WOLF PACKS: Banzai™ Dog Pack

edited September 2008 in Products & DIY
We ordered another pack for Kona, this time from "WOLF PACKS".

I ordered the "Banzai™ Dog Pack". I have heard great things about this company and since we do so much packing, and have so many dogs that are close to the same size, I figured it's not a bad idea to try one out.

I received it today and so far I am super impressed. The pack is very simple, but is built with exceptional quality. This pack is smaller than the "Wenaha Explorer III" pack, closer to the size of Ruffwear packs.

Link: www.wolfpacks.com

We have not tried it on a trail yet, but I can give my initial impression...

Pros:
- Smaller size, but still can hold a lot of gear
- Tough Ballistic nylon sections for better wear
- Great pocket placement
- Nice strap padding
- Built in compression straps
- Great weight placement on the dog
- Comes in lots of colors
- Simple

Cons:
- Small, might be too small for long camping/hiking trips
- No handle or build in harness - not even a eye-loop for connecting a leash
- Straps can be difficult to adjust
- To take the pack off you have to remove the whole pack - its not attached to a "yoke" like Ruffwear or Wenaha

Pictures and real life review coming soon...

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Comments

  • edited December 2009
    Ok, got a few indoor pics of the pack on Kona - sorry the lighting is not great...

    IMG_4100

    IMG_4101

    IMG_4098


    Some close ups...

    IMG_4102

    IMG_4104

    *This is a size small - fyi.

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  • edited November -1
    the 2nd to last pic looks like you are putting an akita in the pack!
  • edited November -1
    lol - yea it is now impossible to take a picture at our house w/o getting a dog in it.
  • edited November -1
    Kona looks SO happy wearing his pack. It is just so cute.
  • edited November -1
    So does it not have an attached harness/handle or leash eyeloop because they assume you wont have your dog on a leash while it's packing or they just assume you'll put a harness on underneath it?

    Looks good though. I'm interested in your reviews to come.
  • edited November -1
    I think I like this pack better then the explorer, just because it looks less bulky :)

    Hey Brad...same question as last time...you think a dog can do his business without having to take the pack off? :)~
  • edited November -1
    I like the tie downs on the top. I was always that guy on the trail with 47 things lashed to his pack. :-)

    I think most harness manufacturers don't put loops on their packs because when dogs pull on the leash it will de-stabilize the load. They assume you'll either let them off leash or use a collar.
  • edited November -1
    Ok makes sense, thanks Dave.
  • edited September 2008
    Rina - What Dave said. We will just put an easy walk underneath the pack - that is what we do with all the packs anyway.

    Osy - I KNOW he can use the bathroom with these packs on, he does it on every hike. :o)

    Dave - I know, the tie down are what sold me. I would love to strap our sleeping pads to him. :o)

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  • edited September 2008
    "I does it on every hike. :o)" lol

    Thanks Brad :)~
  • edited November -1
    I obviously meant "He does it on every hike. :o)"... I guess the three hours of sleep I got last night is starting to show. I should stop posting now.
  • edited November -1
    Well you stuck it as a con so I was curious :P

    An easy walk seems restricting when on a hike, I'm guessing it's not if you use it for all the hikes though.
  • edited September 2008
    lol I'm just teasing your Brad :)

    <3 ~
  • edited November -1
    Brad, we love your typos. They always make me smile.

    I like this pack. But red looks so good on Kona. Are you thinking of getting keeping this pack or the red one? Or both?
  • edited November -1
    I am not sure yet, we will test this pack on the trail and see how it works. For now my plan is for the Wolfpack one to be used on liter hikes and the read one to be used for longer hikes and camping.

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  • edited December 2009
    Well, we took Kona on a hike with his new "Banzai™ Dog Pack". I was impressed with it, it is very easy to put on and to balance. It gets a little silly looking when you pack it totally full tho. I think this pack is better suited for a lighter load. Today I filled it full w/ 12lb of gear, this made it hard to get things out of it since it was so full - I filled it this time with the intent to test it, we didn't really need 12lb of gear.

    From now on we will use this pack for light loads and shorter hikes and the "Wenaha Dog Pack" for camping and longer hikes [more "mission critical" type situations].

    Here are some pics...

    IMG_4166

    IMG_4168

    IMG_4170

    IMG_4169

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  • edited November -1
    Kona looks like such a handsome man when he has his pack on, like he knows he's on duty :) ~
  • edited November -1
    Seriously, he looks like he was meant to carry a pack in the woods...like he's right at home. :-)

    How does it look "silly" when loaded?
  • edited November -1
    If it is packed full it kinda looks like he is wearing a table.
  • edited November -1
    That's pretty amusing. So it is too wide and not deep enough?
  • edited November -1
    Wow. Kona looks ready to take on anything! I may have to get a pack for Bella... I wonder if they make them that small! :)
  • edited November -1
    Kona looks amazing! I can't wait till I get to the point where I can backpack with my Kai (when I get one...)... At least by then, I'll definitely know what to look for! Thanks Brad!
  • edited November -1
    bumping this thread up
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