Kyjen Outward Hound Backpack

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List Price: $47.99
Sale Price: $33.86
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

Bender Oak and I owned an older style backpack from Outward Hound, and while we loved it, we wore that thing out!

This new pack is totally redesigned from the old model, and there's a bunch of features I really, really dig!

It's got several different points where you can adjust it for size, and considering Bender is a uniquely shaped "mutt", I can tighten the back strap just right, and give him enough room in the front for his longer chest!

The saddle bags on the side are huge! Each bag can hold at least 2 regular size water bottles, with plenty of extra room. For giggles, I loaded up one pocket with two water bottles, a roll of poopie bags, a tiny sample package of treats, and a package of soft kibble! Just one one side! The cool thing about these bags is while they are much larger than previous packs, the bags are a much lower profile compared to other brand packs!

The saddle bags/pockets are removeable, which is awesome. I take them off, and there's a sturdy yet lightweight harness that I put on Bender. Once Bender and I are done playing "Hey Mom let me help you put the harness on by putting my paws in your face!", I just put the pack part over top the harness, and a velcro/snap system holds it in place!

I love love the zippers and color of the pack. The materials used (cloth, straps, zippers) are high quality, and something I'd expect a serious Human backpack to be made out of. Everything just feels, well, secure! The bright blue color helps me feel safe, because it helps Bender stay visible. He's a Black and Tan mix, and I don't ever want someone mistaking him for wildlife, or worse, not seeing him at all!

The top of this pack has a handle, and I have had to use it. Bender and I went for a walk in the fields near our house. We were surprised by a sudden/random Thunderstorm, which scared Bender. He's got more common sense than I and was afraid to be the tallest object out in an open field. We started to head back to the house, but all the Thunder kinda got to him. In a Pinch I had to lift him up a couple times to encourage him to get home. We have to cross a small culvert to get back to our house, and with all the weather going on, I simply used the handle and helped Ben across the culvert. Bender weighs 81 pounds. I don't suggest carrying your dog via the cool handle, but in a pinch, it works for emergency situations!

If I were to say I wanted one improvement, it would be a little bit of strap protection on the last strap (in the back) to prevent chafing. The only reason I say this is because Bender is thin-haired on his belly, and I'm concerned that our big hike later on this summer he might get some chafing. But considering we've already taken this pack out three times now, and we've had no trouble, I'm confident that we should be okay. Just in case, an after-market hiking comfort strap cushion (available on Amazon and hiking outlets) fits onto these straps. Again, a bonus, the straps are standard size like Human hiking gear!

Overall, we're really happy with this pack, and it's definitely going to help us this year when we go hiking in Western North Carolina!

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When I adopted my puppy, Cooper, a month ago, I didn't know much about his background (he's a rescue and was a stray prior to being fostered by the person I adopted him from) but my best guess is that he's a Basenji/Rat Terrier mix (~16 lbs) I knew those were both active breeds but even then I was not prepared for his activity level. He is constantly pulling on his leash on walks and his energy is seemingly boundless, which makes it hard for him to settle down at night for him (and more importantly, me) to sleep. I know the old adage is "a tired dog is a good dog" but even long walks and play sessions before bed didn't seem to faze him, with him not settling down in his crate for a least a half hour after lights out. I purchased this backpack several weeks ago and kind of forgot about it (I had mainly purchased it for hiking but hadn't had the occasion to use it yet) but after reading online about giving your dog "a job" to focus on during walks, I decided to give it a try.

The backpack is easy to put on and adjustable for a perfect fit. Cooper tolerated me putting it on over his head but I can see how this would be difficult with larger-headed and/or less patient dogs. I weighted each side with two cans of tuna (20 oz. all together) and it can definitely hold a lot more. Once we started walking, I found that it was immediately like walking a completely different dog. There was no pulling to get ahead of me and trying to get me to catch up to walk at his pace, instead he walked nicely at my side. The first time he tried to poop with the backpack on, he was not used to the extra weight pulling him back as he squatted, so I had to remove it for him to take care of business but later in the walk he had seemed to figure out how to balance himself and didn't have any issues. Added bonus: after he does his business, he can carry it himself (until we get to the next available trash can). By the time we got home, he was noticeably calmer (my roommate came home and usually he runs and jumps up on her but she didn't even notice him because he didn't even move to greet her at all) and I was even able to enjoy an afternoon nap without constant pouncing and nudging to play. I am definitely adding this to our evening walk routine.

My only quibble with this pack is that I wish there was some sort of D-ring so I can attach the leash directly to the backpack (essentially rendering it a harness with pockets).

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INTRO

My wife and I have more recently made the decision to be more active, which means of course that our little rescue Poppy is along for the ride! We are always looking for accessories that will make our trips easier on all of us, and not having to carry our pup's necessities was something that we both thought would be a good idea. I grew up around working alpine-rescue dogs, and always loved their little backpacks, many of which were custom-made by the Alpine Rescue Team simply because that sort of thing wasn't readily available. This backpack seemed absolutely perfect for our needs! As one of boycott boring's product testers (the distributor), I received the medium size backpack in exchange for an honest review.

QUALITY/CONSTRUCTION

As with all Outward Hound products, this backpack is VERY well made. Constructed from what I believe is very durable nylon (think hiking backpack), it is absolutely up to the task of any rough and tumble that can happen while out on hikes/at the dog park, and comes clean very easily. I can't find any official word on whether this is machine washable, but a damp cloth works wonders and we have yet needed to put it totally in the wash. I assume it will be fine, but will update if and when that time comes! All of the buckles and the velcro and equally as pleasing in their quality, and I have no complaints here! Despite only having single stitching, all of the stitches are well done, which is usually a sign of good quality overall.

DESIGN

Well, there are several important points to mention here. The first is that the frame itself is nicely adjustable via the straps included. While this won't fit perfectly every time for every dog, I have found that cutting the straps once they have been fitted and burning the edges will allow for you to dispose of any extra length that may be present depending on your dogs size, without any fraying. The overall design of the frame is excellent, and does a good job of distributing any weight by using a wide surface area, and a harness-type set up at the front with two additional straps around the chest. The inner frame also has a handle, which is excellent for keeping your dog nearby when distractions are present.

Moving on to the backpack itself, there are two large saddle bags that hang down on the sides, each with an interior mesh pocket along the inside. If I had one complaint about these saddle bags, it would be that there aren't smaller interior pockets for better organization, but more on that in my product suggestions. The backpack and frame have a total of four areas that have reflective material on them. This is great for night-time walks, allowing motorists to see that you're not the only one walking!

FIT

Our dog is a 25lb whippet-shepherd mix (full grown) and has a pretty awkward body. We have the medium backpack, and while the frame fits very well, the saddle bags are a hair on the large size for her. She's pretty long (therefore tall when on her hinds legs) but pretty low to the ground. Still, I was pleased that this thing fit at all I can't begin to list the many MANY accessories that simply don't fit our pup because of her awkward shape!

PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS

I have already spoken with the distributor about the following suggestions, and I am pleased to say that it seems as though the product designers are thinking along the same lines for one of two of them!

I think a good idea would be for outward hound to offer some sort of choice in terms of mixing and matching frames and backpacks. The medium frame is perfect for our pup, but as I mentioned the saddle bags are too big and I think the backpack section from the smaller model would be a better fit overall.

I would love to see some modularity be integrated with this backpack! By this I mean having some extra attachments that can be used besides the large backpack section that comes with the frames. Ideas include some smaller pouches that can be attached for those shorter trips small compartments for treats and waste bags etc. That way you could attach smaller compartments for walks or trips to the dog park, and the bigger bags for longer excursions/camping etc. Something that I would LOVE to see would be a pouch that could fit a Camelbak-type water bladder that would distribute the weight of water evenly, rather than having a water bottle that pulls to one side.

I would also be very pleased if there was a way to attach a felt/flannel lining to the inner frame. That way the frame could be used by itself to keep a pup warm. Our dog is part whippet, and we often have a jacket on her in winter to keep her nice and cozy, but of course that adds extra bulk that makes the backpack a little uncomfortable. If they added the softer side of velcro to the frame, it could be worn by itself without discomfort, but also have the ability to add the warmer lining during the winter months! This is something that I will do to the internal frame anyway, hopefully I'll have pictures that I can put up soon for inspiration!

OVERALL

Simply because there is room for improvement, I would rate this product at four and a half stars if Amazon allowed it. The design and quality is simply fabulous, with a few areas of improvement (in my eyes) that can be made on the organizational aspect. Overall, however, I do love this product and therefore have awarded it five stars with a strong recommendation as a great product overall. If you are active with your dog, enjoy long hikes or camping, this is an almost-perfect accessory that is made to last!

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The picture for this product does it no justice. This bag has TONS of space for whatever you want your canine companion to carry. I have 5 pounds of dog food and 100 rounds of ammo for my Glock 22. Excellent product and speedy delivery.

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I bought this backpack in a size medium for my Australian cattle dog (50 lbs) who happens to be my service dog. It can hold a great deal, has separate mesh pockets for things like keys/cards/ etc and I like that the pack actually comes off the vest and the vest can be worn on its own on hotter days when I'm just doing errands with my dog and she needs easy identification (patches were easy to sew on to this fabric). I found it easy to adjust to her fit, but wish there were instructions of any kind that came with it! (care instructions, fitting instructions). For the price, its a great lightweight packBUT I would not put very heavy things in this for prolonged periods of time because I don't think it's a very sturdy material. Overall, 4 stars.