This pack, besides fitting great and being durable, recently helped us out of a very serious situation. We had to climb through a very long boulder field on a recent backpacking trip, and that turned out to be too hard for our dog, Bodie. We had to make the decision to turn back, but still had to climb back through the boulders that he was starting to balk at and run away from. How to get a 55 lb dog through those, as it was the only way home? We picked him up by the handle on his pack like a piece of luggage whenever he reached a spot that was too scary for him. Don't know why that handle is there, but for us it saved the day!!!! Thanks for the good quality and great design--the clips held all through the ordeal!

This pack is amazing! We take it for walks to the farmers market and Desmond is able to carry the water, keys, wallet and various veggies home! He is nearly 50lbs and the Medium fits perfectly with plenty of room to grow into.

These dogs have done multi-day backpacking trips, x-country ski tours and climbed MT Adams and St Helen's so they are experienced backcountry travelers. We've tried just about every pack on the market and we keep coming back to Ruffwear. These packs are simply the best, nothing else comes even close so don't waste your time with other brands. Thank you Ruffwear!

As a dog trainer, I find myself recommending people invest in a pack for their dogs to help 'give the dogs a job to do' while on walks. I finally purchased the Approach Pack for my 30pound mixed breed, Maggie, and I am so impressed! She took to the pack immediately. I think the webmaster harness base makes it more comfortable than other packs I have tried in the past with my other dog. We are up to her carrying the pack with a dishtowel in either side to get her used to the added weight, and nothing slows her down. :) This pack is SO well made and the fit is perfect. Maggie looks so cute in her pack. :) We have yet to venture onto a mountain trail with it, but our 4-6mile daily walks on the dirt roads get us lots of smiles from people we pass. :) I will continue to recommend people invest in Ruffwear products and I can't wait to tackle the first mountain with Maggie & her pack. Thanks for an awesome product!

Perfect for our day trips. Holly is able to carry her own water & food as well as other stuff (Pack-in / pack-out) Fits very well and quite durable - I did add a drain hole to each side for her forays into water to hasten the draining process. We had tried less expensive packs before but now only use the Approach Pack

This pack lays on their sides and doesn't swing back and forth, hitting their ribs like other packs I've tried. It's durable and stays put when they're pulling, climbing rocks, running and jumping through the creek, or playing with each other (husky play is rough). No chaffing or rubbing, and if you fit it properly to your dog, they don't even know it's there. When I pull the packs out, my dogs are super excited because they know we're going for a hike!

My boxer is very high energy so someone suggested a pack as a way to get more out of her walks. This was the second pack we got. I bought the first one at a local pet store (not Ruffwear brand) and it started to rip after only 3 walks. I went to REI and bought the Approach pack and it is so sturdy. The zippers and all the stiching are very rugged. I put 2 water bottles in each side and we go for about an hour each day. It has made a world of difference. I notice she is much more focused when she wears her pack. If this ever wears out I will definitely buy another. Worth every penny!

We adopted Jasper (a grey hound husky mix) from a local shelter with the intention of bringing him where ever we went in the Black Hills, but we were concerned that he was to high strung and he would hurt himself or us on our first outing. After we bought the Approach backpack he was a different dog, he would listen and was calm and would walk next to us on trails and was carrying his own treats and water! This is a great product!

Love the product. It fit is perfect on our 95 pound dog. She can move with ease and it gives her the important job of carrying water on our walks.

We have an 8 month old Boxer/Pit Bull mix. He is well trained and a good boy. However we have 3 dogs and our Jack Russell Terrier gets very excited for our walks. Our pitoxer also gets very excited and he tends to really pull. We correct him but it's not long before he is pulling again.

I read that dog packs can help settle dogs down on walks. We love Ruff Wear so I read all of the reviews on both packs and went with the Approach Pack since it's our first one.

I am so impressed with this pack. Sure it's great quality, but the immediate effect it had on Jackson was fantastic! No more pulling! The start of our walks can still be excited, but he quickly settles into his stride with his new pack. If he tries to cross over or pull a quick correction of the leash puts him right back in line.

He easily runs around the park off leash with the pack, but we also take it off him if it's really hot or he's going swimming.

We are now going to buy the xxsmall pack for our terrier to see if the pack works the magic on her over excited energy on the walks.

I would really appreciate a small side zipper pocket for easy access to small items. Overall this is a great product.

I agree with all the good comments. The pack holds plenty, is very adjustable, and my dog has not had any signs of rubbing or irritation from it. If I changed anything, it woud be to have subdivided compartments of even a side zipper pouch. You do have to be carefull to arrange things evenly in the single, large compartments.

I bought this pack for Putney as he is really energetic! This is the first pack we've got and will definitely be getting another as they are so well made. Putney is a small,short dog with a massive chest and I wasn't sure that he would get a good enough fit,but it was no problem as it adjusts everywhere! We got the xxs,which should've been plenty big enough round the girth and was fine when he modelled it round the house. However,it rubbed down his side even at full adjustment on the walk and after measuring the pack,found that it was nearly two inches smaller than it should've been and he needed that bit!! (We've kept the pack though as it's a perfect fit for Chey and will size up for Putney!) One annoying thing is the noise the zips make when the dog is on the move-people up the trail hear us rattling along way before they see us!! I've pinned the zips down by the tags but it would be better if they were lock zips like on the coats. Over all a great product! (But any chance you can make the new SingleTrak in a smaller size too?)

Very good pack. Good fit, well balanced and doesn't appear to cause any discomfort. Went with the Medium size even though my dog's measurements put him on the low end of the Large range.

this pack is "packed" with so many great features, not the least is how well-designed and great looking it is. my bull terrier x flies thru the trails with ease wearing it, and the chi-jack has one too! both dogs have no problem carrying things in it, and the packs keep them ON the trails since they don't like bumping into trees with them on. we love this pack, and with the handle on the top, i can grab the chi-jack and pick her up like a suitcase if she's gotten into a place she needs to get out of :) would recommend this pack to anyone, and have had lots of compliments on it, as well.

The approach pack was a great buy and helps to make my boxer feel like he's doing a job. He is very focused on our walks now and it helps to tire him out. Now that he is used to the pack, when I bring it out he can't wait to put it on.

Really nice pack. Stays centered on her back, even after she shakes her body (you know, like a dog shakes to get water off its coat). Like the lichen green color, and the reflective strips. She seems very comfortable in it; she even naps with it on. No complaints.

Love it. The only thing I would change is putting the front right leg through a hole. I'd make it a quick-er release. Roxie is used to it and the instructions that came with it clarified all my questions. Worth the money.

Thankfully my dog is already accustomed to wearing something as he was raised as a potential service dog. He absolutely loves his new backpack. He literally smiles when he is wearing it and walks so proud. Our first time out with the pack we walked 8 1/2 miles.

I purchased this pack for my pit to give her a job on our walks. I had bought the Approach II for my boxer but much to my disappointment it's no longer being produced. I really liked the style much better and it was a little cheaper as well. I bought a small for my boxer who is tall skinny and 60lbs. I measured her and according to the chart she wore a small. Upon arrival, the pack was actually just a little too big even though she was right in the middle if the size range. I modified the pack later on and it works ok. Based on this I ordered an x-small for my pit. I was hoping that the Approach style might fit a little better and was willing to give it another try. She's short wide and 45lbs and according to the size chart, wears an XS. Upon arrival, this pack was WAAAY too small even though she was in the middle of her size range and when I tried our boxer's pack(size S) on her it was way too large. This was very disappointing and I have since returned the pack.

got the large pack for our still-growing bullmastiff. At 95lbs the fully adjustable pack looks like it will continue to fit him as he finishes up growing. We did a 2 day, 21 mile hike and Meatball carried 20lbs (mostly water, maybe a little beer) and did fantastic. WE were worn out, Meatball was ready to play when the day was done. He was a champion in his pack, prancing around he obviously loved it. The bags were easy to balance for him, and the biggest problem that we had was that he is wider than usual, and when he sprints past you to chase after something you've got to be careful that he doesn't take out your knees with the packs. I was initially worried about the weight, but he was totally fine, based on the amount of running he did in it. We walked 21 miles, he RAN about 40. What a wonderful product! When we got home I threw it in the laundry, and we are now ready for our next family adventure!

I am a 10lb service dog in training. My mom bought the smallest size and the harness fits great however the packs are to bulky. She is going to take them a part and scale them down for me.

I purchased the Medium Approach Pack for my 70 pound Boxer Mix and she loves wearing it on our long walks. I purchased it after watching Cesar Millan and I have to say that when my dog is wearing it she is much happier on our walks and behaves much better as well. It is durable and well made and I love the lichen/green color. I really appreciate the reflective tape all around the pack. The fit is perfect with the adjustable padded straps. I can't fine one thing wrong with it. Thank you Ruff Wear!

I have 3 of these packs as my big young Samoyed outgrew his and I had to upsize. They look and fit great and allow the dogs to carry their own water, food and supplies. I pack their food in Zip-lock bags so if they wade into the water with the packs on it's no problem.

Good material, great color

We shopped around for packs and were surprised how many different dog packs were out this. This one was the one that seemed to be the best quality for the money. There is plenty of room for our little man's food and water when we are out walking or hiking. I agree that it would be nice if you could remove the packs without taking the whole thing off, and the entire pack should be waterproofed (with Gortex) like the zippers are.

This pack is great. It fits my 60 lb lab Grace perfectly! It's not too big or bulky and she hardly even notices it- but it provides enough space for all the stuff you might need on a hike. I can't wait till spring arrives and we can hit the trail!

My little schnauzer is extremely active and after watching Cesar Millan recommending a pack I decided to give it a try and buy one. Let me tell you: I am very, very pleased with the overall quality of the product. The fit was perfect and my little Mitzi loves wearing it.

This pack is a much better product than my prior pack. Its fit was easily customized to my dog and she was immediately comfortable wearing it. She seems proud to wear it, too. I use it primarily to give a load to carry to make her feel more useful on walks with our older dog. My only suggestion for improvement would be to make the tab on the dogside of the side packs with velcro to allow easy attachment after latching the buckle at the top of the harness.

Perfect fit from the measurements you give. Allows lots of movement and comfort for the dog.

I love this backpack overall because I do a termendous amount of trail ridding that my dog comes on with me. It's nice because she can carry her water, and food, as well as her leash, and a toy or two for when we stop for luch. I only wish this backpack could be like the more expensive one in the way of being able to take the bags off without the whole thing, it's a pain to do. But all in all a great product! Happy Trails!

The pack is great. Sits well on dog, nicely padded straps. I WISH very much that there were markers or tabs on the zippers or *something* different about the left and right pocket/pouches, cause when you are trying to take dog meals out evenly from each side it gets REALLY hard to remember where their last water break.kibble serving came from when both sides are absolutely identical. Also, want some kind of marker visible from behind for same reason - to better balance you need a blaze showing which side of the pack is hanging low - they wiggle too much when you stop them and get close to adjust. Still a very well constrcuted product though!

Great Quality and comfortable fit. I get lots of compliments on it!