Cabelas is running a sale on the Hard Core Dog Cave with Snow Cover combo so I made good use of some gift cards and picked one up. It was waiting for me today after less than a week from the purchase date (thank you cabelas, as usual).
The setup instructions are a little "foggy" to say the least, but after staring at it for a few minutes I was able to figure it out. Once I got, it was a breeze. I really like the design... no pins, no bolts, nothing to get lost. The folding supports simply lock together with an ingenious oversized sleeve and attached Velcro strap. Once it's up, this little blind is rock solid. I am really impressed by the rigidity of this thing.
It is a pretty low profile design by most dog blind standards. My dog, Betty, is a mere 43 pounds or so and even she has to lay down while inside of it. Plenty of room to turn around though, and the dog can enter from either the front or the back. I actually think it's a good thing that the dog has to lie down while inside. Obviously lower profile equates to a more effective hide, but I think it will also help a dog be more steady while in the field.
There are plenty of stubble straps for adding camo. No real fancy bells and whistles, but everything it has is extremely well thought out in my opinion. There are four webbing loops, one on each bottom corner of the blind, for staking it down. My first thought was, "Great... little stakes to break or lose." Nope... I was wrong. The stakes are permanently attached to the blind with bungy-type material, and tucked into their own individual sleeves. Now the best part... each stake has a small plastic buckle that prevents it from falling out of the sleeve. Genius!
The blind also includes a shoulder strap for easy carrying to and from the hunt location. As far as the snow cover goes, again, very good quality. It fits like a glove, yet not so tight as to make it a pain in the ass to put on. An sewn-in elastic band wraps under the base of the blind and keeps the cover in place. The snow cover also has a buttload of stubble straps.
I've got no field or dog time with this blind yet so I'm trying to stay as reserved as possible, but as of right now I gotta say this dog blind is top notch... at least in the functionality and design departments. If it proves to be as durable as it looks, it's without a doubt a five star piece of equipment.
Betty girl approves...
The setup instructions are a little "foggy" to say the least, but after staring at it for a few minutes I was able to figure it out. Once I got, it was a breeze. I really like the design... no pins, no bolts, nothing to get lost. The folding supports simply lock together with an ingenious oversized sleeve and attached Velcro strap. Once it's up, this little blind is rock solid. I am really impressed by the rigidity of this thing.
It is a pretty low profile design by most dog blind standards. My dog, Betty, is a mere 43 pounds or so and even she has to lay down while inside of it. Plenty of room to turn around though, and the dog can enter from either the front or the back. I actually think it's a good thing that the dog has to lie down while inside. Obviously lower profile equates to a more effective hide, but I think it will also help a dog be more steady while in the field.
There are plenty of stubble straps for adding camo. No real fancy bells and whistles, but everything it has is extremely well thought out in my opinion. There are four webbing loops, one on each bottom corner of the blind, for staking it down. My first thought was, "Great... little stakes to break or lose." Nope... I was wrong. The stakes are permanently attached to the blind with bungy-type material, and tucked into their own individual sleeves. Now the best part... each stake has a small plastic buckle that prevents it from falling out of the sleeve. Genius!
The blind also includes a shoulder strap for easy carrying to and from the hunt location. As far as the snow cover goes, again, very good quality. It fits like a glove, yet not so tight as to make it a pain in the ass to put on. An sewn-in elastic band wraps under the base of the blind and keeps the cover in place. The snow cover also has a buttload of stubble straps.
I've got no field or dog time with this blind yet so I'm trying to stay as reserved as possible, but as of right now I gotta say this dog blind is top notch... at least in the functionality and design departments. If it proves to be as durable as it looks, it's without a doubt a five star piece of equipment.
Betty girl approves...
) lab you'll ever run across. I just weighed her again last night and she's actually up to 47 pounds and looking good. I tried a ton of different kibble, trying to put weight on her but struggled. Finally a solution... I started her on 4 cups per day of Nutro Natural Choice High Endurance... 30/20. That was about 3 weeks ago and now she's heavier than ever. I'll be very happy if she stays between 45 and 50 pounds.