Wenaha Dog Pack: "Explorer III"
We ordered Wenaha's "Explorer III 'Lightening'" Dog Pack for Kona. We ordered a size small for him based on the weight range, but it is HUGE on him, so we have reordered a size XS. I'll keep this thread updated on that.
I ordered this pack for him because it is recommended in ALL the books I have read on hiking / packing with dogs. It is said to be the best pack you can buy for your dog.
I have to agree with those reviews, from a purist dog packing standpoint it is REALLY GREAT and perfectly designed. Tho, imo, for the casual dog packer this pack is probably not worth purchasing over other easier to get packs.
We own several packs for our dogs: Ruff Wear, MountainSmith, some off-brand, and this new Wenaha... The Wenaha pack, by far, is the best dog pack we own in fit, size, and usability.
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Here are my pros and cons for this pack/setup...
PROS:
- Price: it's cheap compared to Ruff Wear.
- Fit: This pack fits PERFECTLY [which is the MOST IMPORTANT thing to look for in a pack, imo]. All the weight of the pack is carried over the front shoulders and not towards the middle of the back like the Ruff Wear and MountainSmith packs tent to do.
- Usability: This pack is very user friendly - easy to take on and off of the dog. Easy to remove the pack from the "harness". Lots of added areas for attaching gear like tents, cook wear, etc.
- Balance: This pack is the most balanced of any of our other packs.
CONS:
- No "proper" harness: The pack sits on a "harness" that is attached to the dog, this "harness" has no function other than to hold the back on - no "O-Rings" or anything to attach a leash.
- LARGE: The volume of these packs are designed for avid packers, and not just for a short hike. Might be over kill for the casual packer.
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We also ordered the "Top Pouch" to go with the pack, it attaches in the center of the top of the pack and gives easy access to things like a water bottle, camera, map, etc.
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We ordered our pack from: http://www.blackicedogsledding.com
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Here are some pics...
[Ahi, the Shikoku, (on the left) is wearing the "Explorer III" pack]
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I ordered this pack for him because it is recommended in ALL the books I have read on hiking / packing with dogs. It is said to be the best pack you can buy for your dog.
I have to agree with those reviews, from a purist dog packing standpoint it is REALLY GREAT and perfectly designed. Tho, imo, for the casual dog packer this pack is probably not worth purchasing over other easier to get packs.
We own several packs for our dogs: Ruff Wear, MountainSmith, some off-brand, and this new Wenaha... The Wenaha pack, by far, is the best dog pack we own in fit, size, and usability.
----
Here are my pros and cons for this pack/setup...
PROS:
- Price: it's cheap compared to Ruff Wear.
- Fit: This pack fits PERFECTLY [which is the MOST IMPORTANT thing to look for in a pack, imo]. All the weight of the pack is carried over the front shoulders and not towards the middle of the back like the Ruff Wear and MountainSmith packs tent to do.
- Usability: This pack is very user friendly - easy to take on and off of the dog. Easy to remove the pack from the "harness". Lots of added areas for attaching gear like tents, cook wear, etc.
- Balance: This pack is the most balanced of any of our other packs.
CONS:
- No "proper" harness: The pack sits on a "harness" that is attached to the dog, this "harness" has no function other than to hold the back on - no "O-Rings" or anything to attach a leash.
- LARGE: The volume of these packs are designed for avid packers, and not just for a short hike. Might be over kill for the casual packer.
----
We also ordered the "Top Pouch" to go with the pack, it attaches in the center of the top of the pack and gives easy access to things like a water bottle, camera, map, etc.
----
We ordered our pack from: http://www.blackicedogsledding.com
----
Here are some pics...
[Ahi, the Shikoku, (on the left) is wearing the "Explorer III" pack]
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Comments
Probably a weird question, but can the dogs comfortably go to the bathroom with it on without making mess?
; )
Osy - Yes, they can, it doesn't seem to bother them at all. Kona probably can't lift his leg and go... but that is really due to the poor fitting of his pack, it sits way to far back.
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Awww, but Poor Kona! lol ~
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- This pack can be hard to adjust, that can be frustrating on the trail.
- The optional top pouch, while pretty useful to hold things you need to get to easily, is not great - I have found that adding 2 of these top pouches and attaching them to the left and right extra loops works better.
- This pack can be difficult to evenly pack, I think this is due to how low the side bags sit.
- This pack can hold a ridiculous amount of gear!
- This pack looks very good - has kinda a "professional" look to it.
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The packs we have are difficult to even out too. One side is always hanging down a bit.