If you’ve been reading along or following at all on Instagram-you already know about Sage the Rage. He is a standard Australian Shepard that joined our family last December and I take every opportunity to spoil him. That means a lot of Ruffwear items, you’ll likely be seeing more gear reviews in the near future. First up? This ‘Hip Pack’ from Ruffwear.

A few disclaimers-I have not tried dog specific hip packs from other brands. There are a few out there I’d be curious about, but I chose Ruffwear and so far I have no real reason to buy something else. We treat train. So something with designated treat space was something I was specifically looking for. I also don’t use this pack for running or hiking, I have a different belt I use for running, (also from Ruffwear) formal review on that to come. If we are hiking or traveling longer distances or more remote than the park, I’ll pack a small day pack with the goodies we need. For our daily walks, errands and even the backyard this has been coming with us. I’ve been using it for about the last 4-5 months…So here goes!

Cons: Really? Starting with what you don’t like? Yup-there’s only one and it’s really more preference. The color. Ruffwear makes most of their items in bold, bright colors which I think stand out so beautifully against natural fur colors. For something I wear? The color is a bit bright. I think I went with the red over the more muted purple color because it matched more of what I was getting for Sage….and it does….and it looks nice. But that’s it. Just the color. My only complaint.

Pros: Everything else!

Comfort: The side you wear towards you is padded-so for wearing over several hours it’s extremely comfortable. The belt is also pretty thick, so even if you load it down with goods it won’t dig into your side. The buckle is also pretty burley-and there is plenty of extra webbing on the belt making it really adjustable. I like to wear it as a waist pack because I almost always keep it unzipped. I usually have it over one hip, I can easily grab and toss a treat without much thought.

Organization: Probably my favorite part is the designated phone pocket in the back, padded and separate from treats or anything soggy I might put in the main pocket. Since this is our regular use hip pack, it comes with to the brewery too. I just toss my wallet in the big pocket, phone in the back pocket and we’re ready with everything we need for me and for Sage. (Those are the times I’d like to change the color). The front pocket has a spot for keys, and it’s also where I keep the sanitizer, hello poo bags. Did someone say poo bags? There’s a separate spot for that too? Stretchy and mesh and super easy to use-it fits a standard pickup bag roll. The main pocket is also big enough to fit some extra goodies. I like to carry a few extra treats in a Stasher Bag, the half/snack size is just right, and we also bring a super small water bowl. The Trail Runner Ultralight Dog Bowl from Ruffwear packs up so small. Now, our regular route walks past some water stops so we can take a little hydration break without me doing some fancy runoff work.

Treats: The major selling point for this hip pack was the treat dispensing feature. The large pocket has a separate treat pocket that’s lined and snaps closed. It keeps treats out of your wallet, and with the main pocket unzipped, functions just like a treat pouch for training. It’s also super easy to wipe out with a wet cloth when things get inevitably funky. And it holds a LOT of treats…this might be Sage’s favorite feature too I guess.

Durability: This is one of the dog items I can safety say gets daily use. We have a super small fenced in backyard, so when we hangout back there-I want poo bags and you guessed it…treats. So even though we’re just headed back for some frisbee, this hip pack comes with. And it looks great. No signs of wear at all. I’ve had to hand wash it-it came with us to the highest point in North Dakota and got pretty dirty, but other than that, it looks brand new.

Overall, I’ve been super happy with this hip pack, if you’ve been looking for something for your daily walks with Fido, check it out! https://ruffwear.com/products/home-trail-hip-pack

Thanks for reading-follow along here and on Instagram for more Trips, Tips and Gear Reviews…as always, hope you find some time to get out-and enjoy some Days Off!