About two months ago I was looking through one of my ATV magazines and found a product that looked like it would make trail riding a lot more enjoyable during the dry summer months. This product is called a Wolfsnout. If you are like me, you can’t stand inhaling everyone’s dust all day on the trail.
When I opened the box I realized that this is an innovative little item. I couldn’t help but wonder why no one has come up with something like this a long time ago. The main “body” of the Wolfsnout is made of coarse foam. There is also a dense piece of foam that seals over your nose and mouth. Also included on the Wolfsnout is a lanyard to clip to your shirt to prevent from losing it. In the directions they said the Wolfsnout would fit just about any size of helmet. A small piece of Velcro was also provided to stick to the inside of your chin guard to keep the Wolfsnout from moving around if it doesn’t fit quite right. Keep in mind that this product will not work with an open face helmet since it needs to fit between your face and chin guard.
After receiving my Wolfsnout in the mail I had to wait for the roads to dry up in order to have dust to test it out. When I first positioned it over my nose and mouth inside my helmet it felt awkward but I got used to it really quick. I recently went out for a day ride with a few good friends. The roads were really dry and they stirred up as much dust as they could while I followed. The first major different I noticed is that I felt much more confident riding in all the dust. Usually I would have my head down and pulled over on the side of the road waiting for the dust to settle. But with the Wolfsnout on I didn’t have to worry about breathing in the silt. It didn’t completely eliminate the dust as I could feel a little bit of fine dust on my lips and teeth. Absolutely nothing compared to riding without one though. Everyone knows how miserable that is. After you get done riding in the dust your mouth feels like you just ate dirt for lunch and blowing mud out of your nose. I did not experience any of this and I was riding in conditions that no one would normally put themselves in. I was amazed at how well something as simple as this could filter out the dust and dirt. You can see how well it stops the dust from getting into your respiratory system. I think this might help with some of you people who have allergies like me in the spring and summer. Everything is blooming around Missoula and I had no symptoms of allergies all day while I was wearing this.
Clean up of the Wolfsnout is just as easy as using it. Just rinse it out with water and use mild soap if needed then hang to dry. After washing mine after the ride it looked brand new. I believe this product could greatly improve everyone’s riding experiences since you are able to focus on what riding ATVs is all about. Not about that all important process of breathing clean air. Sure beats the heck out of looking like a bank-robber wearing a bandana while flying down the trail! My Wolfsnout will forever be clipped onto my helmet!
