Pack a paw rescue harness review năm 2024

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It’s a nightmare scenario: You and your dog are having a great time in the outdoors when suddenly, something happens to them — a fall, a twist, a snake biteopens in a new tab — and they’re out of commission. If they’re too big for you to comfortably and safely carry in your arms back to your vehicle, what do you do?

An innovative product from Mountain Dogwareopens in a new tab, a family-owned business, has the answer to that question: their Pack-a-Paw emergency rescue harness. It’s one of those things that, when you see it, you think, “Well, yeah! What a good idea!”

An Essential Dog Rescue Sling

This particular good idea originated with Stefan, an avid hiker, ultra-marathon runner and dog lover haunted by a story about a dog who broke his leg on a mountain and was left to die because his person couldn’t carry him down. It then moved forward with the help of other like-minded folks — including the manufacturer — who collaborated to develop the design and get it through the prototyping process.

The company describes the harness as “small enough to fit in your pocket, strong enough to carry a mountain dog.” The sling provides a secure, cradle-like way to carry a dog on either your front or your back. A sort of canine Baby Björn, if you will, but one that — judging from the videosopens in a new tab — is considerably less complicated to hook up.

• Securely supports the dog’s whole body
• Easy to use on either your front or back
• Lightweight, only 6.7 ounces
• Made in the USA

The harness comes in two sizes and is described as a “universal fit,” which means it will fit some dogs more precisely than others. However, it’s constructed to hold your dog safely and properly regardless. The “medium” is suggested for dogs 30 to 60 pounds, while the “large” works for dogs 60 to 140 pounds. You can get a better assessment of the best size by measuring the distance between your dog’s front and back legs. Dogs measuring 12 inches or less will fit a medium harness, whereas dogs measuring over 12 inches would do better with the large.

But wait, there’s more! You don’t have to be an endurance hiker or backcountry enthusiast to find this helpful. Using its straps as handles, the Pack-a-Paw can also be used to lift a dog in and out of a vehicle or as an assist in navigating stairs or a treacherous trail.

To improve your peace-of-mind quotient, add this lightweight emergency harness to your safety kit or backpack. Then, adventure boldly, secure in the knowledge that should your dog require it, you’ll be able to carry them out and get them the help they need.

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Susan Tasaki

Freelance writer Susan Tasaki lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her Husky, who wishes they both got out more.

Alright all you over-prepared folks, here's another sweet piece of gear for you! Except this time, it's one that the company hopes you never have to use: the Pack-a-Paw Rescue Harness by Mountain DogWare.

I'd been eyeing this piece for awhile and after a short carry of less than a football field and reading Outside magazine's story of a dog left on a mountain (while at work... and crying), I finally ordered one. They offer it in black and orange; naturally I went for the traffic cone orange.

While I was happy with my color choice, I didn't gauge the sizing correctly* and Mountain DogWare quickly hooked me up with a Large. I love that they're a local company and I had the new one within a couple days.

To get straight to my point: I'm really happy that we have this in the bottom of the pack and highly recommend it. As designed, it's small and light (8 oz) so it is a no brainer to always have with us, even on the smallest of nature walks (where I have used it... true story). Light as it is, it's durable and has sustained the typical beatings Ty and I are known to dish out.

Forced hugs at their finest!

We practice regularly, both to be prepared and because I get a little chuckle at the dogs' expense. The harness fits them well but it's designed as a functional piece, not a cushy ride, something they're not in love with to begin with. Practice has gotten all of us comfortable with lifts from various positions; I've learned the most efficient and comfortable way to package them up, including when they're lying on the ground; how to lift them front and back-facing; and for their part, they've learned the routine.

Packaged up without him having to move a muscle. The harness can be used to assist a dog into a standing position as well.

Erring on the side of caution, I decided to use it when Ty was tripped off of a log and fell down a few feet. She was ambulatory but in pain, certainly not an emergency but a great usage of the rescue harness to ensure she didn't further injure herself on the walk home. Last month, Tango was hiking around the summit of Mt Washington with us when his energy level went from normal to super tired very quickly. He has a hip assist harness that did the trick (along with a ton of treats) but it made me feel secure knowing that if anything from the weather to his stamina deteriorated, I could pack him up and high tail it to the car.

What do rescue dogs wear?

Search and Rescue Harnesses, both padded and non-padded, leather and nylon, tubular nylon tracking lines, and strobes and reflective strips appropriate for your type of group. A few good items to have during difficult rescue or tracking exploration include the repel sling and performance saving Cooling Vest.