When we’re adventuring near home, we always bring our dogs along with us. This often means backpacking and extended day trips in the wilderness, so we like to have a way for the dogs to carry the stuff they need.
Enter the dog backpack. Dog backpacks are great tools because they allow the dogs to carry their own items, they provide a good harness control system, and they often double as a high-visibility vest. We use them all the time (including on our Paria Canyon trip), and our go-to is the Kurgo Baxter.
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Review Criteria
When it comes to dog backpacks, there are a few essential things we’re looking for. In a lot of ways they’re similar to what we prioritize in our own backpacks, but there are some differences as well. Here are our testing criteria.
Fit
In a dog backpack or human backpack, good fit is essential. It can be hard to know if your dog has a backpack that doesn’t fit well, so we’re looking for things like padded straps, contoured back pads, and good strap configuration. These help us get a feel for whether or not the pack is truly comfortable.
Durability
This is another area where dog and human backpacks overlap. The difference is that dogs are generally a lot harder on their gear than we are, so we look for extra durable materials and design.
Adjustability
Dog backpacks need to be very adjustable. Dogs come in many shapes and sizes, so the more points of adjustment there are, the better.
Capacity
Load capacity isn’t as essential with dog packs as it is with our packs, but it’s still important. Ideally there should be enough room for a couple days worth of food and one day of water. It’s also nice to have carabiner loops to attach things like collapsible bowls to the outside of the pack.
color
Color is a preference thing, but we find it to be very important. We like packs with bright color options because in the worst case scenario where one of our dogs gets off leash, it’s obvious to others that they’re a dog with an owner (and not a wolf, a mistake which unfortunately happens fairly often).
Kurgo Baxter Review
Now on to the review. The Kurgo Baxter is a saddlebag style pack with a 3.75 liter capacity, designed to fit dogs 30-85lbs. Many dog backpacks come in multiple sizes (small, medium, large, XL), but this pack only comes in the Baxter and the Big Baxter (for dogs 50-110 lbs). Here the specs:
- Fits dogs 30-85lbs
- 3.75 Liter capacity
- Comes in red, blue, or orange
- 1-inch nylon webbing for all straps
- 300D and 400D polyester body
- 4 pockets
- 9 adjustment points
- Rear-mounted leash hook
- Top handle
- Reflective trim
- Bottle opener on front strap
- MSRP: $57.99 (Can often be found cheaper on Amazon).
Fit and Adjustment
The one size fits many approach actually works well with the Baxter, because there are 9 points of adjustment that allow for a very precise fit on many different sized (and shaped) dogs. Phoenix is about 50% bigger than Kota, and the pack fits them both nicely after adjusting. It takes a little bit of playing around with, but I love having the ability to dial it in exactly right.
It’s also well-designed and fairly padded. It uses a harness style system, so there is one Y-strap that goes over the shoulders and connects (via a padded mesh connection point) at the breastbone. Then there are two more straps that run all the way around the chest and waist. You can adjust the saddlebags up or down, so you can set them exactly where they need to be for the individual dog (midway on the body). This really helps to keep a snug fit that makes the pack act like an extension of themselves.
In that same vein, the back panel is contoured, fairly flexible, and padded with breathable nylon mesh. I’m not a dog so it’s a little hard to tell, but our dogs both seem to like the fit of their packs a lot. I’ve never noticed them show any sign of being uncomfortable, and once the pack is on they don’t give it a second thought.
The leash attachment point is at the rear of the pack, so when you apply pressure it pulls on the entire harness. This is usually plenty for good control, although if you have a particularly unruly dog you may still prefer to attach the leash to their collar. Another thing we like about this pack is the handle on the top, so if you need to pull your dog up close to you (such as while other dogs are passing) it’s easy and you have full control.
Load and Storage
Loading is easy, and with four pockets total there’s room for organization. 3.75 Liters is on the low end for capacity, but we’ve been able to manage a couple days of food and the days water just fine. I’m not a fan of pushing dogs too much as far as weight goes (especially huskies in summer) so that capacity works out well for us.
If your dog is large and capable of handling more, you may feel a little limited by it. The Big Baxter does have double the capacity, so if you have a dog at the upper end of the Baxter size range, it may make sense to go with the Big Baxter for the added space.
The Baxter also has two loops for outer gear attachment located on the top and right along the midline. We use these for clipping their collapsible food/water bowls onto, and it’s really convenient for water breaks. A poop-bag dispenser would also be convenient here.
Durability, Color, and Style
Phoenix has always worn red and Kota has always worn blue, so it’s a nice coincidence that those are the colors this pack comes in. More importantly than that, I love that the colors are very bright so we don’t have to use a separate visibility vest.
The trim on the Baxter is reflective, which is another big plus. It’s nice to know that if they were to somehow get away from us they’d be extremely visible to us and others.
The styling is also slim and tight to the body, and I haven’t noticed any brush snagging or catching on anything. This is big for durability, because packs with a lot of catch points can get beat up quickly. We haven’t put our packs through the ringer yet, but so far they’re holding up very well and I expect them to last a long time.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really like this pack (and so do our dogs). It fits both dogs well, the adjustment level is awesome, and the capacity and overall ease of use work great for us. The only downside is the relatively limited load capacity, but I would still highly recommend the Kurgo Baxter to just about anyone.
And for more info on hiking with dogs in general, check out our Beginners Guide to Backpacking With Dogs.
I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have in the comments!
Disclosure: The products in this review were purchased by us for personal use, and we are not affiliated with Kurgo in any way.
