Mike Grue sent us this beautiful photo of his mixed breed dog named Chewbacca, along with the following message:

I just wanted to let you know how well your Banzai pack performed for Chewbacca and I on our recent hikes around Mammoth Lakes area. Chewbacca is a 60lbs 1.5 year old shepherd mix who has never worn a pack before. I bought the small size and it fit him so well he didn't even flinch when I put it on. He was in charge of carrying his food and water while we were on the trail and I have to imagine that it gave him a sense of purpose to be carrying his own gear.

He gets excited now whenever he sees me loading up his pack, and I have to admit that not having to carry an extra 10lbs in my own pack makes my trip more enjoyable! I thought you might like to see my favorite photo of Chewey at Convict Lake just south of Mammoth Lakes.

Thanks again,
Mike Grue

Oh, and btw-I was very impressed that a few hours after I ordered the pack on a Sunday, I got an email showing that the item was being shipped the very next morning. Good work!

Size & Color: Small, Red

Anna sent us this different view of three Banzai dog packs in action. Hope her photo makes you smile as much as it did us. Anna included the following message:

I just wanted to share a photo my friend and I took recently of our girls wearing their Banzai Wolf Packs on our trip to Saluda, North Carolina. Wearing the red pack is Eve, a 10 1/2 year old Chow mix. Pretty in pink is Kioni, a 2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback. Posing in purple is Astrid, a 17 month old Central Asian Shepherd. Hope you like!

Anna C. Abney

Size & Color: Red, Pink, Purple

Here is Josh Colgan’s hiking buddy Jackson. They are hiking on the beautiful Falls Trail at Rickett's Glen State Park in North Eastern Pennsylvania. This trail is closed in winter, but advanced hikers and registered ice climbers who are properly equipped may still access the trail. Josh had this to day about Jackson’s Banzai pack.

The pack is still holding up extremely well and we have no issues to report. It’s definitely one of my favorite pieces of hiking gear we use.

Jackson has a previous blog post with more information about Jackson, and this beautiful park.

Size & Color: Large, Orange

Here is Terri Azevedo's six year old Border Collie mix Sal wearing his Saddle Bag dog pack. This is what Terri wrote about Sal's pack:

My husband and I take Sal and our three other dogs (two basset hounds and a shelti mix) to a huge park across the street from us every day. The back pack is great because it makes Sal slow down and walk nicely (with weights on each side of the pack). We live in Canada, about 1/2 hour from Toronto. We are very happy with this back pack.

I love looking at all the beautiful dogs on your website wearing their packs! The scenery is fantastic too!

Thank you again.

Terri Azevedo

Size & Color: Orange

This is Qannik wearing his Banzai dog pack on a glacier pass which accesses the Aiguilles Dorées (golden peaks) in the Alps. His owner, Cédric Undritz, took him on a rockclimbing trip. Here are a few words from Cédric about Qannik and his pack:

I got my dog from a animal rescue center when he was 11months old. He's crossed Husky and Malamute. He came in the center with his two sisters -- the owners couldn't keep them.

Practicing myself mountaineering a lot, he was of course to become our third man! So whilst he's pulling me when ski-touring most part of the winter, he carries parts of our loads when going on mountaineering journeys in the Alps (we live near Chamonix in France), which includes ropes, carabiners and sometimes ice-screws. He often carries over 10 kilos without complaints but even really seems to enjoy his pack; a little bit reticent at the beginning, he knows now we're going to spend our days outdoor when his pack is being prepared, and he gets really enthusiastic at all! Also because he'll have his load on his back only during the approach and the return, and he'll have free time in between, as we are doing our climbing tour in the meantime.

My girlfriend has an 9 year old black Labrador, and he soon will have his own pack also, as he's very strong and also loaded with pure energy. Until then they're both sharing one.

Thanks a lot for this pack and keep making them! Greets from the alps,

Cédric

Size & Color: Medium, Blue

This is Jackson, owned by Joshua Colgan. He is a large mixed breed who was rescued from a bad situation. Now he has a wonderful home and gets to backpack in the beautiful forests of Pennsylvania. This picture was taken on the Falls Trail at Ricketts Glen State Park, elevation 2500 feet. The falls trail is known for the 22 waterfalls that line its 7+ miles. It's a tough, rocky trail, and very slick from the water that sprays on to the trail. Joshua sent us these words about Jackson's dog pack:

I just wanted to let you know that my dog LOVES his Banzai Wolf Pack. He had never worn a dog pack before we got it a few weeks ago, but he is a mixed breed rescue who's parents were both career working dogs and I could tell that he really enjoyed having a job and wearing his Wolf Pack from the moment I put it on. I found out today how well made your packs are and wanted to share my experience with you.

We did a lot of off trail hiking today and since my dog is still getting used to the extra width he needs to fit through obstacles, he is still often brushing (banging) against some of the rocks and trees in our path. I believe that he brushed against something at just the right angle to loosen the top to one of the 40oz bottles enough to allow the bottle to leak at least 20 oz of water all over the compartment it was in (we keep the bottles in the outside compartments in the black part of the pack). I didnt find out about this until we got home from our 4 hour hike (plus the 40 minute drive) and the only reason I found out at all was because I opened the pack to take everything out. The pack never leaked, it retained all the water that spilled, and most importantly, my survival book and map in the inner pocket behind the water bottle were still bone dry! I was unexpectedly and very pleasantly surprised. Thanks so much for making such an awesome product.

Joshua Colgan

Size & Color: Large, Orange

Anna has been outfitting her dogs with our dog packs for a long time. She just sent us these nice pictures of Eve (left) and Astrid (below). Eve is standing on the summit marker of Tennent Mountain. It is part of the Pisgah Ridge and leads to the Art Loeb and Ivestor Gap.

This is what Anna has to say about her dogs:

Here are some pics of my girls wearing their Banzai packs. Eve, now a 10 year old Chow mix, has the red one and Astrid, a 14 month old Central Asian Shepherd Dog, has the purple one. Eve's pack is nearly as old as she is!

Size & Color: Medium, Red, Purple

This is Jean Lawlor's dog Anna, wearing her Reflector dog pack during a trip in the rugged Bighorn Mountains. Along with this nice picture, Jean sent us the following message:

Attached is a photo (taken yesterday) of my Black Lab mix, Anna, on the trail in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. She has been backpacking with me for years, but this is only the second trip with her new Reflector pack. I bought it recently to replace her old pack that she managed to lose in a willow thicket elsewhere in WY over July 4th (I think she was giving me a giant hint).

This pack so far seems to be well worth it, as it is far superior to the last one! The fabric, zippers, buckles, and seams are all high quality, and the pack fastens securely and balances on Anna so much more easily than the old one (that used to sag and hang awfully to one side or the other no matter what I tried to balance the bags). She seems able to walk and run (after antelope, deer, elk, moose) without any interference from the bag; I think it must be more comfortable for her than her previous pack. I know that upgrading my own backpack to a better one changed my attitude toward backpacking from "once in awhile when I can take the pain," to "as often as I can get out there." When my little Border Collie's aging pack finally poops out (he's very hard on it, dragging it through brush, etc.), I expect I'll buy another Reflector to replace it.

Size & Color: Medium, Red

This is Hugo, Eric Moon's hearty trail dog. Eric and Hugo recently hiked to the summit of Mount Washington, known for eratic weather and extreme high winds. This is how Eric described their adventure:

The orange Reflector bag arrived just in time via the USPS for our trek to Mt. Washington, NH, and several of the Presidential Peaks in the White Mountain National Forest.

Hugo is a Dutch Shepherd/Border Collie mix and shredded a competitor's pack after a few hours on the trial earlier this year. This time, the Refelctor bag held tough and wore well with four days worth of dog supplies totaling 12 pounds with various amounts of water.

Hugo seemed not to be bothered by the pack at all and it allowed us to complete 20 miles and nearly 15,000 feet of elevation change in less than 20 hours with two nights on the trail.

What a great time and what a great pack!

Eric Moon and Hugo

Size & Color: Medium, Orange

This is Adam Varga’s dog Alex. He had an incredible adventure hiking a trail that stretches from New Hampshire to Canada, while toting his share in his Banzai pack. Alex sent us some great photos, as well as this story:

I just wanted to let you know that my dog Alex successfully completed a thruhike of the 162 mile Cohos Trail (along with myself and my girlfriend). The hike took us 15 days to complete. It started at Crawford Notch in New Hampshire and ended at the Canadian border.

Alex's pack held up great. Aside from getting covered in dirt and mud, the pack is still in great shape. Our dog wore it proudly and comfortably.

Size & Color: Small, Orange

Here is Mike Iverson’s dog Ty on a backpack trip with his Native dog pack and matching Limited Slip Collar. Along with Ty’s lovely photo, Mike sent this message to us:

Thanks for all your help. The whole "dog packing" experience was very positive and we're looking forward to years of use from our Wolf Pack. Our Lab/Weimaraner cross had no trouble adjusting to the pack at all - we just put it on and headed into the back country!

Thanks again for a quality product and your willingness to help fit our dog over the phone...

Size & Color: Small

Here are some incredible photos from Oeyvind Bliksvaer of his dog Flekken, hiking in Norway. This is the story to go along with the images...

We had a 4 day hike in one of the Norwegian mountain areas (Jotunheimen) the last week in June. There was still a lot of snow, and much water from the snowmelting. But the Banzai dog pack was perfect, and with good shoes and other equipment, it was perfect.

I am attaching a couple of pictures of Flekken with his pack. It is a perfect fit, and reaches exactly down to his elbows. I had to take the pack off him down the steepest areas where we were balancing down a ridge. Other than that, he was carrying his pack with 4-7 kg all four days, but it was hard on his paws, so if there were to be one more day of hiking, I would have had to put socks on him.
This picture is from Besseggen, which is Norway’s most popular hike. It is a 6-8 hour hike, 13 km long and with a total of more than 1000 mtr elevation. We hiked the opposite way of what is most usual, so we had the climbing downwards. This ridge is the one Henrik Ibsen described in his famous act "Peer Gynt". 35,000 people take this walk each year.

The second picture is in a valley 25 km northwest of Besseggen. We were planing to do a one week hike, but there was not so fun with lots of snow and water, so it was shortened to 4 days.

Size & Color: Medium, Burgundy

This happy girl is Matty, owned by Tom Beach. Tom sent us this cute picture, and had this to say about Matty’s new pack:

As you can tell, Matty loves her new Banzai pack. It fits great and rides well, even up and down very steep mountain trails. Thank you for the outstanding design and workmanship built into this product. It is far superior in both design and workmanship to the previous pack I had purchased from a pet shop. Also, your recommendations and personal attention were a great help. Thanks again for such an excellent product!

Size & Color: Small, Green

This is Koby, owned by Richard Griswold, trying out his Reflector dog pack. Richard sent us this note to let us know what his dog thinks of his dog pack:

I wanted to thank you for the new dog pack. Koby has taken to it like he's worn a pack his whole life. He seemed to really enjoy getting his dog treats out of the pack after our run this morning. I've attached a couple of pictures of him wearing it.

Size & Color: Small, Blue

Oeyvind Bliksvaer in Norway enjoys many activities with his dogs. Akela (on the left) wears her Trekker pack while Flekken (which means “spot”) wears a Banzai dog pack. Oeyvind sent us this message about his dog’s packs:

Your dogpack is absolutely the most versatlie packs I have ever used for my dogs. I have had 3 different models before the Wolfpacks. They are sitting very gently on the dogs, but still very firm (they dont move around or slide forward too much).

Size & Color: Medium, Green, Burgundy

Bonnie enjoys hiking with her friend Zach. This picture shows her exploring the Art Loeb Trail. She is wearing a small orange Reflector dog pack. This scenic trail is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Zach sent us this message about Bonnie's dog pack: "Just wanted you guys to see how Bonnie is doing with her pack! My friends and I did the Art Loeb Trail last month, out in Western NC. About 40 miles of hiking, Bonnie just loved it!! She fought putting the pack on at first, but then really started to like it. She wears it on every hike, just in case! Plus one day it began to rain, and we didn't think the pack would be waterproof- but once we opened it up, nothing was wet! Awesome work!!"

Size & Color: Small, Orange

Devo (Lab cross) and Ty Bo (Poodle/Pomeranian cross) trained by Dogs for the Deaf in Oregon. They are wearing their special orange ID Capes to identify them as Hearing Dogs. Here is some more information about the wonderful organization that trained these two special dogs.

For over 30 years, Dogs for the Deaf has been rescuing dogs from shelters, professionally training them, and placing them nationwide and in Canada with people who can benefit from their special training. Dogs for the Deaf trains Hearing Dogs to alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing to environmental sounds around them, Autism Assistance Dogs to provide increased safety and emotional bonding for children with autism, and Miracle Mutts who provide emotional support, therapeutic benefits, and a reason to live to people with a variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges. These dogs are placed free of charge with applicants who need their assistance. Dogs for the Deaf is a non-profit organization funded totally by donations.

Size & Color: Small, Medium, Orange

Yukon, a Malamute/Husky mix owned by Vickey and Matt Wong, is pictured here during a trip to Diamond Peak Ski Resort in California. His red Banzai dog pack contains his own food, water, and the potty bags. Vickey tells us that Yukon also had matching color boots in his dog pack which he decided not to wear. As a result got his feet dirty. Yukon loves to run freely (especially in snow), but hates the bath when he gets home.

Size & Color: Large, Red

With his luminous blue eyes looking right into the camera, Husky/CattleDog cross Ashiko models his purple Banzai dog pack while on a recent hike.

He is owned and photographed by Rob Pivonka & Michelle Crumrine.

Size & Color: Small, Purple

Susan Molloy's Montana assists with mobility difficulties. The White Mountain Independent newspaper (in Arizona) included this photograph with their story about 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.

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