Yes, it’s fun to let your dogs roam free when you take them out camping. Problem is, your dogs could get lost if they explore a little too far from camp, especially if you bring them to an unfamiliar location. The Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch gives your pet a way to roam camp without the risk of having them wander too far from your location.
No, it’s not just a really, really long dog leash (although it can actually work for that purpose). Instead, it’s a “campsite dog-hitching system” that uses climbing-inspired components to give your dog plenty of freedom at camp, all while keeping them tethered so you’ll always know where to find them. That way, you never have to worry about your dog while attending to your duties at camp, whether that’s gutting the deer you just caught, chopping logs for a fire, or fixing up your supplies for tomorrow’s rock-climbing session.
The Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch can be used similar to one of those long leashes – just secure the line to a tree, a stake, or a post to keep your pet in place. What makes the set different, however, is the ability to leash your dog on a static line between two trees, giving them the freedom to roam not just the leash’s length, but along the line’s length as well. You can even set it up right under your hammock, so you can spend the afternoon lounging in a suspended bed while your dog gets to run around without ever going too far to be out of sight.
Set includes a stow bag for keeping everything bundled in one place, a standard leash that you can use when walking your dog along the trail, and a 36-foot kernmantle rope that you can set up between a pair of trees or posts. That’s right, a whopping 36 feet, allowing you to give your dog a really long path to move around in. To set up, simply tie the rope around two trees using the integrated tensioning system, buckle the dog’s leash onto the integrated carabiner, and you’re done, with your dog free to roam the range of both the leash and the rope it’s hooked onto. To use the rope as a leash, simply hook the buckle onto your dog’s collar and tie the other end to a post.
The Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch’s tensioning system uses the same auto-lock techniques found in climbing gear, so this thing should be just as durable, ensuring it can handle pulling from even the strongest pets. It uses a swiveling carabiner, by the way, which should help prevent the leash from twisting and tangling, no matter how much running around your dog decides to do. What it won’t do, however, is prevent your dog from running around the trees, so there’s always a chance you’ll come back from a fishing run to find your pet wound around a tree bark (hey, sometimes, they’re not that smart).
Want one? The Ruffwear Knot-a-Hitch is priced at $59.95.