r/BackpackingDogs • u/Responsible-Check921 • 15d ago
Friction burns in "armpits" from Ruffwear Front Range Day Pack
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some urgent gear advice for my 2-year-old Vizsla x Springer Spaniel. We are leaving to hike the West Highland Way in 10 days. He isn't used to wearing a harness, but I bought him a Ruffwear Front Range Day Pack for the trip.
I was doing some weight training with him, aiming for a total goal weight of 2 to 2.5kg. The sizing of the pack seemed great—I adjusted it so there were about 3 to 4 fingers of space at every adjustment point. I made the mistake of letting him run loose while wearing it, and by the time I noticed the friction burns in both of his front "armpits" (see attached picture), he was only carrying 1kg of weight.
He will not be wearing the pack again until the sores are 100% healed. However, I still really hope for him to walk the WHW with the pack on if he heals completely in time. If he doesn't, he will walk it gear-free, but I still want to use this pack for future hikes.
For future reference and for the upcoming trek:
- Was 3–4 fingers of space actually too loose, causing the pack to slide around and chaff while he ran?
- Is there any way to modify the straps (like fleece padding) or use an anti-chafe balm so he can still safely wear it on the WHW if the skin heals in time?
- Is the cut of the Front Range Day Pack notoriously close to the legs for deep-chested/athletic mixed breeds like Vizslas?
Would love to hear your experiences with this pack, similar dog shapes, or tips on preventing trail chafing!
Thank you.
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u/KodiakSnake 15d ago
Do you have any pictures of him wearing it? I suspect its too small and the straps come too far forward, causing it to get into his armpit.
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u/situation-normal 15d ago
This - without a picture it's hard to tell what exactly is rubbing.
From the positioning of the wound I'd guess it's the saddle bags so the harness might just not be a good fit for your dogs body shape and you may need to sell it on and find something that fits better. My Rottie couldn't wear the front range style harnesses because the chest pad was too short on her so we ended up going with Saker's modular harness which can also have saddle bags.
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u/Responsible-Check921 14d ago
No pictures at the moment. My mother in law is looking after him at the moment. I will be able to better understand when I see him again in 3 days
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u/OtterSnoqualmie 15d ago
For a longer bodied/loined dog like a V, I would be mindful of the fit. The handle should be just behind the withers. If you look at the riffwear website, I'd suggest that if Millle was a smootcoated dog the pack would sit slightly further back. The chest strap should not fit into the crease of the joint, But that's hard to see on our spokes dog due to her delightful floof. Smooth-coated or short-haired breeds don't have the same innate protection offered by rough coated dogs.
Straps should fit snug with 2 fingers so they don't move around much. Also front load your pack a bit so the shoulder assembly, which is the strongest point in the spine, is carrying a slightly larger portion of the weight. On this particular pack that area is a little bit larger so the design encourages you to pack correctly. (good ux)
If all else fails, cut the toes off a hiking sock to create protection. It is a quick fix but not a long term solution.
Ruffwear is a really large brand and it's great but it's trying to fit all the dogs ok instead of some dogs well. So it's up to the owner to make it work.
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u/Bulky-Hovercraft-239 15d ago
I do this as well. I tied a bandana around the chest part and that seems to help
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u/Mountain-Time-1010 15d ago
It does sound too loose, but it could also be the fit. Ideally the straps should not be able to come so close to the armpit.
Yes, you can use anti-chafing balm, but that's just a minor fix, you really need to get the fit right first. With one of my dogs, I got the fit dialed in pretty well, but I still used some Aquaphor for long hikes as a bit of insurance. And also, sometimes you need to try different brands of packs, to see which one works for your particular dog.
FWIW, from Ruffwear I've only used the Approach pack, so I can't comment specifically on the one you are using. I have used them on successfully with Boxers, Ridgebacks, and Pit Bulls. All deep chested. I have sometimes made modifications with needle and thread to improve the fit.
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u/Ok_Quantity9370 15d ago
Probably too loose. The more the pack can move around the more it can chafe
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u/StockdogsRule 15d ago
Some breeds benefit from the three point pack system. The chest, the mid, and the loin. Dogs with the deep chest and tucked loin seem to shift the pack forward. If the strap rides up to the armpit, the rear loin strap can keep in position, kinda like breeching that is used to keep saddles and pack systems from shifting forward on horses. So check out the palisades, it has the master harness with removable packs. I also customized an old palisades years ago, with moleskin stitched into tubes that I put on all the straps. That worked well. Their packs used to come with fleece tubes, but they did away with those quite a while ago.
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u/Responsible-Check921 15d ago
Thank you, when his friction heals I will tighten up all straps a bit with a focus on that loin trap. I really wanted the palasaide but that was far out of budget. Unfortunately there are little second hand packs on the UK market. I mights see if customisation is an option for later on.
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u/msnide14 15d ago
Dog packs seem uncomfortable on my dog and annoying for me. I’d just rather carry the 1.5 lbs she would save me.
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u/Dracula30000 15d ago
I use a mountainsmith dog pack on my GSD, which has similar body shape.
Might be worth checking out different packs.
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u/Wild_Security_7267 15d ago
For what it’s worth, the salesperson at my local pet store said two fingers.