TLDR: I tested this specific GPS collar in the wilderness where there was no phone service nor any coverage — Porcupine Mountains, MICHIGAN! Tractive tracked Arashi seamlessly with minimal hiccups. This is after using another GPS collar for over a year and wasting so much money on monthly subscriptions. Read more for details, video to come later on for live demonstration.
Disclosure: This blog post is NOT SPONSORED. We only endorse products that we have personally used, tested/reviewed or come highly recommended by trusted peers. If you grab anything we recommend using the links below, we may get a small commission to support our website at absolutely no cost to you. Receiving a commission will never hinder honest reviews and recommendations.
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Tested over a year, especially in the wilderness to ensure tracking capabilities.
Superior and durable design and app interface. Incredible tracking capabilities. Comes in different sizes.
Waterproof and bite proof, long battery life.
Longer Version Begins Here:
2023 – It all began one Sunday morning as Arashi escaped through a hole in the fence. Yep. He was chasing a bunny and he found a hole we missed to cover.
Imagine this, 6 AM in the morning, Mary is in her pyjamas and bathrobe, pulling a wheel barrel out of the shed and riding it to the fence. She then hops on the wheel barrel and jumps off the fence to the neighbors yard and chases her dog down the street.
At the same time, her husband is rushing out of bed to the car to chase both Mary and Arashi and sandwich them at the back streets.
So yeah…it was quiet a scene in my bathrobe but I caught Arashi and yes, that is when we decided to get a GPS tracker because should I have not seen Arashi escape, it would have been a disaster.
I think at first we didn’t really know what to buy and what we really needed. We really weren’t looking forward to spending a lot on a monthly subscription either. We bought one that was rather cheaper in monthly subscription. It came with its own collar so it was in addition to Arashi’s personalized collar. I wasn’t a big fan of that given he was now wearing two collars but it did the job.
Our main concern at the time was being able to know where Arashi was at all times, this includes when he goes out to potty, or is being dogsat. It was also important to be able to track him live.
Now, the collar we bought initially did specify it works outside of the USA which was good because I am Canadian and I cross often. It also mentioned that it works in LTE mode which was also great because we camp every year in remote places so I would love to be able to track him in case of anything.
Now…scratch the last paragraph you just read. None of that worked. We went to Sleeping Giant (Canada) and the GPS collar we initially had was basically useless to a point there was no need for him to wear it anymore. The app wouldn’t even open. We placed it in the car and never used it.
2024 – Obviously, I went GPS collar shopping and found TRACTIVE. I reached out to them and asked if I can try one of their trackers and they were kind enough to send me one.
I test and try before posting a review and that is exactly what I did. I tried TRACTIVE GPS dog tracker in the wilderness and also during day to day.
I now own two trackers because I ended up buying the lightweight version with my own money.
Because I was not sure which one to request – I requested the largest one – Tractive DOG XL Adventure. I like that it has a waterproof and a strong case and the battery life is super long.
THE WILDERNESS
Just to keep things in context. We started in the lower peninsula, so 4 hours away from Machkinaw City and went all the way to Porcupine Mountains.
Here is a snapshot of our itinerary through Tractive APP (it was FUN!)
THE APP
I am not going to get into the details of set up and creating your profile. It is pretty straightforward and easy to get it going. I want to discuss more important APP features.
Activity Summary
The app contains a very thorough activity summary section. You can set your goals for your dog and the app will track their performance and compare it to breed average.
It also tracks active times and sleep levels. For me, sleep levels is not relevant as I take the collar off.
Unlike our other GPS collar, Tractive tracks activity in minutes.
Leader Board/Rest Times
The app contains a leader board to track performance and compete.
I will be honest, we rarely looked at this. My husband is more focused on this than I am.
Above the leader is the rest times where Arashi took breaks.
Travel History and Heat Maps
Of course this is one of the most important features. Knowing where your dog has travelled and his history.
The green heatmaps were when your dog stopped and rested.
You can also track history using dates and time.
Overheating Map
Yes, these are the times your dog was tired and overheating.
I think honestly my favorite feature is this because then I can track if Arashi is overwhelmed.
This Porcupine Mountain hike was definitely challenging and although I can feel his tiredness without the app, I think its cool that I can also validate my thoughts.
And just FYI, we did not have any coverage in this hike so Tractive continued tracking Arashi in real time.
Real Time RADAR and LIVE Tracking Favorite Feature (Personally)
As you can see, this is when Arashi was in Porcupine Mountains State Park where there was no coverage and I was easily able to track exactly where he was.
A cool feature within the radar is that as you get closer to your dog (while tracking), you can prompt for the tracker to start ringing.
If you are in a loud area, you probably won’t hear it but in the forest or at night you can totally hear it clearly.
You can also turn on the tracker light!
Tracking In The City
This is when husband and Arashi were getting coffee and I can track exactly where they were in live mode.
Safe Zone / Virtual Fencing Favorite Feature (Personally)
This is probably one my most valued features. The Tractive app allows you to create a virtual fence around your home.
If your dog goes OUT of this safe space, then the app immediately notifies you. If your dog goes back IN this safe space, the app also notifies you.
Danger Zones
You can also set up danger or no-go zone if there is an area you do not want your dog to go.
I image this could come handy if you do not have fences with your neighbors or simply if there is an area inside your safe space that you don’t allow your dog roaming.
TRACTIVE DEVICE
As i mentioned, during this trip I used TRACTIVE XL ADVENTURE which was hardcore but I don’t regret it at all. Its super durable and just feels like great quality to be honest. Its perfect for adventures, literally.
Attachment
This device gets attached to your dog’s existing collar (THANKFULLY) using the orange rubber handles.
At first you may think they are not durable, but no. They are not only super durable but also tight so they won’t unbuckle and fall off. I guess that also depends on the collar you have but our Orvis collar works great.
Sound and Light
When you are live tracking your dog, or if you lost the tracker somehow, you can prompt the app to remotely turn on the light and the sound.
However, Arashi has a double coat so…I will never see that light. The sound is also not very loud but it will work if you are in a silent area. (More on the youtube video later on)
TRACTIVE GPS COLLAR TYPES
Lets look at different options of dog collars that TRACTIVE offers
This is very heavy duty and heavy but it works perfectly. Its for camping, hiking, hunting etc.
If you love adventures and go on hikes/camping like we do. Arashi swam with this on.
This is great for a large dog but light enough for everyday use. It is still sturdy but its not heavy.
After trying our XL Adventure, i went and bought this one for us to use it on a daily basis outside of this blog. I am serious, this GPS collar is GREAT.
This is a new one they must have released recently. I have not tried it but it seems even lighter than the previous ones I wrote about. It also has a shorter battery life.
I feel like battery life is only important if you are planning to not be home for a while (at least for me). We always take off all the collars before bed and charge the tracker overnight.
PRICING
I feel like when it comes to pricing, TRACTIVE follows the “Canon” cameras method. It is more expensive to buy the tracker but its cheaper to have the subscription. For me, its worth every penny and you can also cancel at anytime. The tracker is really good quality and i feel like justifies the price.
I now have two Tractive trackers. One for camping and hiking that I requested from Tractive, and the second is the one I decided to purchase with my own money after testing.
Another great thing? You can add multiple trackers to your app. So I deactivated my XL Adventure and activated the lightweight tracker at no additional cost. I just transferred the plan with literally one click.
Hope you like this blog post and the honest review. Please remember to leave a comment and follow us on social media. Would love to grow this channel, somehow!
Take care!
ARASHI APPROVEDᵀᴹ 
Leave a comment