I did find one review that mentioned that because of the material is kind of a 'mesh' material, it can be snagged on brushes or branches....but that person also said he's had it for 1.5 years and it's still holding up well.

It's all mesh and loose poly weave. There is obvious wear on mine already and I attribute that all to Sioux stopping for a piss. He stops, the harness folds over bringing the vest with it and those contact spots are wearing heavily. My solution for now is to use the leash and collar on daily walks and save the x-back wear for hiking. Plan 'B' is to use some 1000 denier cordura nylon in strips over those spots. But I have no apprehension about diving right into it with the Pfaff.

Don't take my wear as any indicator of long term performance. I use the hell out of my dogs' stuff. The packs I bought the boys in the spring are already wearing through in spots with seams opening in others. But I would still give them a great review. They've put in over 200 miles since I took them out of the package. My use is typically 2x-3x the normal person. With that said, I won't pay over $40 for a Swamp Cooler.

If When I buy more of these, I will spend months on the internet waiting for the right offer and price. Sign up for all of those sporting goods store's websites and their emails. Every so often one coupon makes it worth buying.




I will get a macro shot of the material here in a bit.

i have an email in with backcountry K-9 on Jacks backpack as one of the straps is ripped! noticed it on our last hike, i need to send them a pic and hopefully ruff wear will replace the pack as they all ready replaced the harness in Feb, i think i just got a bad pack to start with. customer service has been great with K-9

Okay guys, I went ahead and bit the bullet and ordered a size Medium Swamp Cooler from Backcountry K9 for $47.45 shipped. Surprisingly hubby is mad at me not because I ordered this thing but because I interrupted his video game play and got him "killed" when I came down to tell him about it.

All I can say is this thing better last for at least 3 years.

I'd still like to see a macro shot of it when you get around to it.

I can't wait to get this thing and give it a try. I'll post my experience with it as well once we've had a chance to use it. Now it's the waiting game...

Here's a similar product:

HyperKewl Evaporative Cooling Dog Coat

It's less than the Ruff Wear brand, but same concept, and it ships free.



The medium cost $34.99
They are out of stock in large
The X-Large is $37.99

Size Dog Back Length
X-Small up to 8" 20 cm
Small 9"-12" 23-30 cm
Medium 13"-16" 33-41 cm
Large 17"-20" 43-51 cm
X-Large 21"-24" 53-61 cm
XX-Large 25"-30" 64-76 cm

According to the sizing chart and if I'm measuring correctly, Ginger would be about a large (she measures about 21" to her tail) and Storm would be about X-Large (he measures about 24" to his tail),

You know, Claudia, I looked at the HyperKewl coat also but my biggest concern with it was the dark color which might absorb more heat rather than reflecting heat like the lighter color Swamp Cooler. My other major hang up was that there weren't many user reviews for the HyperKewl while there were TONS of reviews on the Swamp Cooler. That led me to think that more people prefer the Swamp Cooler...and in my mind if something is more popular there's got to be a reason for it. And lastly I am familiar with Ruff Wear as a company and their products so I would be more inclined to go with a company I trust more. That's just me though. It would be nice to have a member here try both and give us comparative reviews.

It was 69 degrees this morning, 89% humidity and we went for a 4 mile walk. Dakota was struggling the last 1.5 miles of our walk and was walking so slow like he barely wanted to move he was so hot. I can't wait to get my Swamp Cooler!

I am like you where I would prefer a trusted name vs. an unknown brand/product that did not have tons of reviews, etc.

I am very tempted to buy the HyperKewl for Storm to test it out.

I thought about the dark color as well, however, I do know there are some materials, that even though dark in color, still reflects heat - these are used in shirts to help keep us cooler.

I checked the Backcountry K9's return policy, and if it doesn't work as well as the Ruff Wear brand, I'd be out shipping back...not too bad.

If I do order the HyperKewl, I'll post back with my review.

The macros:

This is the outside. A mesh layer with loose mesh in between...


The under side...


And the pilling that's already starting. Again, this is mainly from the harness rubbing when he stops to pee and it folds over. This wear is entirely my problem because I keep walking and his harness pulls up over his shoulders. I hate how he insists on pissing every tenth of a mile...

Let us know if you get the HyperKewl, Claudia, I'd like to hear how it compares if you get it.

Thanks for posting pics, Eddy! At first glance I thought coral (the reefer in me). lol I am concerned about the wear you have already on yours Eddy because Dakota has to stop and pee a million times on walks too.

Normal walks he wears a typical "H" style harness like this:


I'm thinking the Swamp Cooler would have to be worn over the harness, correct? I'm afraid that if the cooling vest is worn under the harness that it will wear out faster due to the friction from the harness over it. Your opinion? If it has to be worn over the harness I might have to start using my x back harness whenever he wears the swamp cooler since it clips to the lead further down the back.

Crap! Now I gotta get Storm an X-back harness too so it can be worn under this HyperKewl vest?! I supposed I could just put his EZYDog harness over it for the time being....

So does that mean you're getting it, Claudia?!

I really want to because Storm overheats fast. I have to see what funds look like since the tenants in my rental unit just moved out and June is double mortgage months.

We're planning to hike on Sunday, but the weather where we're headed looks to be a high of only 67 degrees, so if anything, I have time to get it before the next hike.

I contacted Backcountry K9 on when they would get the medium size (for Ginger)....and here's their reply....Hmm...I wonder if I should buy one of each....:
----------

Hi Claudia.


Thanks for contacting us. I'm sorry for the late reply today.


Unfortunately, we don't have any idea on when we'll be getting more HyperKewl products in stock. We are having some difficulty getting commitments from the manufacturer right now.


What I can do right now is offer you coupon code that is good for 15% off all full priced items in your next order. That would allow you to purchase a Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler coat for about the same price as the HyperKewl coat and it would still ship for free.


Swamp Cooler: http://www.backcountryk9.com/101/0/Products.aspx

Thanks!

Jason
Backcountry K-9

I've had mine for well over a year now and its held up pretty well. I do have the pilling on the inside, but like Eddy said, I think its from wearing the x-back harness underneath it.

Claudia, you're a lucky duck!

Melissa, thanks for the info on how long yours has lasted. Just for reference, how often does yours get used?

My Swamp Cooler shipped yesterday! Now it's up to the sluggish USPS. Probably won't see it till sometime next week.

I use it for spring and fall training runs, about three times a week. In the summer we use it when we go on walks if it starts getting in the upper 80s. I would estimate that it gets used about two to three times a week for six months out of the year. Would probably use it more if our winters were not so long.

Thanks Melissa!

Just tracked my package and it says it should be here tomorrow...oh I hope that's accurate!

Huskyluv wrote:

Just tracked my package and it says it should be here tomorrow...oh I hope that's accurate!

I've found tracking info to be pretty accurate!

I'm still undecided if I should try the HyperKewl or stick with the Ruff Wear.

I really hope so but I don't have much faith in the USPS to get it from WI to SC in 24 hours. We shall see.

Can't help you on the indecision I'm afraid. You could get a Swamp Cooler for one of your two at the discounted price they offered and then order the HyperKewl when it comes back in stock for the other dog. Then you could give us a really good review on how they compare to each other.

Check it out!

WOOHOO!!!
he looks unsure.... is it a bit big?
cant wait to hear the "hot weather" report on it!

Sweet! Wish I could get a commission on that. Did you notice how it felt dry? I'm interested to heard about how long it takes to dry out in a more humid climate. Out here it's brutal dry and the air takes about 20 minutes to kill it if the sun is out.

Jenn, it fits him perfectly actually. And he has room to shrink or grow thanks to the adjustable side straps. He's 50 lbs, his girth measures 29 inches, and I think I have the side straps adjusted right to the middle position and he's wearing a size medium.

It was 90 degrees out with 48% humidity and full sun when I took him out with it on dry. In less than 10 minutes I felt his coat, under the vest, and the top of the vest. His uncovered coat was burning hot to the touch. I stuck my hand under the vest to feel the coat that was covered and it was a little warm but not at all hot like the totally exposed areas. Even the vest itself was not hot, merely a little warm to the touch. Noticeable difference just by touching him but I will reserve judgment for when we really try this thing out properly with the vest hydrated. Of course now that I have the vest the evening and morning temps have dropped down to tolerable levels of 68-69 degrees.

He doesn't seem too terribly bothered wearing it. Although he does try to shake it off every now and then. He also tries rolling on his back to get it off. lol

Now I'm REALLY curious how Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler and HyperKewl vest compare....