Dog Jacket
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My dog's current jacket is a Ruffwear Quinzee. It works okay, but it seems heavy and bulky for what it is. So I am thinking of making a new insulated jacket for my dog. This jacket would mainly be used in the tent to keep my dog warm when sleeping at night, but it would see some occasional use around camp. She only seems to get cold when sleeping once it dips to 20 or 25 degrees F.
Most dog jackets I see are pretty simple looking and tend to only cover the dog's back (with a strap around the neck/chest and rib cage to secure it). Given that my dog sleeps curled up in a ball most of the time, I think this design would work pretty well.
My main question is about what fabrics to use. I see two routes:
1. Use a synthetic insulation (probably 2.5 or 5.0 oz Climashield) sandwiched between two layers of fabric. Since dogs don't sweat, would these fabric layers need to be breathable? I was thinking of using 1.1 oz nylon for the liner, and something waterproof for the shell (maybe 70D silynlon?). By using a waterproof shell, however, I would be concerned about trapping moisture from her fur in the insulation.
2. Use fleece. Fleece would not be waterproof, but it would probably dry quickly enough if it got wet from snow, all while still remaining reasonably warm. I am guessing fleece would not be as compact or as warm for the weight as synthetic insulation, but it might be close if I have to use a heavy outer shell with route 1.
Any other ideas for jacket material? Or for keeping the dog warm? I've tried a simple blanket, but she tends to get up and circle around on her sleeping pad throughout the night.
Here she is picking out a napping spot on the snow:
Not sure if they make them or just sell them, but they actually have a lot of dog products. I get a catalog just of their pet offerings! My pup, the queen, has two of their tempurpedic beds!
Anyway, if you need a larger photo PM me with your email address and I'll send a higher res one to you.
Edit to add: it weighs 12 oz. in a size large.
I believe I have a pattern made up now. The design is inspired by my current dog jacket, the jacket Doug posted pictures of, and some pictures of a dog jacket that And E made that he sent me. It simply goes over my dog's head, then a lower flap goes between the front legs (like a y-harness), and then it will attach via velcro to the upper layer on both sides. I am hoping it will give good back and belly coverage without being too constricting. I am thinking of adding in some elastic to the velcro side flaps, but not sure if it's necessary.
Here are some pictures of the pattern:
The top layer of fabric in this image is the belly flap while the bottom layer is the top of the jacket. The neck opening is formed by curving the two parts and then sewing along the left and right edges near the top.
I finished up the dog jacket yesterday using the pattern I posted above. I think it turned out pretty good. It fits my dog well and seems like it will be comfortable for her; it should be much warmer than her old jacket and it is much lighter for me to carry. Here is a material and weight summary, split up by the upper and lower halves of the jacket:
Upper part shell: black M90 (total weight = 1 oz)
Upper part insulation: 5 oz Climashield (total weight = 2 oz)
Lower part shell: gray M90 (total weight = 0.4 oz)
Lower part insulation: 3 oz Primaloft (total weight = 0.5 oz)
Elastic + velcro: 0.3 ozTotal finished weight: 4.2 oz!
All of the materials I used were just scraps from previous projects (M90 and Primaloft from my thru-hiker minima vest kit, Climashield from my MYOG quilt), so the cost of the jacket was low. I used Primaloft for the lower part of the jacket in order to save a bit on weight and bulk – my dog sleeps curled up in a ball, so I think bulkier insulation would just get in her way.
Here are some photos of the construction process (in case any one wants to follow) and of the finished product:
I sewed up the top piece in one go. From bottom to top, I layered the fabric as Climashield – M90 – M90 (put "good" faces of M90 facing each other). I then sewed around the perimeter (except at the top), then inverted the end product by pulling it through the top opening, and then closed off the top. Make sure to give yourself enough fabric allowance to invert it and account for the insulation:
I used the same process to make the bottom half:
I then sewed the top part to the bottom along the left and right edges:
In the middle of this great Fall day, I thought it appropriate to have a home-brewed pumpkin porter:
Here is the final product being modeled by my dog:
To secure the belly flap, I ended up using fixed elastic straps towards the front (they stretch enough to allow for some freedom of movement and to put her legs through) and then some velcro strips towards the back (3 inch horizontal strips, enough to keep the lower part loosely in place). It seems to work pretty well, creating a snug but not tight fit with minimal bulk:
General comments:
The fabric weights above show that a more durable outer shell would add around 2-3 oz (maybe less if you still used lightweight fabric for the inner shells)
Using less warm 2.5 oz Climashield for the upper would only save 1 oz
Main dimensions used to create the pattern were: length of dog, girth, and neck diameter
I don't remember where I learned that technique, but I'm sure it was somewhere here on the forums.
What I did was layer the material as shown in the picture below: insulation on bottom, then a layer of fabric, and then another layer of fabric. I made the "good" sides of M90 face each other. I then sewed along the pink line.
After sewing the pink line, I then reached in between the two layers of M90 (from the opening at the top), and inverted the whole thing. This leaves you with the insulation sandwiched between two layers of fabric and an opening at the top. To close the top opening, I just rolled over the fabric and sewed along the green line:
Since making the dog jacket about a year ago, my dog's lost some weight, and now her jacket is a little too big (a good thing, vet said she was overweight before – her energy levels have skyrocketed now). I just finished sewing a Whitney Down Jacket kit from Thru-Hiker, so I decided to apply my new skills by making a down-insulated dog jacket: :) The down jacket is only slightly lighter than her synthetic jacket (which also used more durable fabric), but it packs down to 1/2 or 2/3 the size, which will make it even easier to carry. I might even be able to just stuff it in my sleeping back stuff sack. I initially anticipated she might be wearing the dog jacket outside the tent sometimes, but this never happened over the past year, so I think we should be okay using the lighter fabrics and down insulation. We'll see Some pictures:
I think the down "wraps" better than the Climashield. With the elastic straps, the jacket fits snug but not tight. And, since I used scrap fabrics, her jacket now matches mine. Here's my Whitney down jacket kit (full-length #5 zipper, black M90 shell, green/yellow Membrane 10 liner, 5.7 oz 900 FP down, and 10.2 oz total weight): I messed up the collar somehow (think I sewed it on backwards), but it still works: 
I think the down "wraps" better than the 
And, since I used scrap fabrics, her jacket now matches mine. Here's my Whitney down jacket kit (full-length #5 zipper, black M90 shell, green/yellow Membrane 10 liner, 5.7 oz 900 FP down, and 10.2 oz total weight): 
I messed up the collar somehow (think I sewed it on backwards), but it still works: 
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