These two beautiful Samoyeds, owned by Kelvin Lem, send holiday cheer in their red Reflector dog pack (front dog) and red ID Cape (rear dog). They are Australian natives, thus seldom see a 'white Christmas'.

You might be interested in reading Kelvin's comments (see The Boys Go Nuts!) about his dogs' equipment.

Size & Color: Medium, Red

Susan Molloy's Montana assists with mobility difficulties. The White Mountain Independent newspaper (in Arizona) included this photograph with their story about two women and their service dogs. Both Montana & the other dog (Tigger) went from an animal shelter into a new and full life of service. Her ID Cape and patches identify her as a working dog.

Read Susan's comments (see Article!) about Montana's gear.

Size & Color: Medium

Sherry Simmons' Kiska and Nika explore the Misty Moon Trail in the Big Horns, Wyoming. These two beautiful dogs are sisters. They both wear Trekker dog packs to carry their gear. Sherry has this to say about her packs:

On our big trip to the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, my dogs Kiska and Nika wore Trekker dog packs, in burgundy and royal blue with matching collars and collapsible dog bowls.

The dogs had no trouble adjusting to their packs. They appear to be comfortable and well-fitted. As we hiked on the various trails on our trip, the packs proved strong and durable. They dried quickly, and cleaned off easily by brushing when the mud dried. The dogs had no places where the straps rubbed or created sore spots, something I watched for and was pleased not to find. Because the dogs were just one year old, I did not fill the packs with heavy equipment, but our experience was that the packs did not slide around (we hiked in some steep places, both up and down), and the dogs had no problem running around and cavorting with packs on as well as off. They also were able to sit and lay down comfortably in their packs.

The dogs and I both love these packs and we had a great time on our trip.

Here the sisters are hiking the Clay Butte Trail in the Beartooth range, Wyoming. The view is to the Absorkas in the south, still cloaked with snow. If you look at the photograph carefully you will see that Sherry has attached both dogs to one leash. This gives her more control and allows the dogs to travel with less danger of tangling.

With their dog packs removed for the evening, Kiska & Nika enjoy a beautiful sunset from Sheep Mountain in the Big Horn range. Sherry says, "They are terrific hiking partners!"

Size & Color: Small, Burgundy, Teal

Katherine Anderson and Mimbres live in Tucson, Arizona. Mimbres' pack usually encounters spiny cactus, thorny shrubs, and jagged granite boulders. Katherine reports, "it has held up beautifully" during their daily walks. This picture shows Mimbres and her Banzai dog pack in action during a winter vacation to the San Gabriel Mountains in California for some snow play. This is her first introduction to snow. She seems to really love it, as she races around boulders and snow covered logs in her pack.

Katherine says, "Mimbres carries an emergency ID card, an idea I picked up from reading other customers' comments. This is good insurance for our backcountry trail runs, as we usually go alone."

Size & Color: Small, Orange

Laurie McGavran's five year old Siberian Husky Nikki enjoys a hike through a cool meadow in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. She is wearing a small orange Banzai pack to help carry the gear. Laurie writes, "It fits well, and she can really help by carrying either water or rain gear."

Kavik rests for a moment on a boulder during a hike on the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico. He is Laurie's five year old Siberian Husky. Kavik sports a medium orange Banzai pack."

Size & Color: Small, Medium, Orange

Rudy, owned by Mark Weidinger, wears his burgundy Reflector dog pack while resting on a snow patch near Granite Stairway in the Sierra.

Rudy's pack is now over five years old and has seen many miles of hard use. It was recently retrofitted with new zipper sliders and looked like it will be useful on many more adventures.

You might enjoy reading Mark's letter (see Rudy's Five Year Old Reflector) about Rudy's pack.

Size & Color: Medium, Burgundy