Pixel Reviews: Equafleece Hi-viz Neckerchiefs

It is 03:45am and I cannot sleep. After tossing and turning for twenty minutes or so I decide to get up and wander around the flat, Pixel lazily opens his eyes to check that he is not missing something. Satisfied that I am not going to do anything of interest he goes back to sleep.

At 04:00am I get back into bed, this time I call the dog up onto the bed. We spend a couple of minutes fidgeting, and a few harsh words from Ruthie, who I accidentally wake up, Pixel is laying down next to me beneath the duvet. I still cannot sleep and spend the next forty-five minutes cuddling the dog.

Pixel modelling the neckerchief

Then at 04:45am Pixel decides that he is not comfortable with the way he was laying and gets up and pushes the duvet off of me. He then decides that my stomach makes a good bed and my shoulder a perfect pillow. I give up and push the dog off of the bed. It is 05:00am, might as well walk the dog. It takes ten minutes to get out to the fields and it is pitch black.

I have had the Equafleece Hi-viz Neckerchief for a number of years. It was bought for a dog that has since passed away. When we got Pixel it was summer and there was not problem walking him in the mornings but as winter rolled around and it got darker I wanted to find a way to keep an eye on the dog in the early morning gloom. He already wears a harness so I didn't want to stick another on him, and I dislike the way that thin collars look on his neck, after he is a lurcher, so I didn't want to get one of the light-up collars. That's when I remembered the bright green/yellow neckerchief that we used to use.

The Equafleece Neckerchief is a fantastic addition to a walking gear, it slips on over the dog's neck and it made of a gently fleece fabric which is soft against Pixel's neck and doesn't get in the way with his collar or his harness. It is a bright green/yellow colour that is easy to spot.

The drawback for this Equafleece is that it has no natural illumination to it which can mean that if it is truly dark, such as before sunrise, the range at which the neckerchief is useful is severely limited and can be hard to spot if you don't know what direction your dog is in. As such the neckerchief is best used when it is still dark and gloomy but alongside some natural light, in which case it definitely does help in keeping tabs on your dog. It is worth noting that my Equafleece is at least six years old and since my purchase they have added a reflective strip to the neckerchief will greatly increase it's utility. That said, I am happy with the fleece and will be continuing to use it on my early morning walks.