Do Emergency Carry Harnesses Actually Work? | Ruff Rescue Gear Review
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Ever wonder how you would rescue your medium to large dog if they got hurt while hiking? Maybe you have heard of a dog emergency carry harness like the Ruff Rescue Gear emergency carry sling.
I have been extremely skeptical of these products, so I decided to test out one of these large dog rescue harnesses. I was surprised in some ways, but disappointed in others. To test it out, I used the emergency rescue harness to pick Prima up, walk about a half mile all told, and attempt to carry my own gear as well. Hopefully this review will help you decide if you should add an emergency dog harness to your dog hiking gear or dog emergency bag.
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What's your plan for your dog in an emergency?
I have a female lab.60 pds. that hikes with me. I have been considering a E-harness for her, for my next thru hiking, Because of the lg. amount of gear required for multi day hiking. I would think a front carry would be a better way to go. I am going to put the idea out there on different sites and see if I get any workable feedback. I the mean time I will experiment with my packs, KUIU PRO LT 7000 and Baltoro GZ 75, a 20d hammock fabric should be heavy enough. Thanks for posting your review , there is very little on the subject online right now maybe you can help improve that. Grizz & Rosie happy hiking
@@davidhardes6156 Glad to hear this was helpful! I would definitely love to try out other harnesses, particularly front carrying harnesses, as well. I too am looking for something that would be more ideal for long distance backpacking or thru-hiking. Best of luck out there!
Thanks for the review. Have you looked at the Panza harness by Fidopro? The dog actually wears the deployable harness and it looks easy to hook up.
@@George.W I haven’t yet, but would love to try out some other harnesses and have heard good things about the Fidopro harness. That brand is definitely next up on my list to test out!
🤣 your dog is being so tolerant - letting you use her like a guinea pig and carry her around like that! What a trooper🥰
Great review- appreciated that you did a REAL test
So not sure about this specific product, but today I had to use the rain cover of my tent as a similar sling to get my 65lbs husky down the last 3 miles of our backpacking trip. Whether or not this thing is perfect, it has to be a whole lot better than what we had to do. Def gonna give it, or something like it a shot. Thanks for the review!
I really appreciate this review because I'm a lady of small stature with a big dog and wondered the same things. Just a thought in a pinch, carry the pup and drag the pack? Seems like that would be easier than dragging the dog.
This comment just made all the work that went into this video worth it, so thank you! I’m really not sure why I never thought of that 🤦♀️
OH MY GOD AFTER THAT 5 SECOND INTRO IM SCREAMING! i need one of these, my boyo is getting bit older now and it's a must in case something ever happens!
Great review. Really appreciate it. I have 109lbs and 89lbs dog. Always worry about an emergency situation when hiking and camping.
Great video!!! Beautiful dogs. You're in great shape btw.
What a patient dog 😊 I’ve often thought how I would deal with my 35kg GSD 11.5 years if she collapsed. Still haven’t come up with a answer
Thanks for the review. Very in depth, just what I needed!
Have you ever tried carrying doggo in the harness on your front? It probably wasn't designed for it but in my opinion that could be a better bet. You can still carry your backpack as normal and doggo is within your eyesight. Similarly, if you fall, there's a lower chance of crushing pup as you can brace yourself with hands. I thought about getting one of these and immediately thought I'd like to try it with dog in front. Thanks for the video - thorough and informative!
Oh my God what a good pup.🥰
The harness looked like it was cutting into Primas stomach and that probably made her grunt a bit. Also, the harness is squeezing her and that probably makes it hard to breathe. BUT, in a situation where you would need it, a few grunts are better than the alternative.
Definitely agree!
yeah some people might see it as a 'useful tool to be able to do things they shouldn't with a big dog' ... idk about that. but having it as a safety measure when you do normal activities seems like a no brainer to me!
Yes it looks if there is not support for the lower body. If the dog is injured,this ride will hurt especially the pressure on the abdomen. Dont they have something with more support... For dogs with back problems and won't cut off the blood flow?
This is a great video. I learned so much. Thank you and Prima for sharing!
Glad to help!
Thanks a lot for this very thorough video and the various ways you tested the harness. I've been concerned about what I would do if my dog got hurt when out on a hike and ran across another brand of rescue harness mentioned briefly in a different video so I've been looking into what the options might be. Like you, I've had my doubts about how well these might work in an actual situation miles out on a mountain trail. The harnesses I've seen rely completely on shoulder straps which is the opposite of how backpacks work which put most of the load on your hips. I expect a rescue harness will be hard on the shoulders in short order, but if you have to get the dog out, you do what you have to. My dog is lighter than yours at 45 lbs so it would be more manageable. You must have legs of steel to haul your 65 lb dog (and your pack) around like that on sand and rocks for as long as you did.
This is a great point! It would be nice if one of the rescue harnesses distributed weight differently, but I can’t think of a design that would work as a one size fits all.
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful video with us and I’m getting my carrier harness for my two German shepherd dogs to have in case my one of my dogs get hurt.
Tx, much appreciated & very helpful.
One thing I thought was, in an emergency, perhaps it would be helpful to rotate between this harness, a sled and plain old carrying.
Hmmm maybe if you had the pack on first and then the harness straps over that
Just because of my size (5'1") and the weight of my dog (73 lbs), I just plan on using my SOS on my satellite device because I don't think it would be possible, even with a lift, to be able to carry my dog out.
That is pretty similar to my current emergency plan. Would you use the SOS button to call for Search and Rescue or to send a message to a family member/friend for help? My understanding is that SAR typically wont rescue dogs, but perhaps my information is outdated (I haven't been able to find much on the topic).
@@TheMostImportantStep I have the ZOLEO device. So one SOS option is for the app, where you can text them on the emergency. The other is just a button on the device and I think SAR is supposed to come within 3 hrs. They wouldn’t necessarily know if it’s for a human or dog. But I would only hit that in extreme situations. I think most situations you can treat in the field, even something like a broken leg.
It's good to have but also don't underestimate yourself when it's go time. I'm a pretty small lady myself and I can do some pretty nutty stuff with adrenaline and care rushing through me
@@itsMalma adrenaline is amazing eh? :) Totally agree. People often have superhuman strength during emergencies.
I would worry about circulation issues if you were hiking fair. Think of the construction Harnesses could causes issues for limbs being in a harness for long periods of time. If you can't find a solution to getting you and your dog out, you probably should have a dog that size. Leaving them shouldn't be an option either. No gear is worth more to me than my dog.
Very informative review, thank you!! Do you have recs for an emergency carry for small dogs? I hike primarily with my 20lbs terrier and have been looking into these types of harnesses since I know carrying her in my arms for long distances becomes uncomfortable for us both. I never considered the fireman/back of neck though so I might try working with her on that. (though might not be appropriate if the dog had a belly wound)
Hi Sarah!
I haven’t had the opportunity to try any for small dogs, but do know that most brands make front carry harnesses for smaller pups!
Thank you so much for this video! My german shepherd is almost old enough to go backpacking with me, alot of the trails I frequent are more technical so there's a chance I'll need a harness like this to get her over obstacles. Ruff Rescue seems like a good option, but I'd be interested to see your take on the Fido Pro too!
How exciting! Enjoy your adventures with your pup, it goes by fast!
I will definitely be doing a Fido Pro review at some point, hopefully in the next month or so!
like another comment mentions, it digs in their tummy and probably is hard to breathe. Don't go on hikes that are not big dog friendly with a big dog. That's just cruel. If you wanted to do those, you can do them and have him dogsat for a week or 2. Or don't adopt a big dog. Sorry if this comes off as a bit rude, it's meant to be. Your dog is hardly old enough and you're already thinking this way?
@@itsMalma Yeah... not interested in arguing with strangers on the internet about a what I do with my own pets. Hope you have a great rest of your day 💕
@@SeagrasstoSassafras I didn't ask you to argue. Just letting you know, you shouldn't have went for a big dog. that's kind of selfish :) cheers
What size was this harness ? It looks way to small for the dog ?
It is the medium size
Could you carry the dog in the front?
It’s certainly worth a try!
Did you end up trying some other brands? Thanks for the thorough review!
Hi Allicia! We have actually spent most of the last year backpacking, so haven’t had the chance to yet!
@@TheMostImportantStep So cool! Would love to see some reviews on others if you are up for it! Thanks for the reply.
Can they breathe easily with their weight being on their chest? How long will they be comfortable?
To be honest, I haven’t used this harness since making the video four years ago so my memory is a bit fuzzy. I recall that Prima did not seem very comfortable as soon as I picked her up, but she was able to breathe.
@@TheMostImportantStep Thanks. My 20 lbs Cavalier King Charles Spaniel didn't seem super comfortable with the pressure from the harness on his chest. Since he's light enough for me to carry in my arms in an emergency, I may return my similar product (not a Ruff Rescue per se). I might actually take his airplane carrier instead since he would be more comfortable lying down in that actually and he can use it for shade if necessary. Ruff Rescue seems like a good product but for my use case, I think I wouldn't really need it
Great way to do some squats, too.
Oh yes!!! I was a bit winded by the end 😂
@@TheMostImportantStep LOL at least you could get up! I'm still working on getting up from a bodyweight squat hahahaha I'm glad I have 12 pound pups. I have to carry their lazy bums when they want to sit in the middle of the trail and stare into the distance forever. But I'm glad this product works for emergency situations. It's so necessary to have! Your dog was a good sport :)
Couldn’t you try having a dog in front of you.
I was going to sub but seeing you encourage people in comments to go on hikes that aren't big dog friendly and use this is unsafe and cruel. You're missing the point of these.
Hi there, I appreciate your point of view and thank you for sharing! I do think that the definition of what is big dog friendly and what isn’t is a pretty big grey area. I know some people that consider anything more than a flat 5 mile hike to not be safe for a big dog and others who have done all the 14ers with their medium to large dogs. I do think that training and knowing your individual dog is an important consideration when going on these types of adventures and everyone draws their own lines. I personally feel that most athletic dogs are capable of safely hiking in class 1-2 terrain and don’t see any problem bringing a product like this as a backup in the unlikely event that an accident occurs.