u/zynniya

I found a rescue sling! I got the Ruffwear BackTrack Evacuation Kit. I wanted to share now before field testing because it’s currently on sale for 25% off on both the Ruffwear site and REI (for members).

It can be worn for front or backloading of your dog. The vest and harness (for lack of better phrasing) is a single piece that folds up into a mesh pocket that is sewn into the top center of the vest portion. Although as I was opening it the first time it was a struggle to unzip it because the pocket was so jammed full and I can’t get the sling folded back in there. I’ll probably just keep it all in a DCF stuff sack to keep it from getting tangled with everything else in my pack.

It includes a soft muzzle that is much higher quality and softer on my dog’s snout than the nylon one I’ve been carrying the last few years. My dog was right on the cusp of small and medium so I contacted Ruffwear and they advised me to get the larger size. Their guidance was spot on! I’ve also been following their training tips from the video on their website and it’s worked out perfectly for us so far.

Only my scale the medium comes in at 504g (17.8 oz) which is close to the weight I expected. I can’t find the manufacturer listed weight now but I did before purchasing. I know there are MYOG options that come in at a much lower weight but without a tried and true pattern, I just wouldn’t trust anything I dreamed up. This sling is just what I had in mind for our PCT thru next year and every last gram is worth it for me. Your mileage may vary.

We’re still training with it so I do not have pictures of it to share yet. Here’s my guy keeping warm in my puffy on the Superior Hiking Trail in 2024 while I shivered uncontrollably.

We spent the week exploring the Cranberry Wilderness. We had a mix of warm, sunny days and cold, stormy days. We love the Monongahela National Forest so it was my first choice to test out some recent gear changes and additions. I've been combing this sub along with some others and the Facebook group, Thru-hiker Dogs, for ideas and resources. My focus has been in finding the lightest possible gear without compromising functionality. A lot of my searches led me to products that don't exist anymore so I thought I'd share some of what we use that is available today.

Our new Woofo raincoat performed perfectly! I originally shared about the raincoat here a couple weeks ago. I knew when I bought it that it didn't cover the legs as completely as the Hurtta. But it was easy for me to just dry my dog's legs with a lightload towel so he didn't soak our bedding. The Woofo raincoat never wetted out despite the rain and also brushing constantly against wet grasses and spruce trees. I was happy to see that it didn't limit my dog's range of motion, either. He was able to jump over fallen trees and even Spiderman his way across a tricky water crossing. Of course he did that five seconds after I stopped filming and prepared to carry him across myself.

I also got a new Ruffwear Flagline harness that I'm pretty impressed with. My dog hates having anything put on him and he'd act like I'd just broken his back when I first put it on, but then he'd forget and he was off running and jumping. I did not need to use the handle on the back of the harness this trip but I did test it. The handle is strong enough for me to lift my 37lbs. dog and the harness design is fantastic for providing him with support in carry mode. The belly portion of the harness extends further back than regular harnesses so his body didn't fold in half when I lifted him. I wouldn't trust it for an evacuation or a wide water crossing, but it's strong and painless for lifting over fallen trees or short water water crossings or grabbing in the event of a slide on sketchy terrain. The straps are very thin webbing but very strong and they didn't slide out of position once I fitted them to his body, even in lift mode and when they were wet.

While I did allow him off leash at times, he spent more time on leash than the pictures would have you believe. I paired his harness with the Ruffwear Hitch Hiker UL waist leash, which we've tested extensively hiking the woods near home this past winter. It extends out to 12 feet and has a really cool locking mechanism for setting the leash length. It's also super light and I forget I'm wearing it. The collar or harness attachment is really nice because it has a sliding lock on it. The whole thing weighs 8 ounces. 8 ounces! I used to use a waist leash that weighed four pounds and I cannot express how happy I am to have something so lightweight.

It was cold enough at times that he needed his coat. I found an old recommendation for the Gooby fleece vest and was happy to learn they're still available. It's very well made and keeps him toasty. I would like something lighter and not as bulky though, so I plan to use the Gooby as a pattern and make him one using Alpha Direct. I'm sure my little drama king will still act like he's had a load of bricks dropped on his back until he sees or smells something interesting and magically regains control of his body again.

This was our first backcountry trip since making changes to his backcountry food and water intake. He gets really excited and too overstimulated to eat or drink. After consulting with his vet, I sprinkled some homemade chicken broth powder over his kibble and it was a success! I think it helped that I traded the titanium pan we'd been using as a food dish for a Snapfold bowl. We had tested this on the familiar trail at home where he's not as overstimulated because he's used to all the scents, sights, and sounds. I was reasonably confident we'd finally found a solution to his backcountry anorexia, but we did camp the first night just half a mile away from the car where I had some canned food I know he'll eat. I was so happy that the chicken broth powder worked and we didn't need to cut this trip short! After a few days he would eat without me having to add the powder.

I also added a flavored canine electrolyte powder to his water to entice him to drink more and also make up for the fact that he never drinks enough. I carry a 750ML CNOC flask for his water anyways because I save the water when he refuses to drink it or if he only takes a couple little sips. I don't want to have that in my water bottles though, so I bought him the flask. It turns out that's the perfect container for adding the electrolyte powder because I can smoosh the clumps that inevitably form when adding the powder to the water. You can see the powder and flask in the last few pictures. I highly recommend the flask for anyone who wants to have a separate water bottle for their dog.

This was also our first time using a Dyneema water dish, which I got from HikeLight on Etsy. I had a spare on me in case of punctures or if I lost it. It worked really well for us! I kept it clipped to my shoulder strap while we were hiking and could quickly have water available for my dog when we took breaks.

This was our last outing with his hodge podge sleep system. I've been using a combination of a MYOG sleeping mat made out of Tyvek and polyester quilt batting, Reflectix insulation, and a down blanket from Get Out Gear. It's a perfectly fine setup in dry conditions down to around 45°. Unfortunately it wasn't dry most of the time and nighttime temps were dropping to freezing or just below a couple nights. My quilt and sleeping pad aren't big enough for me and my dog but we tried. I'm really excited about the dog bivy we have on order from Nunatak! It will be less weight and less bulk while being better cold weather protection for my little guy.

I still need to find or make an emergency sling. We tried the FidoPro Airlift and it wasn't right for us. My dog fit perfectly but almost fell out when I attempted to stand. It just wasn't a great setup for a dog his size to be lifted on the back of one person without someone else to keep him steady during the lifting process. I was already unimpressed with it because it was so big and heavy. I really expected it to be better quality materials for the price, too. We're thruhiking the PCT next year so I'd like an ultralight sling I can use to frontload him for water carries while I'm still wearing my backpack. That will help me with balance and also mean I don't have to do every water crossing three times. The search continues but I'll share when we figure out the right setup for us.