Gear Review: Hot Dog- the RuffWear Swamp Cooler vest

For the short video version, click play!


Now for the long, detailed version:
Cody, in case you didn't know, is a 6 year old Tri-Colored Australian Shepherd. Her primary color is black. This is her preferred running environment:

Cody is at home in the clouds and snow- too bad her humans like the sun and warmth!

She grew up in Michigan, where we had approximately 10 sunny days a year. In May, we moved to Colorado, where in the last 6 months, we've seen the sun more than our entire 6 years in Michigan.

Colorado does have very warm summers, but in general, the temperature is mild. I am very careful to monitor the temperature when deciding whether or not to take Cody on my run. In Michigan, if the temperature was below 70, she was good to go. I applied a similar principle here, but found Cody struggling in temps as low as 50. There was a particular hike we did on Mt. Elbert, where the temperature was probably in the 50s, but she was hiding under any shady rock she could find. I was so concerned that I took her to the vet and shelled out $200 to get her blood checked. She was fine, of course- she had just run over 30 miles the previous week!

A few weeks later, I was petting her on another cool run, and realized her black fur was BLAZING hot- even though the outside temperature was in the 50s. It suddenly hit me- the outside temperature wasn't slowing her down- it's was the hot sun on her black fur! Add to that the fact that we now live at 5,600 feet- so the sun's UV rays are even more potent- and we frequently hike up to 14,000 feet. Poor Cody!

I immediately began researching the available products to protect Cody from the sun, and the first place I checked was with one of my favorite brands, Ruffwear. Of course they had a product for hot dogs- the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler vest! After carefully considering the technology they used and online reviews, I sent Ryan off to REI to purchase a $55 dog coat (there was a lot of eye rolling involved, from both Cody and Ryan).

When I first held the vest, I was a little unsure of my purchase- it felt like a sweater, it was so thick- and it was also really long, covering Cody from her neck to her butt. Rather than return it, I figured I should at least try it, and we had the perfect opportunity on our trip to Moab, UT. What better place than the desert to see how it works!

Our first run was in a canyon, which was cool and shady- no vest. We ran 8 miles, which is usually good enough for Cody. However, later in the day, we decided to check out another trail. As we prepared for the run, Cody was hiding in the shade, acting like she didn't want to go. I got out the SwampCooler vest, and put it on her. The instructions for the vest are to pour water on it. Usually when I put water on Cody's back, she gets mad (even though she swims every chance she gets). With the coat on, she just stood there. Almost immediately, she was reenergized, and took off running into the sun. I really didn't think it would have such an instantaneous effect, but it did- she had so much energy!

What a perfect little dog model!

The original qualms I had about the thickness were instantly resolved- the material was absorbing the water and holding it in. The length covered almost the entirety of Cody's back, protecting nearly all of her black fur from the sun. We had a wonderful 4 mile run on slick rock in the hot sun and Cody was amazing.

The next day, we ran even longer, this time in the mid-day desert sun. Cody made it 12 miles, with no shade, in temperatures that probably reached 70 degrees. Obviously, this wasn't the warmest of days- but considering how much she has struggled on a sunny 50 degree day, it was a huge improvement. I only had to reapply water 2 more times, and the SwampCooler vest stayed wet for nearly 2.5 hours. I also periodically felt her fur underneath the vest, and it was always cool to the touch, without feeling wet.

Best way to run in the desert- no clothes on the human, SwampCooler vest on the dog

Hot sun, not a hot dog!

Since then, I've had her wear the vest a few more times, mostly on sunny days in the 60's, and it has continued to work amazingly well. It doesn't hinder her movements while running, and doesn't slip off, even after swimming in ponds and rivers.

Perfect coverage of her back. Size Medium 

The SwampCooler vest stays in place on all of our runs

The vest works in both of the ways it advertises. The material reflects the UV rays, so it literally acts as a shield against the sun. From Ruffwear's website, they say that the three-layer construction uses an outer layer to facilitate evaporation, while the middle layer stores water, and the inner layer transfers the cooling power of evaporation to keep the dog cool. Perspiration off of our own, human skin keeps us cool. Dogs don't have that ability- they don't sweat. Cody has more protection against the sun than most breeds, due to her dual layer coat that traps cooler molecules closer to her skin. But the blazing sun against her black fur gets hot. The Swamp Cooler vest utilizes the same principle that keeps us humans cool, and has been harnessed for use by desert dwellers since the Ancient Egyptians. As liquid evaporates, it sheds molecules into the air. As those molecules become suspended in the air, they actually take away the heat from the surrounding air, cooling it down as the molecules find a balance between water and air. There is an added bonus that the remaining liquid also cools down, since the hotter water molecules are able to make their escape into the air (explanation adapted from HowStuffWorks.com).

Here are a few more pictures of the underside of the vest (I couldn't find too many prior to ordering it, so maybe these will help)

Swamp Cooler, upside down

The buckle is tucked into the material so it won't cause any irritation

This is the underside of the vest

The only caveat is that we live in a dry climate. I have not had the chance to test the vest in a humid environment. My feeling is that it would still be quite effective as a UV shield, and that the inner and middle layer would still be able to utilize the stored water to keep the dog cool, but just like running in a humid environment, perspiration only gets you so far- humidity is still tough!

Overall, I rank this a 10/10. The construction, design and utility are all impeccable. The only thing that I might change is to sew on a handle, so I can still use it as a harness when we're out for a run.