Food

This one is a no-brainer, right? Of course you need to bring food for you pets. BUT feeding at camp can be a little different than feeding at home. When packing food, ask yourself how different your pet's activity level is going to be. Are you doing a lot of hiking for a few days straight? If this is not the norm for say, a weekday when you’re working 8 hours, your pet will burn more energy than usual and therefore need more sustenance. I generally bring about double the normal amount of food for our pet , just in case.

We know what you feed your pet is a personal choice and we won’t try to convince you that our way is better than whatever you do. Only you can decide what’s best for your pet. But, because people have asked, this is what we do when we camp. At home, we feed a combination of high protein grain free kibble and a raw diet, so we do the same at the campsite.

We bring the pups’ Taste of the Wild kibble from home, as well as Stella & Chewy’s dehydrated raw food . We love dehydrated raw because it’s jam packed with protein and nutrients that your pet needs to thrive. It’s also SUPER light and a whole lot easier to bring camping than a cooler full of raw meat. Plus the perts LOVE it. It can be fed as is or rehydrated. The bonus of rehydrating is that it also ensures that your pets are getting the hydration they need, which is especially helpful if you have a pet like our girl Boomer, who tends to not drink a whole lot of water. 

Also consider a kibble carrier to keep your pet's food fresh (and keep bugs out).

2. Food & Water Bowls

Make sure you bring enough bowls to feed your pets as well as a bowl or two to leave around the campsite for water. Hydration is super important, especially when you’re spending most of your time outside in the sun. We prefer collapsable bowls because they’re easy to transport and take up less space while traveling (or in your pack). Like this double collapsible bowl from Dexas. 

3. Water & Water Cooler

Before you leave home, make sure you check to see what amenities are available at your campsite. Is there a water available on site? Or somewhere at the campground? If there is not (or you are backpacking and staying at a primitive site), you need to make sure you bring enough water for both you and your pups for your stay. For car camping, I generally bring this Coleman 1-Gallon Jug, as well as a few gallon water jugs from the grocery store. I have had this Coleman jug for years and I swear by it. I paid less than $10 for it like 5 years ago and it’s still going strong. It’s nice because it’s insulated, so you can fill it with ice at home and have cool water for your pets on a hot day. 

4. Collar and ID Tag

Keeping your pet safe is a priority for all pet owners. Making sure that our pets don’t get lost is especially important when we’re away from home. For this reason, make sure that your pet has a collar and tag with CURRENT information in case they wander away from your site or slip out of the tent when you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. In addition to wearing a collar and tag, having your pet microchipped adds an extra layer of protection if your pet gets lost. Pets slip out of their collars and when that happens, a microchip can ensure their safe return home.

5. A comfy spot

For downtime at the campsite, I like to have some comfy spots for my pets to relax, especially after a long day of hiking. For this, we use either a pet sleeping bags or outdoor pet beds. Our favorites are the Alcott Sleeping Bag, which is thick and comfy, especially good for campsites with rough surfaces and the Hurtta Outback Dreamer, which is thinner but with a water-repellant underside. You can also consider a travel pet bed like the Kurgo Loft Wander Pet Bed.

6. Warmth

When it’s cold out, we bundle up. We aren’t the only ones who get cold though. Be sure to take precautions to make sure your pets don’t get too cold either, especially if they are short haired and get cold easily. Things like pet sleeping bags, blankets, or even a spot in your own sleeping bag can do the trick. If you’re camping in the winter months with a short-haired pet, also consider a pet jacket to keep them from shivering.

7. First Aid Kit

Bring a first aid kit with basic medical supplies. You want to make sure you have what you need to handle simple injuries that may happen while you’re camping or to manage your pet's  injury until you can make it to the vet. You can buy a pre-made canine first aid kit or make your own. Here are the basics that your first aid kit should contain:

• Gauze

• Vet Wrap

• Cotton Swabs

• Non-stick Pads

• Medical Tape

• Gloves

• Benadryl

• Eye Dropper or Oral Syringe

• Styptic Powder

• Hydrogen Peroxide

• Antibiotic Ointment

• Tweezers

• Heat and Cold Packs

8. Long-lasting Treats

To make “boring” times at camp pass by more easily for your pup, consider some sort of long lasting treat, like a ham bone or bully sticks. We give our pets a yummy treat when we first get to our campsite to keep them occupied while we set up the tent and get everything situated. I’m pretty sure they approve of this camping tradition!

9. Extra towels

If your pet gets wet and/or muddy while you’re hiking or just hanging around camp, you’ll want to be able to dry them off before letting them into your tent at night.

10. Tie out/Leash

Most of the places we’ve camped have had pretty strict rules regarding loose pets and require pets to either be on a 6 foot leash or a tie-out at all times when at the campsite. We either bring long cable tie-outs or just let our pets drag a leash around with them so we can grab it if necessary (and mostly so we don’t get yelled at by a ranger)

Other Gear to Consider:

Here are some other things that we like to bring on our camping/hiking trips that you may find helpful (or just fun!)

• Hammocks for mid-day naps

• Toys and balls for playtime at the campsite

• Harnesses and/or backpacks for long hikes