Gear Review: Bear’s Gear

Hiking in Texas can be hot even in the spring and fall. I always carry water for both Bear and I but as we hike longer trails I worry about not having enough. So in the interest of everyone having enough water, we bought Bear a pack. He has shoes too, right now he is still getting accustomed to them and hasn’t worn the boots on the trail.

My initial thoughts on the Ruffwear Dog Pack:

• It comes with two 1 liter water bladders, yay. Bear can now carry his own water.
• It fits him well but at first he was not a fan of wearing it.
• The straps can be a little confusing to tighten properly. I think I might have had it a bit too loose on him.
• Oh my goodness there is so much room in these saddlebags.

The first real test of the pack was a six mile hike around the LBJ National Grasslands on the red trail. The full trail is an eight mile loop but that was a bit far for the Bear on this test run. I filled up both water bladders and put his boots on one side to balance out his water bowl on the other. It did not take Bear too long to get used to wearing the pack but it did slow him down a good bit. I alternated using the water bladders but water is so heavy that the saddle bags become unbalance easily. I might need to find an object to add to the lighter side on hikes. Next hike I’m going to tighten the straps up a bit too. Over all both Bear and the pack did well.

Enjoy the video of Bear in his boots! Next time we hike a rocky trail he will get to wear them for sure. In the mean time he gets to walk around the neighborhood to get used to them, he walks really slow in them at the moment. I’ll post a review of them after their first real hike.

Bear in Boots

I don’t mention these types of dog gear in my Must Haves for Camping with Dogs post for a couple of reasons: 1. they can be expensive, 2. they aren’t required if you are car camping or going on short day hikes. What do you think of this dog gear? Let me know in the comments and happy hiking!

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