Comments From Wolf Packs® Customers

Below you will find customer comments about our Banzai™ dog packs. If you wish to contact the authors directly, please feel free to do so if a link is provided. Messages are organized by their last names for convenience. You might also be interested in reviewing the FAQ page, which might answer your questions about our dog pack designs.


His Kingdom for a Wolf Pack by Richard Amezquita, USA
FANTASTIC!! by Katherine Anderson, USA
Order by Daniel & Carin Barwick, USA
Trapper's new backpack! by Geoff Blair, USA
Shayla's Pack by Linda Guinness, New Zealand
Pepper's Banzai™ by John Boegman, USA
Testimonial to Wolf Packs by MLH Bonham, USA (owner of the SledDog-L Listserv)
Iggy at Mardi Gras by Thomas Bourgeois
THANKS!! by Meredith Clebsch, USA
Banzai™ by Ann Daugherty Good, USA
Testimonial by Jim Greenway, USA (story about his dog's pack surviving a tornado)
New Pack by Brad Gwynn (USA)
No Elbow Wear by Morgan Hall, USA
My pack arrived! by Rhonda Hicks, USA
Wolf Packs® - Gear for Working by Ben Johnson, USA
When? By Jeff Knudson, USA
An Experienced Dog Hiker Comments by Charlene LaBelle, USA (author of the book A Guide to Backpacking With Your Dog)
Bella in Yosemite by Louise Laub, USA
Backpacks Arrived by Megan Loe, USA
Banzai Pack by Jacob Morrill, USA
Great Pack by Andrew Mytys
Wolf Packs by Robert C Redden, USA
They Arrived!! by Bryn Rhys Odermatt, Australia
My new Banzai™ by Brian Phillips, USA
Pack I Bought from You by Jim Phillips M.D., USA
Awesome by Barbara Taylor, USA
Photos by Steve Williamson
Thanks for the great pack! by Sosha Zaretsky, USA


Date: 26 Feb 98 110639 -0800
From: Richard Amezquita
Subject: His Kingdom for a Wolf Pack

  • King exploring in his Royal Blue Banzai™ dog pack

Linda,

King didn't know what to think of his new Banzai™ when he first tried it on, but as soon as he connected that a Wolf Pack meant a super walk, then the mere sighting of it would start his tail wagging more energetically than usual.

His sister Noni is starting to get jealous so it looks like we are going to have to invest in a new pack for her. That will reduce another 15lbs from my pack so our trips to Trinity, Tahoe, and Shasta will allow them to live up to their working dog breed class.

Thanks again for the super service, advice, and support!

Regards,
Richard

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Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 08:53:15 -0700
From: Bones
Subject: FANTASTIC!!!!

Dear Linda and Paul -

Mimbres' Banzai™ pack and Trail Dog Patch arrived yesterday - just as I was loading her into the truck for a trail run. It fit perfectly! I was immediately impressed with its balance and stability. Mimbres is a very active dog, and was leaping through spiny brush and making sharp turns without a hitch at top speed. It doesn't constrict her movement in the slightest - she hardly noticed it was there.

Our usual trail run ends up at our local off-leash dog area, and I left the pack on her for a bit - the pack held up through lying down, racing, leaping, wrestling, chasing, rolling, and other dogs' teeth! What is different about your pack is that it functions as part of the dog, rather than a hindrance on her back. It doesn't slide forward or back or side to side or chafe and rub on her elbows as other packs do. Everyone at the dog park was as impressed as I, and Mimbres' new pack was tested on several dogs. You've made a customer for life!

Thanks for a wonderful product - your knowledge and expertise show in your packs!

Cheers!

Katherine "Bones" Anderson and Mimbres

P.S. - Your service is also impeccable - I had not expected it to arrive so quickly!

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Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 102213 EDT
From: Daniel & Carin Barwick
Subject: Order

Dear folks at Wolf Packs,

Here's another order for you. The first pack we ordered from you has held up great!   Now we have another dog, Willie, who wants to go hiking too!

We'd like a Banzai™ dog pack. Color Forest Green. Size Medium.

Daniel & Carin Barwick

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Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 20:57:03
From: Geoffrey Blair
Subject: Trapper's new backpack!

  • Several lovely photos of Trapper in his Red Banzai™ dog pack.

Hi Linda -

Can't tell you how pleased we are with Trapper's (our Golden) new pack. We dove right in and bought the top of your line and are glad we did. He is not easy on it and it has been through the toughest of brush, rock, snow and ice without losing a stitch! It's also hard to believe how much better he walks / runs with it over the last pack he had (from another manufacturer). It sort of just hung on him, hitting his elbows and shifting forward whenever descending a mountain.

Your pack is terrific. Thanks for all your help on the phone just before we ordered it.

Geoff and Fran Blair (Bloom)

*****

Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 18:42:46 -0500
From: Geoff Blair
Subject: Our Banzai

Hi Linda -

Was looking at your new site (new to us anyway). It's great.

In doing so, I saw that we had bought Trapper's pack almost four years ago. Trapper has somewhat retired from the arduous hiking and our new addition Summit is taking over, WITH the four year old Banzai! Not a stitch has broken...not a tear in the cloth. Trapper has climbed 39 of New Hampshire's 4,000 footers with his Banzai...through narrow rock openings, under low blow downs, through ice arches, and has been swimming with it on virtually every hike and the Banzai keeps on ticking! I can't say enough for the overall quality. It was certainly worth the few dollars over what was certain to be a far inferior product!

Hope things are well with you. Looks like the company is in a steady growth mode!

Take care,
Geoff Blair

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Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 00:02:44 +1300
From: Linda Guinness
Subject: Shayla's Pack

  • Shayla preparing to hike with her Scout Troop

Hi guys,

Just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying Shayla's Banzai. Have enclosed a jpeg of her with some of her scout troop on a recent tramp. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and the extra weight didn't slow her down as much as we would have liked! She even swam across the river with the pack on before I had a chance to whip it off her - lucky I had all her stuff packed in plastic bags! She was carrying all the scouts' ground beef and marshmallows among other things. The only problem we had was when we had a very steep ridge to scale and although she tried we had to hoist her up by the pack in the end - a strong hand hold for that purpose on the top of the pack could be something to consider - we actually ripped the Velcro off one of the straps in the process but if we hadn't grabbed her by the pack she would have had a nasty fall.

It's amazing the difference it made to the public perception of Shayla when we tramp with her and her Wolf Pack - usually everybody passes on the extreme edge of the track from this "viscious Rottweiler" but when we have the pack and the scout scarf on her everyone says "Ooh, look at that cute doggie - she has a pack on!" and they all want to pat her and admire her pack. Every person we passed on the track with a dog asked where I got the pack from on our first tramp with it so I passed on your web address. Quite a few people from my Obedience and Agility Club have asked for it too, not to mention all the Shepherd owners I know at Trials and Tracking. We don't have anything like that here in New Zealand - if you ever need an agent ...

It's very hard to get a clear picture with enough contrast of a very black dog with a dark green pack, especially in our bush, so you may have to crop this and blow it up or something if you want to use it. I'll try and get some action shots for you of her swimming through the river next time!

Keep up the good work, it's bringing us a lot of pleasure.

Linda (Mum), Antony (12), Sarah (10), Shayla (3) and Arawa Scout Troop,
Wellington
New Zealand

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Editor's Note: This message was mailed to us on November 20, 1997 by John Boegman in letter form.

I have been very satisfied with the Banzai™ pack that I got for Pepper. It took no time for him to get used to the pack and he immediately associated it with going out for fun and games.

John Boegman

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 16:02:53 -0600
From: MLH Bonham aka Sky Warrior
Subject: Testimonial to Wolf Packs

When I first started dog packing with my Malamutes, I found that most dog packs were either poorly designed (or constructed), or could not hold an adequate amount of gear. I bought a cheap pack. I liked the design, but it had almost no room in it. I borrowed a pack from a friend and that pack, while roomy, banged against my dogs' elbows and the straps that made up the saddle ripped fur off my dog's back.

In desperation, I called up the outfitter who makes my sledding gear and asked her about the packs she carried. She said she carried Wolf Packs and was very pleased with them. I called Linda and grilled her about the designs. What I needed was a pack with a tapered front end, a one-piece saddle, and Fastex-type buckles that could carry 35 lbs or more. Happy to say, Wolf Packs do all that and more. I was delighted to hear that their Banzai™ had ballistic nylon cloth and lash panels for gear.

When I received the pack, my dog hiking friends couldn't believe the price. There are other packs out there that are not as well made and cost more. We've finished one of my Malamutes' working pack dog (WPD) titles with a Wolf Packs dog pack. Since then, I've bought a second one for one of my other dogs and I am very pleased.

I've seen other dog packs, but most can't compare when you account for quality and price. I recommend these packs to anyone who is looking for a backpack for their dog.

MLH Bonham aka Sky Warrior
Owner of the SLEDDOG-L E-mail List
Author of "Backpacking Basics" in the June 1996 issue of _Dog Fancy_

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Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 083152 -0600
From: Thomas Bourgeois
Subject: Iggy at Mardi Gras

  • Photo of Weimaraner Iggy wearing his Orange Banzai™ and Mardi Gras beads.

Iggy was a hit a Mardi Gras.

We had over 5 million extra people here in the city and it seemed like everyone of them stopped to ask me about his pack. I was constantly giving out your web address. I'm sure you should get some business out of it. Iggy really enjoys his pack and from day one accepted it like it was the cool thing to wear. I hope all is well and thank you from me and Iggy for making such an incredible product.

Thomas Bourgeois

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Date: 7 Aug 1999 101346 -0700
From: Meredith Clebsch
Subject: THANKS!!

You guys are too much. I sure appreciate how fast you got our order out so now we can go for a pre-vacation hike to break in this new packing idea. Nanner looks great in Purple (yellow lab) and will no doubt be the fashion statement of the Sawtooths while she helps out w/the load.

I think I've already sold at least 2 more packs for you in just 12 hours. Hers seems to fit perfectly and looks like it's just what we needed. Will surely have some on-the-trail glamour shots to forward to you for your scrapbook.

Thanks again for SUPERB service!!

Meredith Clebsch

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Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 15:52:34 -0600
From: Ann Daugherty Good
Subject: Banzai™

Hi Linda-

I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased I am with the Banzai™ pack I bought for Tripper.

Before I bought this pack, I took Tripper on a tour of outdoor outfitters looking for dog packs. I didn't like any that I saw. The fit wasn't right, some packs interfered with his movement, the quality of materials and construction wasn't what I expected.

The Banzai fits well and has a clean, efficient design. Because we do some urban hiking and most of our conditioning in town, the reflective strips are very important to me and because we hike in areas heavy with mesquite, the ballistic brushguards are a necessity. The materials are first rate and it's well made. Tripper's pack has logged many miles, but still looks like it just came out of the box (with the exception of all the white hair covering it!).

Thanks for an excellent product (btw, I love the limited slip collar and nylon lead, too). I'll be ordering another Banzai for Webster, as soon as he's old enough to carry a full load.

Ann Daugherty Good
and the SunTrip Samoyeds:
Charisma Trip To Enchantment, CD, CGC
Kriskella's WWW SunTrip, CGC

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Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 18:10:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Greenway
Subject: Testimonial

  • Bonnie using her Banzai™ dog pack on the Appalachian Trail.

On Palm Sunday, 1993, a powerful storm system passed through the Southeast, spinning off a number of tornadoes. One tornado traversed my neighborhood and almost leveled my home. Both of my dogs required treatment after their kennel was pretzeled. All but a portion of my house suffered extensive wind and water damage. In digging through my former kitchen, I saw a spot of orange underneath a muck of broken glass and spoiled food from my overturned refrigerator. It turned out to be my Wolf Packs pack. I didn't expect much of it after it was blown through the house and buried under rather smelly garbage. However, the pack was unscathed. A good washing and another coat of seam sealer made it as good as new.

I continue to use the pack, and the tough fabric and manufacturing still serve me in good stead. Last fall, I returned it at the last minute to Wolf Packs for an upgrade before an Appalachian Trail trip. Linda didn't think twice about processing the request and turning it around to me in time.

Ironically, Bonnie and I were bumped out of that trip when Hurricane Opal steamrolled through the southeast three days before my trip. Maybe we could put Linda and The Weather Channel together....

Jim Greenway

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Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 090223 -0400
From: Brad Gwynn 
Subject: New Pack

  • Photo of Salty, Brad, and his unicycle

Here is a photo of my dog, Salty, and I.  The pack comes in very handy for carrying her water, and a picnic lunch, and still has plenty of room left for dog toys, first aid kit, tools, etc. She even carries the cash now! My Camelback is much lighter now. And she really seams to enjoy wearing her own pack! The Lash Patches work great for attaching a safety light as well as other stuff.

Thanks for making a great dog pack!

Brad

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Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 4:03 PM
From: Michael Gibson
Subject: No Elbow Wear

Our 8 year old wolf\shepard\malmute, Sequoia is the proud owner of a Wolf Pack. She recently tested it out on a hike in the Adirondacks up Mt. Marcy. My sister Whit said the pack worked great. Now all she needs is for the arthritis to subside in her troubled paws. She does alright, just a lot slower than she used to be.

It's nice to finally find a pack that doesn't bother her. I remember on a hike we took in the cascades, Sequoia's old pack was rubbing her front arm pits raw. I had to rig an old t-shirt around the straps while on the last few days of the 57 mile hike.

Take care

Morgan Hall

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Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 193937 -0400
From: R M Hicks
Subject: My pack arrived!

Hi Linda,

I ordered a Wolf Pack from you last week, and it arrived yesterday!! I don't know if you remember or not, but I am the one that has 2 dogs and couldn't decide on the small or x-small.

Just wanted to let you know that I got the small, and it fits Astro perfectly. He is a 55 LB. Border Collie, and he is SO PROUD! I've put it on him a couple of times when we go for our walks, and he just struts around like he's cool dog. I hope to put it to the test soon, and believe me I will send my comments as well as a picture. I love it! I also love the hat, shirt, and the Wolf Packs patch that I ordered.  Thanks for sending the Power Bone. I can't imagine my dogs having more energy than they already have, but I know it will come in handy on those hikes!

By the way, the pack didn't come close to fitting Meg, my 35 LB. BC. So now I know the x-small is for her. Time to start saving my money! Again, thank you, thank you, thank you for the great service. It was really nice getting to talk to you on the phone. That made me that much more confident in ordering the pack.

Well, I've gone on long enough. I will get back to you when I take pictures and have my first trail report.

Thanks again,

Rhonda Hicks, Astro and Meg

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Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 19:42:18 EDT
From: Ben Johnson
Subject: Re: Wolf Packs® - Gear for Working

Linda,
I wanted to send you a picture of my three year old yellow lab named Abby.  Abby has been hiking and using a Banzai back for a year now and wanted to say thank you for constructing such a great product.  Living in Florida, the pack gets a lot of use at the beach and we have just come back from a great back country hike in the Smoky Mountains.  Abby is always excited to put the pack on and she always knows that when the pack is on - we don't go walking - we go hiking.  Thank you again and it is a pleasure doing business with Wolf Packs.

Sincerely,
Ben Johnson

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Date: Friday, July 10, 1998 3:20 PM
From: Jeff Knudson
Subject: Re: When?

Hello,

Just to let you know, your service is excellent. I received the pack today, took it for a test drive. She likes it fine. I'm duly impressed.

I make a lot of my own stuff. I made my dog's smaller pack, which is similar than yours. I needed a larger one, but couldn't figure out how to make the design improvements I wanted to. Bought yours. Very satisfied. Thank you. Will send picture.

Jeff Knudson

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Editor's Note: This message was given to us by Charlene during her visit to our facility. She is the author of a well known book which covers the subject of dog packing titled "A Guide to Backpacking With Your Dog".

  • Buddy using his Banzai™ dog pack.

Dear Wolf Packs,

Wolf Packs are one of the nicest dog packs on the market. The little additions (like the reflective tape) are such a plus, and are a wonderful safety item. Your packs are perfect for many breeds. Thanks for making such a nice, well made dog pack!

Charlene LaBelle
Author of A Guide to Backpacking With Your Dog

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Date: Tue 21 Jul 1998 12:16 PM
From: Louise Laub
Subject: Bella in Yosemite

  • Bella relaxing while wearing her Orange Banzai™ pack.

Linda and Paul:

We wanted to send you a photo from our road trip, and say thank you for making such a great product! Our Ridgeback, Bella, enjoyed going on hikes with us and we enjoyed being able to bring her with us. At first, she was reluctant to wear the pack (we nicknamed her 'Miss Mule'), but once we started on the trails, she got used to it quickly, and we all had a great time.

Thanks again,

Louise, Wayne and Bella

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Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 160023 -0800
From: megan loe
Subject: Backpacks Arrived

The backpacks for Logan and Jazzy arrived just now and they are BEAUTIFUL and fit so incredibly well.  We have done lots of backpacking with our dogs over the years and these far surpass our old packs in quality and fit.

Several collie friends wanted to know when they arrived how they fit, and what size we ordered for each dog as they will probably also make an order.  I am recommending others in the collie community buy their dog packs from you.  Many people are doing backpacking with their collies.

Thank you for your great work and the return on Logan's first pack which was  too big for him. We can't wait to take our next hike.

Megan Loe

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Date: Thu, 8 Jul 1999 101453 -0400
From: Jacob A. Morrill
Subject: Banzai Pack

Dear Linda & Paul -

I received a brand new Banzai™ pack in the mail yesterday afternoon, and it's fantastic. I ordered a Small for my 36 lb. Beagle/Pointer mix (on Linda's recommendation) and it fits her perfectly. It's exactly what I was hoping for. When she first put it on, she was a little unsure of herself and kept bumping into doorways, but once we hit the trail (we had to go for a hike immediately to try it out) she was her usual graceful self. I'm so happy I found your web page and ordered a Wolf Pack.

Thanks for your help and thanks for a superior product.

- Jacob Morrill

----

Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 191535 -0400
From: Jacob A. Morrill

Linda -

As you may or may not know (I've mentioned it a few times on the Trail Dog List) I'm going to be starting a Thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in February with my pup. The Banzai pack is working great. I get so many comments on it. I have even directed a few dog owners to the site. Most dog owners are *really* impressed with the pack and say that they have never seen one so nice and they have looked *everywhere*.

I'm so glad that I stumbled onto your web page!

- Jake

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Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 081334 -0700 (PDT)
From: Andrew Mytys
Subject: Great Pack

Dear Linda and Paul,

Your Banzai dog pack shows all the technical features and engineering that goes into a modern pack - it's just built with the dog in mind.

The price is reasonable, the customer service is great. Reading the FAQ on your web-site, its obvious that not only have you put plenty of thought into your product, but you really care about the dogs comfort as well.

The Wolf Pack should be the "defacto standard".  Customers should be exposed to the Wolf Pack in the store, not on the trail, on another dog, after they've already invested money in an inferior product.

Look at the Wolf Pack first. If you're not sold immediately, try to find a better designed pack. Keep in mind things like durability, safety features, the comfort of your pet. If you find something better, buy it. If you want to save yourself some time, don't even bother looking.

Andrew Mytys

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Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 17:55:06 -0800
From: Robert C Redden
Subject: Wolf Packs

Dear Linda & Paul;

Just received our order today. Thanks for the fast service!

The pack looks great on Wolfie. We went for our afternoon break walk with it and Wolfie is as impressed as I am. We'll be sure to send some photos after our first outing with the new pack. I'll also be sure to direct other dog packers to you guys. Word of mouth is always the best.

Thanks again,

Bob & Wolfie Redden

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Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 01:12:38 +0930
From: Bryn Rhys Odermatt
Subject: They Arrived!!

Dear Linda,

IT ARRIVED!!

The pack bags are everything we had hoped for and more. They are fantastic!! I don't know how many compliments I can bestow upon you and your company but you deserve them all. From what we can anticipate from the quality of your bags, you can expect a rather large order hopefully around mid-April.

Happy Trails,

Bryn Rhys Odermatt
Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute Club of South Australia, Inc.

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Date: Tue, 06 Jan 1998 11:35:33 -0600
From: Brian Phillips
Subject: My new Banzai™

I just received my new Banzai™ and was very pleased.  I could not wait to put it on my one year old, white German shepherd Ura (pronounced "ooda")--- its Basque.  It fit great and looked even better.   I was very impressed with the quality and the amount of storage of the pack, it will be great for short and long hikes.  It's about time URA carries his weight.
I will send pictures as soon as I can.

Thanks again,

Brian

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Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 223620 EST
From: Gammara1
Subject: Pack I Bought from You

Terrific! Just got back from our first hike with our doggie, Lightening. The pack was awesome. Lightening had no problem with it. The pack carried our stove, gas, her food, and miscellaneous items. It weighed in at about 11 lbs. - she weighs 45. Her booties were fine in the tent, and she seemed to enjoy wearing them. Your products are quality and rugged.

Jim Phillips M.D.

PS.  Lightening loved the Power Bone bars. The only problem I had was convincing my son not to take a bite of one.  He said it smelled so good...

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Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 19:07:11 -0400
From: Barbara Taylor
Subject: Awesome

Packs received today, they are AWESOME!  Excellent workmanship.  Thank you very much, we will enjoy these for a long time to come.

Barbara
Marley, Chandra Mukhi and Rainey

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Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 182730 EDT
From: AZSJWILL
Subject: Photos

To Wolf Packs, Linda & Paul;

I've just arrived back from a five day trip on the fells with my two German Shepherds and they have loved every moment, even with the weather being very cold.  The packs were brilliant, as they held everything that the dogs needed, such as food, water and essential items such as toys.

Every person that saw the dogs thought that their packs were a great idea and looked good on the dogs. Also the packs are very useful as a pillow at night in the tent.

Regards,  Steve Williamson :-)

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Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 134554 -0500
From: esther/sosha
Subject: Thanks for the great pack!

Dear Linda and Paul,

In June I purchased your Banzai pack, along with some other camping goodies, for my Siberian Husky Shira. Shira and her friend Frodo accompanied me on a three month long trip up the east coast from Florida into Canada in a VW Vanagon camper.

We did a lot of backpacking and Shira was great with her pack. We even used it to get out of a jam when my boyfriend and I decided to drop our packs and hightail to the car 2 days in on a trail. We only had one fanny pack and Shira carried all the emergency gear and food for in case we couldn't get to the car before nightfall, and she didn't even seem to notice the extra heavy load. She was able to do anything with the pack on, even zipping through trees and under logs at 90 miles per hour for chipmunks.

I could go on and on about the trip and how the pack contributed to the fun. I want to thank you for designing such great gear and for turning me on to packing. Shira wants to thank you too Awoooooo woooo woooo wooooow oooo!!!!!

Have a great holiday!

Sosha Zaretsky, Florida

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