but the medium fit is barely large enough on his chest strap and almost too large on the stomach strap.
-Water pouches: Are very difficult to fill. The opening is on the side (which is nice for the comfort of the dog) and are almost impossible to hold and screw on the cap while full. You end up only being able to fill them half way or else you spill most of the water out.

Bottom Line: This pack does everything I wanted it to do. While the water pouches are slightly annoying, and the sizing somewhat deceptive, the pack delivers a great, comfortable fit for your dog and the removable saddle bags give you great versatility. If you're just trying to find a pack to add some weight for neighborhood walks, this probably is too expensive a pack. But if you want something that is rugged and versatile enough to take backpacking / off trail, this is the pack for you.

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

We just used our pack today on a hiking trip to Horsetail Falls, CA. With care in adjusting the load, our dog carried this pack without any effort. We use the harness for a car restraint anyway, and when we got to the trail head we just snapped on his packs. It couldn't be easier. Our dog, Trace, is a Bernese Mountain Dog. He weighs 98 lbs and wears the largest pack they make.

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

I haven't used this on the trail with my dog yet so I'll have to do another review later. But I think the sizing issue I had is important to get out there. Based on the reviews here and on the size small pack I got my 45 lb Blue Heeler (aka Australian Cattle Dog) a size small. It was WAY too small around for her muscular build and much too short for her body length. Blue Heelers are relatively stocky. That was confusing to me after reading reviews about all the Labs in size small. So, take the measurements but then also look at your dog's build. If your dog is muscular, I'd say the sizing is right on. But, you may just have to take the dog with you to REI, buy the pack, try it in the parking lot, and exchange it immediately if it doesn't work. I think you'll know right away.

Again, I haven't used it on the trail yet. But I think the separate pieces are great for getting my dog used to the whole pack thing. And I'm excited to see how the hydration bladders work out. To be continued...

Service and delivery comments:

Customer service was great when I needed to exchange the small for the medium. (=

Comments about Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack:

This is a great pack. The details in the construction make it worth the money. There are little elastics on the straps in the harness that keep the right amount of tension on the straps while the dog moves. This was the only pack at REI that would fit my dog properly, I have a 47 lb. labradoodle and the medium designed for a lab was too big on the other packs, and the small packs were probably designed for a 15 lb. dog (other brands)
The pack we have is a size small and fits well, it is just a tiny bit loose on the front triple straps that I am going to fix by sewing a bar tack in the webbing. No problem.
The separable bags from harness is an excellent design, it makes it easy to quickly relieve the load on the dog and initially train the dog to wear it. The two hydration bladders are a good design allowing you to split the weight of water (probably the "heaviest" or most dense thing that will be carried) over each side, and to trim the bags to compensate uneven loading. The valves on the hydration packs suck though, they flow a trickle of water when open. Filling a bowl takes about a minute.
One problem with the pack is the two different parts of the system, plus the rugged construction make it fairly heavy empty, and for a dog the size of mine this limits the amount of water and food she can carry just through the dry weight of the pack. I have heard recommendations of 15% of the dogs weight for pack load, leaving my dog with about 7 lbs. This means with a full load of water (2L which is 2kg or 4.4lbs) there isn't much room for food or pack weight. I haven't weighed the pack yet, but I would guess with full bladders alone + the pack I am at the 7 lbs.