ProView – Ultimate Direction Dog Vest

Across a multitude of adventures my pup, Roux, got to wear Ultimate Direction’s simply named Dog Vest. We ran, played in rivers, went climbing, got stormed on, got muddy, and generally had the best times ever as all adventure dogs do.

Meet Roux (you know, that delicious mixture of fat and flour). Abandoned on a farm until she ended up in puppy prison at seven months old. She had no socialization, no manners, and extreme high-energy independence. After many long months post-adoption, she’s morphed into an incredibly sweet babe. Her energy levels, meanwhile, have only increased. Enter UD’s Dog Vest. A slim-fitting way to weigh her down without making her a bulky mess. Or, for the more standard use, a quick and easy pack to throw in everything from car keys to treats to keep my hands free on walks. Anytime we would hit the trails, I grabbed the Dog Vest. I don’t speak Dog, but I can say she never skipped a beat when first wearing this pack. I started with it empty to let her get used to it, but honestly, I don’t think she noticed. So in went all the dog accessories and off we would go.

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Performance

I’ve used many different dog packs over the years, but they are all made for carrying huge amounts of stuff. They always get torn quickly from brushing against shrubs, rocks, etc. Unless I’m climbing at Indian Creek, all I need my dogs to carry is the essentials for themselves. Treats, leashes, poo bags, and water about sums it up. Even with its slim profile, the Dog Vest is able to carry all of that at once. The pack has four pockets total, two small and two large. The small pockets can be slimmed down via pull cords and the large pockets can actually be enlarged by a hidden zipper. I have squishable half-litre bottles that fit nice in the bigger side pockets in their compact state. I think that you could fit squishable 1 litre bottles in each side if the pockets were enlarged. It was nice to have the option of a decent amount of space but to keep the pack slimmed down when not needed. 

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Whether she was sprinting wildly or swimming in rivers, Roux never acted uncomfortable and certainly never acted hindered. She plays hard and so far, I’ve been pleased with the durability of this pack. The sleekness certainly helps as she hasn’t caught the pack on any trees to date. It’s a tall order to make a pack that fits nicely on every shaped mutt out there, but I do wish the front chest straps were longer. They are maxed out on Roux and make the middle strap land right behind her armpits. It’s worth mentioning that she has long, wiry hair that has protected her from any rub spots behind her armpits. I cannot say that a short haired dog would fair as well as there is no padding on the straps and the webbing is quite narrow. An interesting choice for UD to make, but this is their first dog pack, so I imagine they will upgrade it as the feedback rolls in. 

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The Dog Vest comes with two different bowls. A small one for water/food and a bigger “Treat” one that has a single magnetic tab to partially close it. The water bowl is a little small for my dogs, but they’re definitely bigger than the average working dogs that I see in the outdoors. The treat bowl has two ways to attach it to yourself; a clip and a loop that you can thread a belt through. I ended up using the treat bowl for city walks and dog park days only but always kept the water bowl in the pack. It folds up small and takes up almost no room. There are two different leash attachment points as well. One on the middle of the back and one on the chest. I put a little light on the front attachment point for any impromptu nighttime adventures. 

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Friendliness to the Earth 

I could not find any detailed information on their site about using recycled products, having any eco certs, etc; BUT Ultimate Direction does take the Human Toll of mass producing products seriously. They adhere to a strict code of conduct that covers everything from not using child labor to requiring reasonable working hours and much, much more. Full info can be found here https://ultimatedirection.com/social-responsibility/

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The Final Word

Ultimate Direction created a dog pack that does not hinder even the wildest of pups, no matter the terrain or adventure. I loved the sleek design and Roux seemed to love the light weight of the pack. My “perfect” pack would increase the size of the water bowl and add length and padding to the straps, but other that that, I really think UD created a quality piece of dog gear!

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