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.

Trail Running in Moab

Dates: 11/2/13-11/3/13

This past weekend was the Moab trail marathon and half marathon. A group of friends from CO were racing on Saturday, so we decided to make a road trip of it, cheer them on, and visit a place we have never been to before.

The first thing that blew our minds about Moab was the incredible display of stars. I have never seen that many stars in my entire life. We could even see the Milky Way, it was so amazingly clear. Too bad my camera couldn't capture the starlight. Instead, we laid on the ground in the middle of the desert to star-gaze.

After a few hours sleep in the Element-camper, we woke up to the sunrise glinting off the red canyon walls. Wow.

Ryan is still sleeping inside

The race start wasn't until 9am, which was awesome. Cody got to see her friends, and hang out with runners, which she loves. Soon enough, it was time for the race to start. I set up my tripod with the GoPro attached and filmed the start (mobile link):

Part of the race course- a rope wall!

After everyone was off, Ryan and I got ready to go run some of the same trail the runners were on. We waited long enough so the course would be clear. The trail we took was called Pritchett Canyon. As the name describes, it's a trail that runs through a canyon on  a mix of sand, hard sand, slick rock and crumbly rock. What a run! It was unlike any trail run we've done before.

Moab is RED

Climbing on rocks in Pritchett Canyon

Look- water in the desert!

More red rocks

What an amazing landscape!

 Cody, Ryan and I were having a blast- running through the thick sand, jumping off rocks, climbing on rocks and taking lots of pictures and videos. Cody loved the canyon, because when she barked, her voice reverberated off the walls and she is in love with her own voice.

Cody leads the way!

We turned around 5 miles into the course and headed back to the finish area to cheer on our runners. We just missed the winner, but saw Sage Canaday and other top runners finish. The winning time was a 3:15- this course was HARD!

Chillin at the finish line

After hanging out with our friends, we packed up our camp, ate some food, and headed to a new trailhead. This time, we went for a shorter run on the Moab Rim trial. It starts at the bottom of the canyon and then climbs 900 feet straight up in the first mile, all on slick rock. This was also the first time I tried Cody's new Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler jacket. It's designed to protect her fur from the sun by blocking UV rays, and also using evaporative cooling when you pour water on the coat. She didn't mind me putting it on and pouring water on her, and even though the temps were up closer to 70 at this point, she was ready to run!

Dog on Rock, in a Jacket

Slick Rock

This was a really cool trail, not only for the interesting terrain, but once you finished the 900 foot climb, you got a view of the La Sal mountains, peaking out over the city of Moab.

Moab and the La Sal mountains

Once on the top, we were in the 'real' desert. It was such an amazing landscape! We also got to see a family of motorbikers, with one kid probably 10 years old, driving over all sorts of crazy rocks.

Really real Desert

Lots and lots of rocks

After a wonderful meal at the Moab Brewery (where we could get full 7% beer!!), we found a new campsite to park the Element-Camper and went to sleep.

Day 2:

When we woke up, we realized again that we parked in an awesome spot.

The little campsite where we parked the Element

The path right above our camping spot

View from the campsite

Breakfast out of the back of the Element

Today's trail run took us on part of the Red Hot 55k trail run that Ryan signed up for this coming February- the Poison Spider Trail. We started where the race ends. The first 800 foot climb was over 4 miles, so this was a much flatter run then the day before. The temps were also a lot higher, and Cody was again wearing her Swam Cooler jacket.

Seriously though- she's wearing a jacket AND boots?!

The trail was a little more rocky at the start, with some more technical footing, but still pretty tame compared to most of Colorado. Running in the desert feels pretty different than other trails- it's a little harder to get a rhythm in a lot of sections, because you're often running over rock that undulates, then running through really deep sand. The constant change of footing makes the terrain more challenging than it would at first appear. However, there were still plenty of sections on this trail that were smooth, flat and fast- especially the long stretch of jeep road.

Running on slick rock with the La Sal mountains in the background. This place was unreal

Cody Rocked her Swam Cooler jacket- that thing kept her fur cool to the touch

Cody did amazingly well running on her second day in the desert. We turned around at 5.5 miles while Ryan finished his long run. When we parted ways, I knew the way to go, but there were definitely times when it was hard to figure out exactly where the trail went- and each direction looks essentially the same! I quickly saw how easy it would be to get lost in the desert.

After finishing up our run, we headed back to Colorado, with a stop in Arches National Park. Arches is an amazingly gorgeous park- the natural formations of these rocks is unreal.

Welcome to Arches National Park. Prepare for mind-blowing nature

I took this one from the moving car. Yes, the iPhone Camera really is that good

Wind and water did this

The Window Arches, viewed from the Torrent arch

There's a 'little' piece missing- 180 tons of rock fell down in the 90s- yikes!

Rockin' the Flannel while running and filming in Arches National Park

Luckily, we could see most of the park while driving, with brief stops out of the car (Cody is not allowed on trails in the National Parks).

Psssh- Cody thinks National Parks are silly! Amazing AdventureDogs should be allowed!! See- she even has her leash on!

The drive home sent us through a horrendous snow storm through most of Colorado, with stranded motorists strewn across the freeway. We were lucky enough to have 3 snowplows lead our way for most of Vail pass, but it took us 7 hours to get home, when it should've been 5. I guess we won't be heading west on 70 for most of the winter! Yikes!

Another car picture. Ryan wouldn't stop anymore ;)

And this is what your dog looks like after running 25 miles for the weekend in the desert:

This is what Cody I looked like the whole drive back. Thanks for driving, Ryan!! ;)

Here is the Awesome Movie Version, filmed with our new GoPro Hero3 Black

Trail Overview (see scale here)

Technical: Class 1

Surface: 2/5 

Vert: 2/5

Crowds: Low- but there is off-road vehicle traffic on a lot of these trails! Very cool to watch
Views: Amazing and very unique
Overall Runability: 2/5

Although the footing isn't break your ankle type of stuff, it still requires concentration, and good form. The changing terrain adds to the challenge. A very interesting place to run- unlike anywhere else I've been!!

Gear Recommendations:

Water- lots and lots of water. Even in the fall, when the temps were low, the dry air just sucks the water right through your skin. I wore my Nathan hydration pack to carry water for me and Cody

Shoes: Both Ryan and I were satisfied with our Salomon sense ultras. If I were running longer than 13 miles, I'd recommend a little more support. The rocks are really sticky and smooth, with very few really sharp and pointy rocks, so for slightly shorter runs, the Ultras worked great. However, I noticed in the evening my feet were sore from running on so much rock, so for a longer 20ish mile run, I'd need more support. I also wore my La Sportiva C-lites, and they worked great, but the extra lugs were probably a touch of overkill.

Details:

Day 1, run #1:
 Day 1, run  #2:
Day 2: