A harness and pack are essential for anyone who hikes the trails. And having one that meets your needs for each of your adventures is even more important. There are so many packs out there that offer different sizes, builds, compartments, etc. The EzyDog Convert Harness & Saddlebag combo is an overall basic pack combination that is suitable for smaller adventures, whether it’s a short walk through the woods, or into town, or even just for giving your dog a small job while on the trails.
The harness itself is wonderfully sturdy and durable, made of thick material with a lot of padding & thick stitching. The sides of the pack have Velcro on them to allow for either attachment of the saddlebags or a patch indicating something about your dog (“Do not pet”, “service dog”, or others). The EzyDog website offers pre-made patches for a reasonable cost. The harness also has a large reflective band across the front, which is always a plus. Any added safety feature gets brownie points in my book! Sizing for the harness itself ranges from XXS-XXL, and comes in three colors: Burgundy, Blue, or Charcoal. As far as harnesses go, sizing and color choice are reasonable.
In putting the harness on, we had a little trouble getting it to fit just right. Underneath the chest is a buckle which went on just fine, but adjusting the front was a little difficult, especially with Ellie’s longer fur. The front strap is just one long piece of Velcro that folds back onto itself on the inside rather than the outside. Once you get it adjusted, you shouldn’t have to readjust unless you have a growing pup, but the initial adjustment was slightly difficult trying to do it on the inside rather than the outside. Ellie’s chest is a bit slimmer, and we could only adjust the front so much before the strap was hanging out, so it was left a little loose.
The sides of the harness have extra loops for attachments of any sort – I could easily see a few carabiners hanging off the side with a poop bag holder, or collapsible water dish. The handle on top is extra sturdy & durable, with a nice soft feel to it, and would definitely be useful for helping your pup climb up any scrambles or rocks throughout your trek, or even just using it to hold on to for extra security for whatever reason. Last but not least, the metal leash attachment loop is nice & thick, and seems very sturdy, held on by thick stitching as well.
The saddlebags themselves are conveniently detachable, which allows for use of just the harness when needed. The bags come in just two sizes: Small or Large. It would be even more convenient if they offered an inbetween medium size to cater to different sized dogs. There is plenty of room in the bags for whatever you need, from small water bladders to a doggy first aid kit, to treats & any extra necessities. The bags also have an extra zippered pocket on the outside for smaller things, and the outside is lined with more reflective edging. I couldn’t see the bags being able to hold all that much weight, though, as the attachment just wasn’t secure enough to the harness to provide good support for the pup still & creating an downward pull. One perk about the saddlebags is that even with them on, they have an extra Velcro strip across the outside of it to allow for your pup’s information to still be seen which is especially important for service dogs.
Throughout our entire 4 mile trek, Ellie was very comfortable & didn’t seem to mind wearing the harness/saddlebag combo at all. She played with Atlas with little issue, and had fun in the creek. The saddlebags are claimed to be waterproof, but I found them soaked on the inside afterwards, and Ellie definitely didn’t create enough splashing to warrant such wetness on the inside with them being claimed as waterproof.
For us, the harness is suitable for basic use, but the saddlebags caused some issue while on lead. I found the leash getting caught on the bags far too often since the bags are only attached by a Velcro loop & strip on the upper half of the bag rather than the whole bag. It became quite an inconvenience to constantly readjust the leash and get it untangled from behind the bag. If it didn’t have the extra Velcro loop, the bag would’ve kept popping off from the leash getting caught. It would likely be easier for a dog that is normally off-lead.
Overall, I feel this bag is more suited for dogs who would be constantly at their owner’s side if on-lead (a service dog, for example), rather than a trail pack. The sturdiness of the saddlebags when attached is questionable for a more active dog – I know with how active Ellie & Atlas are on the trails, I would avoid using the saddlebags as they would just get knocked into so often they would likely get ruined far too fast. The harness is definitely very well-made, versatile, and could be used in any environment for a variety of occasions, from using the patch feature to bring attention to certain qualities of the dog, to the general use on the trails. We will definitely be using the harness portion again!
Review by: IG Trail Tester @expeditionhusky