Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I did a lot of hunting around for the best reviewed pet backpack carrier and this is the one I felt most comfortable with. It was not the least expensive (nor the most expensive). I went on a grand total of two hikes with this carrier. One on a 3-4 mile hike, using it for only the second half of the hike (with a 12 pound Cheagle). We went on a second vacation to Acadia National Park, where there are trails with ladders and ledges on them. We thought this would be a perfect opportunity to use the Petsfit carrier. But, a few steps from descending a ladder with a 20 foot drop and the whole bottom portion of the carrier dropped out. I shudder to think what would have happened if we were just a few seconds further in our hike. He would have faced a life-threatening fall for sure. Upon examining the design of the backpack, I couldn't help but question why there were no backup manual straps in case the zipper breaks. Because eventually the zipper will break on this -- unfortunately placed right on the edge of the bottom for maximum wear and tear. So, even for users for whom it lasts a bit longer, when it breaks, there's no backup. Unfortunately, with the current design, I wouldn't take a replacement even if they offered it to me. It's just not worth it to me. I think this product could be improved with heavier zippers (my Jansport backpack has the kind of heavy duty zipper this product needs on the bottom.), and backup straps in case the zippers fail.