Wolf Republic is a dog gear brand specializing in gear for adventure dogs with style.
As an adventure dog and expert gear reviewer here at Trail & Kale, I’ve tested and reviewed a wide variety of dog backpacks and harnesses, so I was excited to get my paws on the Wolf Republic Ranger Pack to see how it stands up to the trails and how it compares to other dog backpacks I’ve worn.
In this Wolf Republic review, I cover:
- The key features, pros, and cons of the brand’s Ranger Pack dog backpack
- Other products I’ve been using, which include their copper dog bowl and two of their bestselling rope tug toys
- Cost and where to buy (including any discount codes)
- Image Gallery
- Review Summary
Wolf Republic Ranger Pack Review
The Ranger Pack is a dog backpack designed to be suitable to wear for day hikes on the trails, as well as overnight adventures.
Although it’s described as a backpack, your dog can wear it as a harness for hiking in, with the addition of saddlebags for storage… WOOOOF! (sorry, the mailman just turned up).
Key features of the Ranger Pack
The pack is made using a rugged canvas, similar to what you may see on a canvas duffel bag – it’s sturdy and will stand up to a good deal of trail abuse, such as scratchy undergrowth that may catch on it when you’re exploring the trails.
It’s lined with a breathable mesh, similar to a human backpack.
Details on the pack use brown leather for the buckles and zipper pulls on the saddle-bags. The buckles and zippers on the bags are metal and feel sturdy and of good quality.
There are two metal D-ring leash attachment points on this backpack harness, one between the shoulders behind the padded grab handle, and the other on the front of your chest.
The front leash attachment point will be useful if you have a tendency to pull when on a leash as it will give your humans more control over your antics.
The two main side pockets have lift-up flaps that close using magnets – the buckles you see in the pictures are just for appearance.
Inside each side pocket are two zippered pockets for stashing your gear.
I like that they’re zippered as this is the most secure way to stash gear and not have it fall out when you’re roaming.
This is also useful as the magnets can come undone, especially if the pockets are pretty full.
The pockets are large and can fit pretty much anything you need to carry for a day hike, including food, first aid supplies, a collapsible water bowl, and your favorite toys – like Mr. Slothy in the picture below.
I love Mr. Slothy.
There’s also an easy-access poop bag dispenser on the left side.
Sizing and fit
The Ranger Pack comes in four sizes and you can see the dimensions for each pack on the product page on Wolf Republic’s website.
The pack’s capacity varies depending on the pack size.
For reference, I am a male Border Collie weighing just under 50lb and am wearing the Large size pack in the photos throughout this Wolf Republic review.
The Large pack has a capacity of 13.8 liters and it weighs around 6oz.
The pack goes on over your head and it has two belly straps that secure using sturdy plastic quick-release clips, one behind your front legs, the other around your middle.
The front belly strap needs to pass through a third strap that sits on your chest before your human secures it.
Once they have adjusted the straps to the right length, this is easy.
When you have the pack on and you’ve adjusted the three straps to fit properly, the pack has a snug fit, and doesn’t move around much when you hike.
Pro Trail Dog Tip: Be sure to have your humans balance your load between each side, as this will help reduce the possibility of it rotating or shifting around your body as you move.
How to clean the Wolf Republic backpack harness
If it gets dirty, it’s recommended to spot-clean it – because of all the nice metal and leather features, your humans can’t put it in the washing machine.
I would say this pack is not designed to be used in very wet conditions.
I mean… you could, and it wouldn’t harm the pack but because of the materials it would get quite heavy and take a while to dry.
That being said, because the canvas is very durable, it shouldn’t need cleaning often, unless you have a tendency to roll in the really stinky stuff, or are unfortunate enough to get skunked!
Wolf Republic Copper Bowl Review
Next up in my Wolf Republic gear review is their unique copper dog bowl.
Quite simply, this is a very attractive dog bowl. Very hipster, and very cool – just like me.
Most dog food bowls are stainless steel but this one is a stylish copper.
It’s nice to drink out of: not too small, not huge. I have the six-inch wide bowl (it’s also available in a larger, eight-inch size).
It is deep and has plenty of room in there for my snoot to delve in and scoop up my food or lap up water.
There are small rubber feet on the bottom. This helps stop the bowl move across the floor while you eat, and they do a good job of that.
I wouldn’t say it’s tip-resistant however as the sides are pretty straight up, I haven’t accidentally knocked or flipped it over yet.
Similar to the backpack, the copper bowl does have special care requirements, because it’s a special bowl.
This basically means your humans need to handwash it with a gentle cloth so it doesn’t get scratched.
Also, as copper develops a patina over time, they’ll periodically need to use copper polishing cleaning products to get it to gleam.
Wolf Republic Dog Tug Toys Review
Although it’s well-known that playing dog frisbee is my all-time favorite game, I do enjoy a good game of tug.
It’s enriching and something I can do to bond with my humans indoors.
I have the Wolf Republic long Rope Toss and Monkey Ball (aka Monkey Fist) rope tug toys.
These are well-made and still look new after what’s probably hours of playing tug. For a dog of my size (45lbs that is, thanks for asking) the Rope Toss toy is a good size for grabbing and tugging with!
I find the Monkey Fist a little harder as I can’t quite fit the ball end in my mouth for tug but I’ll fetch this thing ALL DAY LONG!
If you’re a larger dog then this would be a great tug toy for you.
Unlike other rope tugs I’ve used in the past, I like that the rope on both toys is soft on my mouth and easy to grab onto, but still durable so it stands up to being grabbed with my teeth.
You can play tug in a number of different ways, my favorite way to play with this rope tug toy is to plan the ‘take it’ game with my parents.
They say lots of words beginning with ‘T’, and I am not allowed to grab the toy until they say ‘Take it!’.
This results in me doing a lot of grinning and derping while I concentrate (check out my expressions in the gallery at the end of this review!).
It’s worth noting that I’m not allowed unsupervised access to my tug toys, so I don’t get carried away with chewing them.
This has the added benefit of keeping them special and more exciting to play with, given the opportunity 🙂
Cost and where to buy Wolf Republic dog gear
The Ranger Pack costs $96 for all sizes (Small through XL) and the Copper Bowl costs $68 for the 6-inch bowl.
The tug toys cost between $14 and $16 depending on which style you choose.
For the full range of their dog gear, head over to the Wolf Republic website where you can shop all available products, colors, and sizes:
Wolf Republic Review Gallery
Wolf Republic Review Summary
