Some Essential Products for Hiking/Camping with your Dog
We have used each of the products in this blog entry. I can also tell you that, after extensive research by my wife, the products I mention are the best of their type. I have also included links to the products on Amazon which seems to have the cheapest prices. Remember, Amazon is giving free shipping for the holiday season, so if you buy from Amazon, you can save a bit.
COLLAPSIBLE DOG BOWL
Why do you want a collapsible dog bowl? Well, if you are hiking, you really don’t want to carry around a regular bowl because it will take up too much space. The same is true for camping. You have to be careful about the material the bowl is made of, however. The bowl I recommend is made of silicon and is, therefore, BPA (Bisphenol A) free. I don’t want to get into a big discussion about BPA suffice to say that you don’t want that chemical in your dog’s system or, for that matter, yours.
The Comsun collapsible dog bowl is 5.1 inches wide, 2.1 inches height, holds up to 12 fluid ounces of water or 1.5 cups of dog food and shrinks to 0.5 inches when compact. Because it is made of silicone, the bowl can be rinsed or wiped clean after use. Another nice feature of a silicone bowl is that it is nonslip so if you are, for example, in an RV, your dog won’t be pushing it around the floor. The bowl also comes with color-matching carabiners clip it or collapse it to your backpack, a nice feature if you are on a hike.
Click on the link below to go to the Amazon page where you can purchase the bowls.
AN ALL-TERRAIN WAGON
We recommend the Creative Outdoor All-Terrain Folding Wagon.
You need this type of wagon for a couple of reasons. If you have an elderly dog (the reason we got the wagon) you can hike many more miles while your dog relaxes. Trust me – an elderly dog will appreciate the ride. If you have a dog that “goes on strike” when he or she has walked too far, you can keep walking. We have a dog like that.
Third, if you yourself are tired and want to take a break, then you can put your dogs in the wagon to keep them from wandering around.
Why an all-terrain wagon? If you are going to be off-road or on the beach, then you need this type of wagon. Rather than write down all the features that make this a great wagon, I’ll let the picture below do the talking for me.
Setting up the wagon is as easy as one-two-three, as shown in the picture below.
We have used this wagon many, many times and could not be more pleased with the results. Below is a link to an Amazon page where you can purchase the wagon. Note that there are many different types but you really want the all-terrain wagon.
DOGGIE BACK PACKS
These should be used with small dogs only. I can’t imagine trying to carry a Golden Retriever in a back pack!
After a lot of research my wife decided on the Petsfit Comfort Dogs Carriers Backpack. It is built in such a way that you can carry it on your back or in front of you. Here’s a picture of our dog Boo Boo (we rescued him and are uncertain if he is a Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso or a mix) in the backpack while we were hiking in Garner State Park, Texas.
Below is a picture of our dog Lucy in the back pack (our Jack Russell is too wired to stay in the backpack).
Our Jack Russell, however, can use a different type of back pack, one that puts her to work. She seems to like having it on, so we sometimes let her carry things. I often take her to the mailbox and put the mail in her backpack. That backpack is the RUFFWEAR Approach Full-Day Hiking Pack. The lightweight, streamlined Approach Pack is comfortable and lets your pup efficiently carry a load so you can share more adventures. The five points of adjustment offer a customized fit and a full range of motion. Additionally, the saddlebags are designed to be stable and form fitting.
Below are links to Amazon pages where you can purchase these items.
PETSFIT COMFORT DOGS CARRIERS BACKPACK
RUFFWEAR APPROACH FULL-DAY HIKING PACK
POOP BAGS!
Let’s face it – you gotta have them and a lot of them if you are going to be gone for any length of time. We prefer bio-degradable bags that come in rolls, that are easy to tear off and that have a leash container. We like the poop bags made by a company called i-Blason. Their main products are cell phone covers so how they got into the dog poop business is beyond me, but they make an inexpensive, quality product.
Below is a link to the Amazon page where you can buy them.
DOG BOOTIES
You know these things, right?
The infamous Texas (and other states) grass burrs or sticker burrs. When we first moved to Texas I took my dogs to a park area and let them run, not knowing that the area had burrs. Suddenly they refused to move and when I looked at their feet, in realized why. So (I’m not kidding), because I had no other option, I sat down and pulled out the burrs with my teeth.
The solution to the burr problem is dog booties. We tried numerous types and finally settled on Grippers Dog Socks. They are called “socks” because the upper part of the bootie is actually like a sock while the bottom is a non-slip rubber coating. Other booties that we tried were all rubber and, therefore, harder to get on the dog. Also, some of them left color on the dog’s feet. We had none of those problems with the Grippers. Here is a link to purchase them on Amazon. They are pretty inexpensive.
LED DOG LIGHT COLLAR SAFETY NECKLACE
This is more important in an RV park than on a hiking trail, especially in a crowded park like many KOA parks. Whereas a driver may see you at night, there is no guarantee that they will see your dog at night. There are many different types, including blinking medallions that hang from your dog’s collar, but the 360 degree “necklace” provides the most protection.
Below is a link to a good product on Amazon.
If you have suggestions for more products, please let me know in the comments area.
Throughout this blog I point to products that I endorse on Amazon.com. We are Amazon Prime members and love it, particularly because we can watch programs on TV that we never had time for in the past, and have found great movies we had never heard of. Plus, of course, free shipping! If you are interested in a free trial, click on this link.
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