Going on a long hike and bringing your dog with you? Outfit them in Ruff Wear’s Approach Pack and they can carry their own provisions! Read more for our full review.

While you may love having your dog accompany you on hikes, anything more than a few hours requires some extra food. All that kibble can add a significant amount of weight to your own pack. Ruff Wear designed the Approach Pack so that your dog can offset the heavy load for longer trips. The lightweight saddle-bag style construction is functional and designed specifically for optimum comfort for dogs.

Right away, the quality of the construction is quite obvious. Using materials you would see in your own pack, like waterproof zippers, gear loops, and reflective panels, ensures that the pack will hold up well against obstacles your four-legged friend might run into. The pack is easy to put on and features a five-point adjustment system for you to ensure that it fits your dog perfectly. In addition, it features their Web Master harness system, which has a provides stability and even load dispersion.

Attention to detail and care for your dog’s comfort is shown in small touches like the soft, padded strap covers and sturdy chest harness. Ruff Wear has made a point to make sure that there aren’t any seams that would irritate a dog on a long hike. It also features a strong handle, perfect for steering your dog through tough patches you may encounter on the trail. As far as carrying capacity, between the two saddlebags, the Approach Pack can hold quite a big of kibble–depending on sizing, it can hold anywhere from 700-975 cubic inches.

Although the pack is great for serving the purpose of carrying more gear (or food) on longer hikes with your dog, an added bonus is using it for training and exercise. During early tests, the Daily Hiker mascot proudly walked alongside during testing, happy to have a “job” to perform. By starting out light and slowly adding weight to the pack, she has not had a problem getting used to carrying the weight, which spares us a few pounds on the next hike.

The Approach Pack is available in a wide range of sizes and two colors. It retails for $74.95.

Product sample provided by the manufacturer for review purposes.