Ruffwear Hitch Hiker Leash
For the dog who goes with you from the crag to the coffee shop, the Ruffwear Hitch Hiker leash is an adjustable-length leash and hitching system that's as versatile as your adventure buddy.
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- Adjustable strap can be used as a handle for a handheld leash, a waist belt for a hands-free leash, or used as a wrap for a hitch secured around a single tree or post
- Climbing-inspired hardware uses an auto-blocking technique to lock the rope under tension
- Ergonomic HitchLock™ rope adjuster with brake for hands-on, on-the-fly length adjustment whether you need a short lead or a long line
- Designed for hands-on adjustment: Slack must be let out and taken in by hand
- Durable stow bag keeps rope tails contained
- 12 feet of strong, reflective kernmantle rope
- Convenient and durable stow bag contains rope tail end
- Light and strong lockable Crux Clip™ attaches securely to your dog's collar or harness
Imported.
View all Ruffwear Dog Leashes| Best Use | Hiking Camping Casual |
|---|---|
| Material(s) | Rope: polyester/mesh/kernmantle; buckle: aluminum/plastic buckle |
| Dimensions | 14 x 4 x 2 inches |
| Weight | 8 ounces |
| Sustainability | Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria |
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Indispensable addition
This leash is an indispensable addition to our collection. It's our new go-to for everything from neighborhood walks, to trail runs, to hikes. We've used other hands-free leashes, but the elastic that tends to be part of their design actually encourages my super-puller to pull even more. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this more basic rope design actually reduces pulling for my dog. After 2 weeks of heavy use, the rope is starting to fray the tiniest amount, and the brake mechanism isn't quite as strong, but not enough to dock the rating from 5 stars. I've really enjoyed the versatility of this product.
Great idea, but has some usability issues
I used this product on several short trips: a day hike on a busy trail, a trip to the beach where my dog was periodically off-leash, a walk around the neighborhood, and running on a bike path. The hitch hiker leash aspires to be a "do it all" hands-free leash that is adjustable and allows "hitching" your dog to stuff (basically a waist belt that you can clip around various objects). The adjustability is controlled via a belay-like braking device that allows you to let out more leash by pushing down on a lever and gather it back in by yanking it back through the brake. The extra slack is loose rope gathered in a small, light waist pack. It isn't really possible to adjust more than 2-3 ft in length without ending up with a mess of loose rope. You can theoretically adjust it with one hand, but it would be easier to just use that hand to take up the slack as on a regular leash. I found myself doing this a lot. The leash can easily fall out of the waist pack. I think the pack would be much more useful if it were larger and had a larger front pocket to store goodies and doggy bags. The light weight should appeal to runners, but it didn't seem worth it to me. The belt tends to list to the left because of the direction of the brake. If you want to use the braking device with your right hand, you're out of luck. The carabiner is really too small. Ruffwear’s D rings are blocky and flat rather than round, and it’s too difficult to unclip the carabiner. It’s bulky and awkward as a hand-held leash. I will never use it this way. I did love how convenient it was to tie down my dog to various things, and I think I will use this feature a lot if I want to carry a longer leash with me on camping trips. Despite its downsides, it is functional as a hands-free leash that can be adjusted from time to time and easily stowed away if you have the patience to stop and gather the rope carefully. I just found it too much of a hassle to use. This is a sturdy, well-made product. I have no concerns about durability or strength after using it. The rope didn't collect any sand or dirt. Like other Ruffwear products, the stitching is great. The padding on the waist belt is nice. The stretch pocket on the waist belt is made of really great material, the same kind you see on the front pockets of ultralight backpacks. I hope there will be future releases that fix some of the usability issues, because it’s a very useful leash that will be great for backpacking with trekking poles, trail running, and camping where an adjustable tie down is needed.
Better than a regular leash.
Very well made hands free dog leash and much better than the regular retracting dog leash. This is not a retracting dog leash but rather a leash with a cam lock and stuff sack. The leash is certainly much better than what you get from the retracting leash. Since you stuff it into a stuff sack and then lock the cam; a flat 1/2 inch flat nylon lead would be better for those times you need to pull directly from the leash. My wife especially likes the leash when she walks our three dogs at one time.
Favorite Leash Ever
This is by far my favorite leash for my 50lb heeler mix. I love that I can use it hand free, hitch him to a tree, go into town, hitch him to a post, adjust the length easily and with one hand… just overall amazing. Without reducing its 5 star worthiness I do have one suggestion for the next iteration and that would be to increase the slight stretchy pocket by just a smidge. Right now it’s big enough for a roll of doggie bags and some treats but not those things plus car keys. If I use a decent bit of rope I can fit the keys in that pouch but if I have him at a tight length then I cannot. Still I would buy this leash over and over again.
A good idea for dog walkers
I have had this leash for a couple weeks now and use it daily for morning walks with a small breed dog, so I can’t comment on suitability for large dogs. The packaging of the Hitch Hiker leash is great, no plastic involved at all, just a bit of heavy cardstock. Use of sustainable and easily recyclable materials for packaging is a very positive thing and I think it warrants mention here. I am not a runner but do hike very frequently as we live adjacent to forests in the Klamath Mountains of Northern California. I take daily walks with the dog and after a brief “get accustomed” period with this leash, have come to really appreciate being hands free on these outings. The leash rope is about 12’ long and super heavy duty, probably overkill for my little guy but suitable for large dogs. The rope adjuster is quite simple and operates easily to release additional leash-rope to allow my pooch to wander further than with a 6 foot leash; we both like that. Retracting the leash rope necessitates pulling in the excess and stuffing it back in the small zipper pouch. Initially I thought I would have to carefully wind the excess leash rope back into the pouch to avoid tangles…not so. After just several uses I am able to “stuff” the excess back into the pouch without unzipping it more and haven’t experienced any “tangles” as it feeds out. It is possible to wear the belt and pouch at the waist under a jacket in cooler weather. I don’t have any serious concerns about this leash but have wondered how it would be with a 100# dog that sees a jackrabbit on the walk; I suspect the rope would not break. I recommend the Ruffwear Hitch Hiker Leash and Hitch to anyone who walks a dog and wants to keep their hands relatively free during walks, hikes, and runs. I plan on continuing to use this hitch for the foreseeable future.
Don’t Buy
Leash snapped while on a run with my large dog less than 2 months after buying it, and when I tried to get it replaced by Ruffwear they said that it didn’t qualify for replacement.
Love being hands free
I have mixed feelings on this leash. Pros: love how it looks, its extremely durable and the ability to be hands free is always great. Cons: pouch for storing the excess rope is pretty small, the ease of extending and shortening the rope is more complicated then it needs to be - sometimes a leash just needs to be a leash. While I don't think I will use it for walking the dog - just is annoying to put the rope back in the pouch, I do think I will take it on camping trips or when I know we will want to tie him up but allow him to be able to roam with length.
Buy this now!
I have a reactive special needs dog that requires a lot from me when we are on our walks. And by a lot, I mean A LOT! This leash, by far, has changed the game for me and my pooch and I am so pleased, I’m buying several more to keep in various areas (car, second car, etc) just to be sure I have one available at all times. Additionally, this has helped my training with her so much that it literally brought me to tears after a training session. Yes, as mentioned in other reviews, the little fanny pack where the excess leash is stored could and should be a bit bigger or even enclosed in a larger fanny pack to be more convenient when storing goodies, treats, keys, ID, etc. But honestly, for my situation, I’ll happily overlook it for the sheer fact that this has been such a lifesaver for me and my special needs pooch!
Flexible Leash Option For Adventures
This product really simplified traveling with my dog, unfortunately he is reactive on the leash and in the woods, so always on a leash. I have tried everything from rope, long metal tie outs, regular leashes, etc. to be able to have him tie up around camp, go snowshoeing (long leash), go hiking (shorter leash when around people). Really liked that this product could go from being a 4ft leash tied around my waist while on crowded parts of trails and out to 12ft when we were secluded, to let him sniff around. Tie it to a tree to take a break, is also a great option. The only thing I was not able to get to work correctly, was getting the waist strap cinched up enough to use as a hand held leash. Once I expanded it out to my waist, that was pretty much it.
Favorite leash
Bought this 6 months ago for a new Shepsky pup I rescued. He goes on every trail with us and car camping too — it is the best leash for those activities. I am also a female 5’4” with a pup who is now 8 months, huge, and pure muscle. It’s great to put him around my waist and let my body weight help control him if something catches his eye on a walk. I even use it when biking around town. This pup loves to run and I tried bike arms to take him along. The only thing that works safely is this leash at about 4’ long because I can keep it around my waist. It’s also an adorable sight to see! However, in the beginning I worried about a retractable-type leash like this, so I was a little hesitant at first about using it. However, this leash uses climbing technology instead of true retraction-style which allows me to more easily manage the dog overall without fear of him breaking the system and running off. Love it!