REI Classic Dog Pack - Small

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

I've been using this pack almost daily for about 6 months now and it has held up great! I see very little signs of wear and tear. I load it up with about 8 lbs of weight for daily walks with my dog (she's about 45 lbs and wears a small) and it helps tire her out while building endurance. My dog has also worn this pack on 10-mile day hikes and 3-day backpacking trips. In the pouches on the side, my dog usually carries about 2 liters of water, some food and treats, and maybe an extra leash or her dog jacket. I just strap her water bowl to the handle on the top.

Overall, this pack is solid. It fits my dog really well, doesn't tip over too much if it is unevenly weighted, and seems really secure. I like how the pack places the weight on my dog as well. One really useful feature is the handle on the back - it helps when you have to lift your dog over large fallen trees or up boulders. My dog has always seemed comfortable when wearing the pack, even after 12+ hours of having it on. I've never seen any raw spots from rubbing either.

Probably the only thing I don't like about the pack is that there is no easy way to securely lash things to the top. Some cord would probably fix this, but it's no huge deal. If this pack ever wears out, I wouldn't hesitate buying it again.

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

This pack works great for both our dogs. We have another pack as well that our dog liked very much, which we will be replacing with another one of these REI ones. The only thing that could be improved is that there is no compression strap on the side pouches for when they are empty. However, even with a slightly uneven load the pack stays in place. The strap locks are great too. We were constantly tightening the straps on the other pack. We originally bought all versions of the dog packs that REI carries, and our dog actually picked which one she liked best, yes you could tell right away by her body language which one she preferred. Bottom line, offer more colors, add compression straps, add a mesh pocket on top for waste bags, and it would be perfect.

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

I like to hike a few times a year, and this will be handy for that. But most of the time, I live in the heart of Chicago. I walk my Shepherd mix twice a day, for close to 1.5 hours in total. However, she has a lot of energy. I bought this in the hopes that it would add a bit more effort to our walks, and get her the exercise she needs. I put about 1L of water on each side, which is about 2Kg, and 10% of her weight. On day 1, she was already walking more calmly, and she is tired at the end of the day. We use it on all her walks.

A note abot sizing. I originally bought a medium, and returned it. My dog is 23Kg, she is by all accounts a medium sized dog. But she wears a small pack, and it fits her perfectly. A small pack puts most of the weight over her shoulders and front legs, whereas a medium pack put the weight in the middle of her spine between her legs. This would put dangerous stress on her back on a long hike. A small pack also covers less of her back with fabric, and presumably allows more ventilation.

I think it's important to make sure the pack fits your dog. Imagine hiking with bad gear ... its no fun. The big difference is your dog will probably just walk through the pain, and she can't tell you what's wrong!

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

This dog pack is great. My 50 lb hound mix feels a little restricted by it, which makes walks a lot easier on me! I can walk her off leash without worrying about her dashing off after a squirrel. The pack provides enough comfort and stability if you balance the weight on both sides.

The only thing about the sizing: if you have a "chesty" dog (boxer, pit bull, hound, etc), you'll have to experiment with two sizes. The small fit my dog in the girth, where she measures 26". The yoke on her chest however, was too high up on her, causing her to gag a bit when in "sit". I'm going to take the small back because the medium has longer straps out to the yoke. Hopefully the chest strap isn't too long or I may have to choose a different brand.

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

We bought the pack for our spunky Welsh Terrier with the hopes that it would help him burn off extra energy when out and about. We live in suburbia, but are within walking distance of some fantastic walking paths and hiking trails.

We've had the pack for over three months and have used it daily on our walks and jogs. I throw in my keys, waste bags, my iPhone, and treats. (I carry the water-- I still need to buy smaller bottles to fit inside the pack.)

It does, indeed, help our pooch to calm down a notch, even on short walks when there isn't much in the pack. He used to get extremely excited when meeting other dogs, jumping with glee or pulling at the leash; now, he is much more polite and calmly goes up to them to nuzzle noses and sniff butts to say "hello."

We initially wanted to get the yellow (deluxe) version of this pack--mostly because of the color, but the REI store near us didn't have it in stock and we were impatient, so we bought this one. Since we never purchased the fancier version, I can't say whether I'd be happier with it, but I will say that this pack has done just fine. It's very durable and shows no wear after several months of daily use on our average 3+ mile walks/jogs.

The straps are a bit padded for comfort. There is no sign of irritation from the pack. The handle on top is very handy for helping him over rocks or for pretending he's a handbag (kidding!). The pack is easy to take on and off of our dog. The pouches are roomy enough for the essentials on long walks/hikes. We've gotten many compliments on the pack from passers-by.

My only complaint is that REI should seriously consider making smaller sizes in their packs. The small just barely fits our dog when we make the straps as short as they can go, and then we had extra strap length to wrap up and secure with rubber bands so they wouldn't drag on the ground. Our dog is 20 lbs-- he's by no means tiny. There are plenty of dogs his size (and smaller!) that love to be outdoors and go on hikes.

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

We use the packs for day hiking our people to get them exercise. We carry heavier loads on short walks to get all that excess energy burned off, and lighter loads on longer hikes. The packs fit great & were easy for our people to adjust to fit us. They carry well, without rubbing, or getting hot spots, & the back vents well for cool walking.
It would be nice if smaller loads could be cinched down in the bags so they didn't move so much, & tie down points up top would be useful also. All in all, we like our packs and give them a 4 paw rating. We recommend these packs for any dog on the go. Crockett & Breeze

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

I got this backpack for my 45 pound pit bull mix in the hopes that it would help her get a bit more energy out on walks and reduce her pulling. We usually take 2-4 mile walks on the levee, adding about 2.5 pounds of weight (beans, poop bags and my cell phone). We also use it in conjunction with a head harness to reduce the pulling, and I've been really impressed with how much better behaved she is on walks now.

An added bonus is that it is impossible for a dog to back out of this backpack. My dog has a fat neck/small head that allows her to easily back out of collars and head harnesses, so this is an especially welcome feature.

She doesn't particularly like the process of putting it on, but once it's on, she tolerates it just fine. One thing that I really like is that the adjustable straps all have "locks" on them, so that you don't have to keep readjusting it each time you use it (often the case with lower-end dog gear).

I would add that I make sure to take the weight out of the backpack when she is in the car because the weight seemed to constrict her breathing when she was sitting in the car for an extended period. This does not seem to be a problem with regular sits on walks, though.

The sizing runs a bit big if you're thinking in terms of breed size, but just right if you're thinking in terms of a dog that you would want to take on an extended camping trip. Any small dog is going to be too small for the backpack. My pit mix is 45 pounds, barrel chested and we still had to tighten all of the straps a good bit on the small. If your dog has a really narrow waist, it may be impossible to properly tighten the backpack because the straps have a strip of padding in the middle, which prevents you from shortening it past a certain point. I wish they would make an extra-small so that my schnauzer could wear one too.

The orange color does add a lot of visibility, but it would be nice if they offered a few other colors. I'd also like more reflective material on it t help with night visibility.

Service and delivery comments:

It came in several days sooner than it was promised, which was a great surprise!

Comments about REI Classic Dog Pack - Small:

I've had several dogs, but this was my first time taking one backpacking. I got the pack so she could carry her own food and water. It worked perfectly. The harness and other straps distribute the weight evenly and put zero stress on my dog. She loved hiking and camping and looked great doing it. We even had someone stop to take her picture she looked so great. If I ever get another dog, I'll get this pack again!