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

Here is Auz Gage's dog Adelae, who is an experienced trial dog. This photo shows the usefulness of the lashpatches we attach to the top of our dog packs. Auz sent us this nice photo, along with the following message:

I can't tell you enough how much I love and use this pack. I'm a relatively avid backpacker and day hiker (as much as a full time student with a full time job can be). Adelae is my Catahoula Leopard Dog and when she sees the pack come out, she just goes crazy! She wears a size small Banzai pack in Orange (I LOVE the color). Also, can I just say how much I love the pockets as well as the lashing option on the top of the pack? Normally Adelae just carries water for day hikes (and my snake hook since I'm a herp hobbyist), but when we're out for the long haul, she carries her own supplies as well as various things lashed to the top of the pack. I must admit, it does add stability when I have a mat tied to the top of the pack. Wolf Packs makes such an excellent product, we have never had any problems with rubbing, soreness or discomfort. Being in Central Florida, we generally stay around here, which means there's a ton of sugar sand, mud and sharp things. We plan on using this pack until it falls apart, and after two years of hard use it doesn't show any signs of wear! I don't know what I would do without it. It's just a great product and I will be a patron for life!

Thanks again for such great products!
Auz & Adelae

Size & Color: Small, Orange

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

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

This is Shadow, owned by Bill Maslen, enjoying a winter day in Canada. Bill sent us this nice picture, along with this message:

On behalf of Shadow (ISSR Shiloh Shepherd) and myself, we want to thank you for the prompt service, delivery and high quality large sized Banzai Wolf Pack we purchased for his 2nd birthday. Our search for a suitable dog pack to fit a dog of his size was well rewarded, and has improved the enjoyment of our long walks together, as he now carries both our water bottles, treats and other "vital" supplies. Have included a few pics of the big guy modeling your product on our most recent hike near our home in Saint-Lazare, QC Canada. Thanks again, and keep up the good work.
 
Bill Maslen & Shadow

Size & Color: Large, 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

This is Jim Miller's 2½ year old Golden Retreiver, Amber. Jim describes her as "very intelligent, motivated, curious, helpful, playful, a quick learner, and of course pretty." She sounds like the perfect companion!

Amber is a service animal trained specifically for persons with seizure disorders. A seizure alert dog notifies someone when a seizure is pending, sometimes as far as 30 minutes in advance. That person can get to a safer place, sit down, notify a bystander, and prepare for an oncoming attack. The dog can either standby or go get help if necessary.

You might be interested in reading more of Jim's comments (see Amber's ID Cape) about Amber and her gear.

Size & Color: Medium, Orange

Gordon & Leslie's 6½ year old black Lab Shadow has multiple tasks to perform. She was trained for hearing assistance work and as most Hearing Dogs, she alerts Gordon & Leslie to various sounds they would otherwise miss, such as fire alarms, the telephone ringing, buzzers or timers for cooking, people knocking at the door, or any other noises that aren't what she feels is normal in her world. She also does reach assistance work for them. Shadow will pick up things they drop and go get things that are a bit low and cause them pain to bend over and get.

Gordon says, "She makes the quality of our lives so much better and that's so important to us. Shadow does many things for us other than being a wonderful loving companion. Shadow is just incredible!"

You might enjoy reading Gordon's comments (see ID Cape & Patches) about how our products have helped Shadow to accompany her owners in public places.

Size & Color: Medium, Orange

These adorable brother and sister Shiba-Inus belong to Carolyn and Larry Brick. Both dogs are certified Hearing Ear Dogs. Takao, the black male, is partnered with Larry and Tiki, the red sesame female is the partner of Carolyn. They both wear an orange ID Cape in XSmall, and have one of our "Please Don't Pet Me" patches sewn onto the top center of the cape.

You might enjoy reading Larry's letter (see Tornado Warning) about how Takao warned him about an approaching tornado.

Size & Color: XSmall, Orange

Czar is a German Shepherd who lives and works in Australia. He belongs to Creese Syred, and is a trainee Search and Rescue dog. Creese often takes him to local shops, where the butcher puts Czar's food in the Trekker dog pack. When this photo was taken, Czar's pack held yummy chicken wings.

Czar is wearing his ID Cape which he uses for Search & Rescue training. Creese has written "IF LOST OR FOUND PLEASE OPEN" above the pocket. The pocket holds a card that reads: "If you find this dog, please don't be scared. Give him some fresh water and call (his phone number or vet's number). He is a member of the German Shepherd Dog League Australia, and N.S.W. Tracking & Rescue Dog Club."

Creese and Czar walking home from town. It looks like this T-shirt has found a good home.

Size & Color: Medium, Orange

Thomas Bourgeois' Weimaraner Iggy accompanied him to the 1999 New Orleans Mardi Gras. Iggy wore his orange Banzai dog pack at the event. He also wore some handsome bead necklaces. "He survived and was a hit with his pack." Sure looks like they had fun!


Thomas sent us this email message:

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

Size & Color: Medium, Orange

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

This is Jim Greenway's Golden Retriever Bonnie at the top of Brasstown Bald (elevation 4,800'), Georgia's highest mountain. Brasstown was too foggy for scenic shots, so Jim photographed Bonnie on the deck of the lookout. She is proudly sporting her orange Banzai dog pack, complete with patches showing some of the miles she's logged.

This photo shows Bonnie sitting near the marker for the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail, located on Springer Mountain (elevation 3,782'). Her dog pack setup includes an ingenious leash created by Jim.

Here is an email message we received about a tornado that Bonnie's pack survived:


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

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

Size & Color: Medium, Orange

Louise & Wayne Laub's Rhodesian Ridgeback Bella enjoys her first experience in snow in the spectacular Yosemite region. Here she is relaxing while wearing her orange Banzai dog pack. Louise sent us these Comment about Bella's 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

Size & Color: Medium, 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

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