Camping with your four-legged furry friend is a great activity. However, as with any outing, you’ll want to make sure you plan ahead with canine camping must-haves. Your dog needs his or her own supplies to ensure a comfortable and safe outdoor adventure. In this guide, we will examine the items you should pack when camping at a dog-friendly campground with your canine companion.
What to Pack for Your Dog’s Camping Trip?
Your pooch depends on you to pack his essentials for any camping trip. Depending on what outdoor location you plan to visit for your overnight trip with your dog, you’ll need to ensure that you always have a leash. Most campgrounds and hiking trails always require a leash.
Additional dog camping trip must-haves include:
Food and Water
Pack sufficient food for your dog (including treats). Avoid switching foods when going camping or you could upset your pup’s sensitive digestive tract. When hiking, many dogs are hungrier than normal due to the animal’s increased exercise energy.
Always have clean water readily available to give your dog a refreshing drink. Although most dogs will freely drink from a stream or river, remember that a canine can contract giardiasis or leptospirosis, so ensure that the water is clean before letting your pooch enjoy a fresh drink.
Some campgrounds provide fresh drinking water, but if you are hiking to a backcountry campsite then you’ll want to pack sufficient water to meet your pet’s needs.
When packing the food and water, make sure you also pack bowls. You’ll find collapsible, lightweight models that fit nicely into the dog backpack.
Backpack
Why not invest in a canine backpack? Your dog can pack many of its own lightweight items with ease in the backpack.
Booties
If you are hiking through the backcountry with your four-legged friend then the trail’s surface can prove challenging with rocks, pavement, and other obstacles that can damage the dog’s paw pads. Canine booties offer ideal protection.
Extra Collar and Leash
Always plan for the unexpected by packing an extra collar or harness and leash in case your dog’s primary ones should break or become damaged.
Canine First Aid Kit
Carry a first aid kit that contains items like bandages, peroxide, tweezers and hydrogen peroxide in case your canine buddy becomes injured while camping.
Bedding
Will your pooch be sleeping in the tent with you on your sleeping bag? If not, then you’ll want to pack a dog bed or tent.
ID Tags
If your dog should become lost, you’ll want to make sure the pooch is wearing a current identification tag rigidly attached to the collar.
Outerwear
Mother nature is fickle, and you might encounter rain or some other extreme weather. Packing a sweater or raingear for your dog can help keep the pooch dry and warm.
These are just a few items that you’ll want to consider packing on a dog camping trip. Check out Doggykingdom for more essential outdoor dog supplies