The (other) Approachisades Pack

With me being me and liking to modify things, I couldn't keep my hands off the new Approach Pack I'd bought for Sasha. (There are needles in my keyboard that are rattling right now) I wanted to do something a bit different from the Approach II that I'd already modified and now that I knew how to (sorta) use a sewing machine, I felt invincible.
Well, not invincible, but certainly capable.

If you've read the previous post detailing how I made the Approachisades II, this version is somewhat different but I feel it's more badass.  Instead of using fabric as a skin, I completly left that part out and just made the skeleton with strapping. Much, much beefier strapping.

Here's what I used:
1 Ruff Wear Approach Pack (small)
4 3/4" plastic buckles
3 feet of 3/4" strapping (polypropylene heavyweight)
2 feet of 1" strapping (polypropylene lightweight)
2 feet of 2" strapping (polypropylene lightweight)
Many yards of heavy-duty thread
Velcro (optional)
Lots of pins
A tempermental sewing machine

In case you are unsure of where to buy buckles and straps, Strapworks is an excellent site to order from. They have a nice inventory and great prices, plus cheap shipping. Also, you will want to get more strapping than you actually need in case you mess up somewhere or have to repair something down the line.

The Approachisades II Pack

Yes yes, I know, lame combination of names.

A while ago I mentioned that I was going to turn my Approach II pack into a Palisades style pack. I finally got around to doing it. This took forever since I couldn't find any plastic buckles or straps of the correct size locally and I generally don't like to order anything online unless I have to.
I ordered the buckles and straps from Strapworks who has pretty good prices on buckles, really good prices on webbing (straps) and had a nice low shipping rate as well.  I highly reccomend you buy from them if you can't find what you want for whatever your project might be. They have several other things in their inventory as well.

Anyways... For this project you will need:
1 Ruff Wear (or other brand) dog pack with harness
4 Plastic buckles of correct size (for the XS pack I used 1/2" single-adjust buckles)
3 feet or more of strapping (I used 1/2" heavyweight polypropylene)
A couple feet of fabric (I wanted to use heavy-duty mesh but instead went with lightweight canvas)
Several yards of heavy-duty thread
A couple feet of hemming strip (bias tape, 1/2" extra wide doublefold)
A sewing machine and/or hand sewing needles
Lots of pins
Some velcro (optional)

Pack Fun

Not pack as in "wolf pack" (since, you know, that's a load of crap) but pack as in...

Reflective striping stands out due to flash

Pack!
I took all the dogs hiking today. There was an unusually large number of horses at Cathedral Hills so the dogs were on leash for about 75% of the hike. Conker and Sasha couldn't really care less about the horses but Juneau... I'd rather not see what she will do when she meets a horse off-leash. She shows way too much interest in them for me to attempt that.

That was some niiice horse crap!

Sasha was really good and was allowed off-leash in some places Juneau wasn't. Conker was pretty good most of the time and only ignored me on a couple occasions.

Bad pun: Conker shakes things up

But when all the dogs were allowed off-leash they minded me pretty well. Juneau is still getting better but continues to need a bit of work, she's progressing nicely though.  I hope to have her to the point where she'll listen when other people are around sometime soon.

Conker being quite boring.

I got several compliments on the dog packs. Normally they aren't noticed as much, since I usually only had one pack on a dog in the past. But since all three wore packs I guess they stuck out a lot more.

Sasha was usually at the back of the pack.

Conker is increasingly getting on my nerves when he and Juneau are off-leash. He gets up in her face and bites her, makes noise and is an ass, and I know she does not like it. Conker does not listen to me when I tell him to knock it off either. One of these days she's gonna snap.

Juneau did a lot of pulling.

One guy suggested I get a skateboard when the dogs were on-leash. I've thought about it, or maybe a mountain board or beefy scooter since dogs pulling bikes is somewhat freaky, fun but freaky.

Anyways, today was a lot of fun. Conker was really worn out, and Juneau and Sasha somehow got covered with mud.  Conker and I barely got any on us but the girls were soaked.

Outward Hound Urban Adventure DayPack

One of the items I received in the package sent to be my my Shiba Inu Forum secret Santa was a small pack.  I love packs (if you can't tell) so I was psyched to try the little green thing out.

The little pack is made by Outward Hound but I can't find any information on it on their site or much else on the web. Either way, it's a cute little thing and I liked it at first sight.
It weighs only 4.1 ounces (116 grams).

It's made out of water proof/resistant (haven't tested it yet) nylon fabric and is lined with what my guess is, is a waterproof lining of similar material.  There is mesh on the top and wrapped around the chest strap.

There is no padding on this pack but the mesh on the chest strap does protect against rubbing and ensures a more comfortable fit.  It has two points of adjustability.  Since the bags to not attach to the straps any lower, they do flop around and smack the dog's sides somewhat.

There is a small plastic D ring sewn onto the top.  I am a bit hesitant to use this as a leash attachment since it does not connect to the rest of the pack's straps very well.

Green camo accent matches my dog-shit bag dispenser.

The pockets are quire roomy for such a small pack, and each pocket has a smaller outer pouch.  The pockets are closed with velcro and have a small pull-tab on them for easier opening.  The small external pouch with the logo is also closed with velcro, but the other side is not.

Conker immediately knew what the pack was.  He is not fond of having anything put on him, but once it's on, he doesn't show any signs of giving a crap.  We tested the pack out by walking down to MPM and even threw in a couple brisk jogging sessions.  The pack was empty on the way there.
On the trip back Conker carried one small Zuke's Z-Bones in each pocket.  We walked, and jogged, back and the little pack did not shift one bit.  I was somewhat surprised since it has no connector between the two straps to help it stay in place, and also has no belly strap.
I decided it needed a better test run.  I took Conker hiking.

Conker sporting his Web Master II and DayPack.

I was first going to take off the Web Master II that Conker always wears on car rides but due to the presence of another dog and several people on the trail, I left it on.  I think this could have affected the stability of the pack in a small manner, but I have to do more tests to be sure.

Fuji is good at capturing motion blur.

Conker didn't notice the pack which was loaded with his Hydro Bowl and some crap bags.  It was slightly unbalanced but the pack did not shift.  I was starting to really like the little pack.  I encouraged Conker to give it a better test and told him to run, so he did.  The pack did not budge.  He rolled on the trail and scrambled through a bush and even then the pack stayed in place.

This little pack has thoroughly surprised me.  I figured it would slip and slide a bit or come loose but it did not.  It stayed in place and kept it's snug fit the entire hike.  I have taken it on a couple more hikes and it still has yet to totally slip around or do something strange.
I have actually been looking for a smaller pack for Conker since his Ruff Wear pack is a bit big for day hikes. This little pack fits the bill perfectly, and if you can find it, I recommend you buy one.  I cannot give a price since it was a gift and due to not being able to find many places to buy one online.

Note: This pack is made in China. If you aren't into that, don't buy it. Regardless, I still like it a lot.

First Look: Ruff Wear Palisades and Approach packs

The Palisades Pack

Remember this?

Sneak Peak picture

It belongs to a Ruff Wear Palisades Pack! I found one at Cabelas (in AZ) for $70 which is a steal for this pack.  Normally they retail around $125, so a Palisades for half off was something I couldn't pass up.
If I had been thinking when I first saw the pack, I would have bought the two that were there. But like Conker's Approach II, I was not, and when I went back the next day one of them had already been bought.

Anyways...

Palisades pack and harness.

At first glance the Palisades appears to be very well built. Sturdy material, good stitching, some nice features like waterproof zippers, refletcive trim, etc. make this pack very attractive.
The pack is a multi-purpose, high capacity pack meant for longer backpacking trips. It comes with two water bladders that have their own pockets and can easily be accessed for ease of water delivery.
 
The Palisades, unlike the Approach and Singletrak, has a really cool feature that sets it apart from the other packs.  The bags can come off leaving a fully functional Web Master Harness still on the dog.

Web Master without pack.

The Web Master is perhaps one of, if not the best, dog harness out there. I have seen many others but this harness is the only one that really got my attention.  Ruff Wear uses the Web Master as a frame for their packs and it works out very well. In the Palisades' case, you get two items in one. Which is probably why the pack costs to much.

Pack without the harness.

The other half of the Palisades, the actual packs, is a pretty good piece of dog gear as well.  The pack is held in place with four buckles and two optional velcro straps that attach to one of the harness straps to prevent the packs from banging your dog's sides as he travels along. The detaching feature comes in handy if you need to cross a river and don't want the gear inside to get wet, or if you want to give your dog a break and don't want to take off the whole harness.


The Approach Pack

Ruff Wear logo strip

After I got the Palisades and took it on a couple short hikes, I decided I needed another pack for whichever dog didn't have one or was left at home. I scoured the net for a good deal on whatever I could find and found one at Backcountry Edge for $60 on sale.  That is a pretty good price since the Approach retails around $75.  I could not find another Palisades for less than $80.
On the site, if you joined up and became a new member you'd get an additional 12% off, so that knocked the price down to just under $53! 
It was actually a tough decision between the Approach and Singletrak which was also on sale for just $67, or $59 with 12% off. I went with the Approach this time, but still want that Singletrak.
(The sale is no longer on. It ended some time ago.)

Profile view

The Approach comes in blue and green. It is meant for day hikes or shorter backpacking trips.  It does not come with water bladders and is not detachable, but is still a very high quality pack and has the same other features as the Palisades. Reflective trim, waterproof zippers, awesomeness...

Top view

The Approach can hold somewhat less than the Palisades and is not as bulky. It is designed to be a day hike or overnight pack.  The Approach can still be used on longer hikes and trips, it just isn't as convenient.

Upside-down

The harness of the Approach is the same excellent Web Master used on the Palisades, only lacking a bit of reflective material that would otherwise be covered up by the bags. It also has loops for the straps (not velcro though) to keep the pack from banging against your dog's sides.

Why you make me wear this...

I am looking forwards to giving these two packs a nice thorough testing out in the coming months. Probably not over night trips (not until it warms up), but hikes longer than 2-4 hours will be taking place.

Both of these packs are size Small. They fits dogs with a girth of 21-30 inches which is bigger than most Shibas. The Palisades does not come in XS but the Approach does.
Keep an eye out for a future post that will explain how to turn an Approach pack (Approach II) into a Palisades if you want a Shiba sized pack that can detach from the harness.
Edit:  Instructions for modifying an Approach into a Palisades:  Version 1 and Version 2.

Nihon Ken and Shiba Inu secret Santa gifts.

This is what I got for the gift exchanges on the Nihon Ken and Shiba Inu forums!

From the Nihon Ken person:

One of the last pictures taken by the Cannon.

A huge assortment of chews from best bully sticks!  I have been meaning to order something from them but still have yet to get around to it, and this has convinced me that I need to sooner or later, when this stash runs out.  (Not pictured are two twisty things that Conker snatched up and concumed seconds before I snapped this.)

From the Shiba person:

Terrible picture due to stupidity of Fuji.

A squeaky chicken thing, some Greenies, a roll of doggy bags (haha, I loved that) and a daypack!  I really like the little pack since it's not as big as the Ruffwear Approach and lays quite flat against Conker's shoulders.  When I go on hikes in Cathedral Hills I'd like to be able to have Conker carry something without having to take the big red saddle bags along, and this fits the bill perfectly.  Plus I won't have to cart his... goodies... around for him anymore XD

Ruff Wear Approach Pack II and Web Master II Harness

Yes, they are both in one review.  Why?  Because I started with this:

The Ruff Wear Approach Pack II is no longer being made and has been updated with the newer Approach pack. It is still available online if you look in the right places.
The Approach II came in red and blue and is built on the older version of the Web Master Harness.


Now onto the actual review.

I found two of these packs at the Grange where I buy food for Juneau and Sasha.  At $50 a pop, that wasn't a bad price since the newer version of the packs retails at around $75.  However, these particular packs were on sale for $25!  If I'd thought about it sooner I would have bought them both but by the time I went in to pick them up only one was left.  Both were size XS and when I tried it on Conker it fit perfectly.
For only $25 I got myself one of the best brands of dog packs out there.

The Ruff Wear Approach Pack II is VERY solid.  I've been using it for about 2 1/2 months, not too long, but so far it's held up amazingly well against rocks, dirt, sand, trees, more rocks, other dogs and countless car rides.  It's been smashed, folded in half, stepped on and shut in a door (no dog was wearing it when that stuff happened) and it's still in the same shape as when I bought it.
The plastic snaps for the straps are good. The belly straps are a bit thin but they have fleece coverings for added comfort and they help protect the straps against rubbing on things.
The bags are made of rugged nylon and the zippers are very beefy with nice big pulls. 
There's a thin stripe of reflective material between the red upper and black lower parts of the bags.  It's not incredibly noticeable but when lights flash across it it does reflect enough to count.

The storage capacity of the bags is really good.  I loaded two cans of sardines, a Zuke's chew, about 20 treats, two rolls of poop bags, and a portable water bowl into the pack and still had plenty of room left.  In total this weighed about 2 pounds including the pack which weighs 11 ounces.  Conker did fine with the extra weight and for some reason it didn't slow him down one bit even though he shouldn't really be carrying that much in the first place.

My official verdict on this pack is:  If you can find it, BUY IT!  It's entirely worth the money, especially if you can get it on sale like I did.  It's an incredibly well made product and unlike the larger Palisades with it's removable bags and the Singletrak with it's close fit, the Approach and Approach II is available in XS and XXS for people with smaller dogs like mine.


Now onto the second part of the review.

Somehow my Approach II pack ended up like this:

Where are the bags?  Did they get ripped off?  Simple answer:  No.  Complicated one?  I took them off so I could make my own version of a Palisades pack.  Modification instructions for pack:  Version 1 and Version 2.

I find it to work incredibly well despite being an older model.  Even if I hadn't gotten it as a pack, it's worth the $25 for the harness alone.  Web Masters retail at $50 so again I got a killer deal on this thing, especially since I'm modding it.

Anyways, after some trials with it as a harness only I'm convinced I never want to buy another harness but those made by Ruff Wear.  This thing is really handy, especially when Conker is being a punk and I need to remove him from a situation before he starts a war.  It's also great for helping him get over strange obstacles and quickly getting him out of the way of a raging mountain biker.

The harness, so far, hasn't caused any fur loss or rubs Conker bad in any way.  He's still got his full range of motion and he still acts like a normal Shiba.  He can shake, run, roll, jump and swim in it without it interfering with his activity.  When adjusted properly, it fits very snug but not too snug and even when it was still a pack Conker could do most activities without being restrained. 

Like I said about the Approach II, if you can find this harness and find it at a cheap price, buy it!  It's well worth the money.  But if it comes down to the old version versus the newer one for the same price, I'd probably go with the newer one.


Edit: After having this pack and harness for quite some time now I felt like an update was in order.
The harness has held up extremely well to the abuse Conker puts it though.  He wears it almost daily and it has survived many nips from other dogs, fights with bushes and wars against trees.  It has gone through countless rolls in various substances (some not so good) and once dry, is cleaned by simply brushing it off or giving a good vigorous shake.
I don't need to adjust it very often, only when Conker gets stuck bad on something or he eats right before I put it on. Even after picking Conker up by the handle (which is ingenious on it's own) the straps do not come loose.
The harness has not rubbed any fur off Conker in any place, given him any hot spots or other discomforts.  His older hanress rubbed a bit so I am glad that the Web Master does not.

I still highly recommend you buy it if you can find it, but try to get it for less than the newer one.