Description

Dog packing is a fun way to spend an afternoon or a weekend if you enjoy the outdoors. I love to hike and camp with my 4 year old German Shepherd, Abby, and we have plans to pursue a pack dog title (through the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club, which is the only club that will title a non-Swissy and non-Husky pack dog) once we move back south next spring.

When you hike and pack with your dog, you'll want a comfortable pack for yourself and you want an equally comfortable pack for your dog. The Kelty Chuckwagon is a great pack for beginners, for day hikes, and for weekend trail hikes.

Kelty often gets a bit of a reputation for being "cheap". I have found that this pretty much applies only to the price (the Kelty dog pack is about $50 and their human packs are priced nicely as well), not to the actual quality of the equipment they manufacture. This Kelty dog pack as well as their human packs are very well made, durable, and lightweight.

The dog pack features a Y-front which helps the pack ride comfortably with no constricting chest strap that impairs the dog's movement. It has expandable panniers ("saddlebags") and is padded on top. It comes only in red, but as red is highly visible that's a good choice on the trail. It also has reflective striping on the side. The nylon and fittings are good quality.

We have had our Kelty pack for awhile now and are really happy with its quality and durability. We were able to try the pack out in the store before REI stopped allowing dogs inside the store - getting a good fit is just as important with dog packs as with human packs.

Updated Mar 10, 2008