Questions and Answers
Cleaning and Care:
The harness and saddlebag can be hand washed with dog shampoo or dish soap. Bake in the sun for a couple of hours to ensure the gear is completely dry.
Warranty, Returns, Repairs:
Q: What is your return policy?
A: Ill Fit: When you order a pack from me, you choose to collaborate with me. Thank you for submitting accurate measurements in the order form. I love dogs and I want your dog to be very comfortable on the trail: once you receive your harness and pack, please let me know as soon as possible if something seems off with the fit of the harness. I guarantee your satisfaction :) If for some reason you are truly not happy, I will gladly refund you upon receipt of your returned gear.
Q: What is your standard warranty?
A: If you are unsatisfied with my product, please email me. We will work together to make sure you and your dog are happy! This is the benefit of buying from cottage companies. You get to talk to me: the owner and maker of your dog's pack! The standard warranty covers "standard use"- daily trips to the park, short backpacking trips and occasional extended trail sections less than one month in length. (The lifetime of my product varies depending on your dog and the amount of use.) Any defect in craftsmanship is covered for four years of aforementioned "standard use." I will repair the gear for you and take care of shipping costs. I cannot replace neon colored packs due to fading. Fading occurs with extreme sun exposure/frequent drenching on all neon fabrics known to mankind. (The thru-hiker --extended duration hike-- warranty is explained below)
Q: Will you repair the gear after the warranty runs out/or if there is damage that is not covered by the warranty?
A: Yes, email me photos and I will assess how much the repair will cost.
Q: Why is there a special warranty for thru-hikers?
A: As a past thru-hiker, I want to extend some trail magic to current thru-hikers. Gear is pushed to its absolute limits on a long distance hike. If a thru-hiker experiences an issue with their GBG dog pack during their hike, then I will address this for them so their dog can keep walking with them comfortably.
Design and Use Questions:
Q: How much weight should my dog carry?
A: Some leading brands of dog packs consider 25% of your dog's weight an acceptable load for him/her to carry. I DISAGREE. I am not a vet but I am a long distance hiker and I care greatly about how much weight I am carrying. I am young and fit and yet I experienced incredible knee pain on my A.T. hike. I believe our animals may also experience pain while hiking and I want my dog to have a healthy and long life. One of the main reasons I started designing these dog packs is because most all dog packs I have seen on the market have far too great of a capacity and are generally overbuilt which makes them heavy. I am an advocate for dogs to not carry more than 10% of their body weight.
Q: How much weight does your dog, Cooper, carry?
A: Cooper weighs 50 pounds and eats three cups of food a day on the trail. His food is a high quality, meat-as-the-first-ingredient kibble. Four cups of kibble = 1 pound. We only go out for 3-4 nights before a resupply. He typically uses the regular size Trekking Pack which weighs less than a pound with the harness so at most he has 4 pounds of total weight on his body. Other things in his pack may include a small first aid kit, pack towel/bandana, high-protein treats, and in the winter, his jacket. Cooper has not yet needed to carry his own water. If the temps are very hot or if he is dragging, we would rather take his discomfort from him and we will carry his pack.
Q: Will the packs accidentally detach from the harness?
A: No. Cooper has not been able to detach the pack from the harness and he has tried! See photos below of his shenanigans :) The packs very securely attach to the harness with buckles and a unique double layer Velcro tab. The hook side of the Velcro is "molded" so it is a much stronger style of hook. My attachment system is different from others you've seen and my customers have also reported that the pack stays attached to the harness.
The harness and saddlebag can be hand washed with dog shampoo or dish soap. Bake in the sun for a couple of hours to ensure the gear is completely dry.
Warranty, Returns, Repairs:
Q: What is your return policy?
A: Ill Fit: When you order a pack from me, you choose to collaborate with me. Thank you for submitting accurate measurements in the order form. I love dogs and I want your dog to be very comfortable on the trail: once you receive your harness and pack, please let me know as soon as possible if something seems off with the fit of the harness. I guarantee your satisfaction :) If for some reason you are truly not happy, I will gladly refund you upon receipt of your returned gear.
Q: What is your standard warranty?
A: If you are unsatisfied with my product, please email me. We will work together to make sure you and your dog are happy! This is the benefit of buying from cottage companies. You get to talk to me: the owner and maker of your dog's pack! The standard warranty covers "standard use"- daily trips to the park, short backpacking trips and occasional extended trail sections less than one month in length. (The lifetime of my product varies depending on your dog and the amount of use.) Any defect in craftsmanship is covered for four years of aforementioned "standard use." I will repair the gear for you and take care of shipping costs. I cannot replace neon colored packs due to fading. Fading occurs with extreme sun exposure/frequent drenching on all neon fabrics known to mankind. (The thru-hiker --extended duration hike-- warranty is explained below)
Q: Will you repair the gear after the warranty runs out/or if there is damage that is not covered by the warranty?
A: Yes, email me photos and I will assess how much the repair will cost.
Q: Why is there a special warranty for thru-hikers?
A: As a past thru-hiker, I want to extend some trail magic to current thru-hikers. Gear is pushed to its absolute limits on a long distance hike. If a thru-hiker experiences an issue with their GBG dog pack during their hike, then I will address this for them so their dog can keep walking with them comfortably.
Design and Use Questions:
Q: How much weight should my dog carry?
A: Some leading brands of dog packs consider 25% of your dog's weight an acceptable load for him/her to carry. I DISAGREE. I am not a vet but I am a long distance hiker and I care greatly about how much weight I am carrying. I am young and fit and yet I experienced incredible knee pain on my A.T. hike. I believe our animals may also experience pain while hiking and I want my dog to have a healthy and long life. One of the main reasons I started designing these dog packs is because most all dog packs I have seen on the market have far too great of a capacity and are generally overbuilt which makes them heavy. I am an advocate for dogs to not carry more than 10% of their body weight.
Q: How much weight does your dog, Cooper, carry?
A: Cooper weighs 50 pounds and eats three cups of food a day on the trail. His food is a high quality, meat-as-the-first-ingredient kibble. Four cups of kibble = 1 pound. We only go out for 3-4 nights before a resupply. He typically uses the regular size Trekking Pack which weighs less than a pound with the harness so at most he has 4 pounds of total weight on his body. Other things in his pack may include a small first aid kit, pack towel/bandana, high-protein treats, and in the winter, his jacket. Cooper has not yet needed to carry his own water. If the temps are very hot or if he is dragging, we would rather take his discomfort from him and we will carry his pack.
Q: Will the packs accidentally detach from the harness?
A: No. Cooper has not been able to detach the pack from the harness and he has tried! See photos below of his shenanigans :) The packs very securely attach to the harness with buckles and a unique double layer Velcro tab. The hook side of the Velcro is "molded" so it is a much stronger style of hook. My attachment system is different from others you've seen and my customers have also reported that the pack stays attached to the harness.
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Q: Are the packs waterproof?
A: The packs are made from 400 denier "packcloth" which is a poly-urethane fully coated water resistant material. I do not have the ability to "weld" the seams. (You will find welded seams in rain jackets for example.) Nor have I ever seen a dog pack (or hiker's pack for that matter) on the market with welded seams. I recommend that you use a freezer ziplock bag as a pack liner. Most human backpackers I know use a pack-liner (typically a "trash compactor bag") in their packs since no hiking backpack is 100% waterproof either. I am very happy with the performance of our packcloth. It holds up to a beating!
Q: Will a water bottle fit in the pack?
A: All of the packs (except the XXS and XS Trekking) will fit a disposable 16 oz water bottle. The roll-top size Regular and Large and the Large size zipper-top bags will fit a hard 32 oz Nalgene.
Q: Should I be worried about bears smelling the food in my dog's pack?
A: Yes, bears really love dog food and dog food is very smelly. Never store your dog's pack in the tent with you, even if there is not food in the pack: the pack will retain the smell of dog food. Hang the dog pack with your food bags from a tree. See these guidelines. Be aware that many animals are interested in chewing all of your sweaty, smelly gear and you should not leave your gear unattended unless it is out of reach of animals.
Q: How/why is the harness custom fit? Why can't I just order a standard size harness and avoid giving you measurements?
A: Dogs actually don't fit into standard size categories. Two things I aim to accomplish with the hiking harness are: 1. no chaffing and 2. no flapping end tail on each web strap. The way I have accomplished this is with the chest plate that goes under your dog. The chest plate keeps each strap exactly in place and out of your dog's armpit, preventing chaffing. Each strap is adjustable.
Q: How adjustable are the harnesses? What if I want my other dog to wear the same harness, will it fit?
A: If you have 2 dogs and only want to buy one harness to use on both, this may or may not work. Please measure both dogs and email me both sets of measurements, I will work with you from there. The harness straps are somewhat adjustable.
Q: Can I use the harness as a climbing harness by tying a rope through the handles?
A: No harness that has side release buckles can ever be considered a true piece of safety-climbing equipment. A climbing harness utilizes double-back ladderlock hardware: not buckles. I have read about a crash test study performed on several leading brands of car "safety" harnesses for dogs. None of them actually passed. How you use the handles is up to your discretion and Groundbird Gear is released from liability. My products are built very strong: the straps and buckles are made-in-America quality parts with very high tensile strengths. I use a very tough polyester thread that lasts better in the sun than nylon thread. I sew with an industrial Juki LU-1508N machine. Please remember to check over your dog's hiking harness on each trip to make sure it is in good working order.
A: The packs are made from 400 denier "packcloth" which is a poly-urethane fully coated water resistant material. I do not have the ability to "weld" the seams. (You will find welded seams in rain jackets for example.) Nor have I ever seen a dog pack (or hiker's pack for that matter) on the market with welded seams. I recommend that you use a freezer ziplock bag as a pack liner. Most human backpackers I know use a pack-liner (typically a "trash compactor bag") in their packs since no hiking backpack is 100% waterproof either. I am very happy with the performance of our packcloth. It holds up to a beating!
Q: Will a water bottle fit in the pack?
A: All of the packs (except the XXS and XS Trekking) will fit a disposable 16 oz water bottle. The roll-top size Regular and Large and the Large size zipper-top bags will fit a hard 32 oz Nalgene.
Q: Should I be worried about bears smelling the food in my dog's pack?
A: Yes, bears really love dog food and dog food is very smelly. Never store your dog's pack in the tent with you, even if there is not food in the pack: the pack will retain the smell of dog food. Hang the dog pack with your food bags from a tree. See these guidelines. Be aware that many animals are interested in chewing all of your sweaty, smelly gear and you should not leave your gear unattended unless it is out of reach of animals.
Q: How/why is the harness custom fit? Why can't I just order a standard size harness and avoid giving you measurements?
A: Dogs actually don't fit into standard size categories. Two things I aim to accomplish with the hiking harness are: 1. no chaffing and 2. no flapping end tail on each web strap. The way I have accomplished this is with the chest plate that goes under your dog. The chest plate keeps each strap exactly in place and out of your dog's armpit, preventing chaffing. Each strap is adjustable.
Q: How adjustable are the harnesses? What if I want my other dog to wear the same harness, will it fit?
A: If you have 2 dogs and only want to buy one harness to use on both, this may or may not work. Please measure both dogs and email me both sets of measurements, I will work with you from there. The harness straps are somewhat adjustable.
Q: Can I use the harness as a climbing harness by tying a rope through the handles?
A: No harness that has side release buckles can ever be considered a true piece of safety-climbing equipment. A climbing harness utilizes double-back ladderlock hardware: not buckles. I have read about a crash test study performed on several leading brands of car "safety" harnesses for dogs. None of them actually passed. How you use the handles is up to your discretion and Groundbird Gear is released from liability. My products are built very strong: the straps and buckles are made-in-America quality parts with very high tensile strengths. I use a very tough polyester thread that lasts better in the sun than nylon thread. I sew with an industrial Juki LU-1508N machine. Please remember to check over your dog's hiking harness on each trip to make sure it is in good working order.