I’ve backpacked thousands of miles in my heyday, from Utah’s rust-red cliffs to Alaska’s verdant green tundra, and now that I’ve got a trail-obsessed dog, I love bringing her along for the ride and setting her up correctly with the Ruffwear Palisades Dog Backpack.
Marla, my 60-pound lab mix, is a big girl, and as such, it can be a total pain to haul her food, water, gear and toys into the mountains, which is the primary reason I sprung for this larger, multiday dog rucksack. So far, she’s gone on numerous training hikes in it, trekked it into the high alpine of the Rocky Mountains, and even splashed around in a Sierra Nevada lake while wearing it. It has impressed me at every turn, mainly because it’s so spacious and easy to adjust to her body. The included hydration bladders don’t hurt either, especially on arid desert excursions.
Over the last year and a half, I’ve extensively tested this fantastic dog backpack, and I know the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to hiking around with it, whether that be on hot summer training hikes near Los Angeles or shady treks in the foothills near Boulder. Below, I’ll dive into what makes this dog backpack truly stand out.
Made with durable, 150-denier ripstop polyester, this multiday dog backpack sits on a sturdy, ergonomic harness chassis and offers five different adjustment points for the perfect fit. Its reflective trim and high-visibility color mean it’ll be easy to see your dog in low light, and two collapsible water pouches mean that your best friend will never go thirsty.
What I liked about it
From its huge zippered pockets to its easily adjustable harness straps, this rucksack can truly go the distance with you and your furry companion.
Roomy saddlebags
One of the most surprising things I found when testing this pack was how absurdly huge its saddlebags were. I could easily fit two collapsible bowls, two days’ worth of kibble, 1 liter of water, a chew treat and a lightweight Tahoma Dog Sleeping Bag by Happy Trails. The craziest part? I still had plenty of room to spare, which is perfect if I ever take Marla on a longer thru-hike and need to stash more food and supplies.
Much like humans, it’s not recommended that a dog carry more than 25% of its body weight, so I have to be careful not to overstuff her saddlebags before we set off down a dusty trail. These nifty side bags also sport a reflective trim and attachment points for a dog safety light, like Ruffwear’s The Beacon. I know she’ll be safe and visible once we’re in the wild.
The bag comes in three sizes: a small that holds 12.5 liters, a medium that holds 17.5 liters and a large that holds a whopping 24 liters.
So many adjustment points
I love that the Palisades Dog Backpack, much like my own Osprey backpack, comes equipped with five different points of adjustment so I can snugly fit the weighted pack around Marla’s body and avoid unnecessary strain or chafing. (For reference, Marla comfortably wears a size medium.) Inside those spacious saddlebags, you’ll find even more adjustment options, like a cross-load compression system to squeeze down bigger items, so the weight stabilizes close to your dog’s torso rather than jostling around inside the pockets. Plus, just like your favorite hiking or climbing pack, the Palisades is outfitted with an external daisy chain, making it easy to clip on a light or an odd-shaped toy.
Built-in hiking harness
It’s worth noting that the Palisades Dog Backpack uses a high-quality dog harness as its chassis, and those large saddlebags are completely removable. You can lighten the load when you get to camp, clip right back in and go on a side trip. Sporting reflective trim and a padded, ergonomic handle for lifting your pooch, this harness is very similar to the brand’s ever-popular Web Master Dog Harness. As such, the Palisades backpack functions like a two-for-one deal because you get a sturdy hiking harness with an aluminum V-ring leash attachment point and a multiday trekking backpack for your pup in one package.
What I didn’t like about it
Nothing in this world is ever perfect, and there were a couple of things we’d love to see Ruffwear improve in its next iteration of the Palisades.
Takes a while to adjust
The one downside of all those nifty straps and buckles I mentioned is that they take a lot of time to set up properly the first few times your dog wears the pack.
When I first loaded up Marla’s Palisades Dog Backpack with her bed and food for a long weekend in Mammoth Lakes, it took roughly five minutes to pack. But it took another 10 to get the backpack fitted, clipped in and tightened around her torso. On a different trek through the Rocky Mountains, I thought I had it dialed in when we first set off down the trail, only to pause within a mile to reshuffle her gear so the pack wouldn’t flop helplessly to one side.
These days, Marla and I have the storage and fitting routine of her backpack down to a science, but new users should allow extra time to get it right. I recommend taking the pack out on a day hike with minimal weight at first so that you and your dog can get used to the new setup.
It’s hand-wash only
For a piece of gear you know your dog will get muddy, dusty and covered in pond water, this is a real bummer. Ruffwear lists its Palisades Dog Backpack as hand-wash and air-dry, meaning that if your dog is like mine and loves to romp through every puddle she can find, you’ll need to take extra care and time to wash this high-tech pack between trips.
The price
In many ways, Ruffwear is like the Arc’teryx of outdoor doggy gear and as such, you’ll pay a premium price for a premium product. At $150, the Palisades Dog Backpack is one of the most expensive canine packs in stores today, but you do get what you pay for. It’s highly adjustable, comes with two water pouches and offers roomy pockets for storing all your doggo camping gear.
How it compares
As mentioned, the Ruffwear Palisades Dog Backpack comes in at the top end of the price range for multiday dog trekking packs. If you’re more likely to use this pack on short overnights and weekend excursions, you could spring for the brand’s $100 Approach Dog Backpack instead. Just note that its saddlebags are smaller and not removable.
The first backpack I ever got for my dog when I started taking her on overnight hikes in the Sierra Nevada was Kurgo’s Baxter Dog Backpack, which boasts eight adjustment points on an ergonomically designed harness and is priced much lower at $60. Wilderdog also makes a stylish Dog Backpack for $69, featuring roomy pockets and Southwest-inspired textiles on its trim.
Bottom line
The Palisades Dog Backpack is an excellent way to help your pooch comfortable and safely carry its food, water and gear so you don’t have to suffer the extra weight. It’s especially valuable for the weekend warrior backpacker or thru-hiker who plans on taking their pup out on the trail often.
Not only is it mindfully equipped with five different adjustment points to snugly fit your dog’s body but it includes two 1-liter hydration bladders for storing water on those extra-hot summer hikes. In my opinion, all those bells and whistles make the high price tag worth it.
