Taking Your Dog Hiking Or Camping

Walking around the block might be enough for your dogs day-to-day exercise but sometimes you might want to go a bit further. There's absolutely no reason why you can't take your dog on a cross-country trek - no reason that can't be overcome at least. If you fancy taking your dog with you on a camping or hiking trip, these pieces of kit could prove handy:

Dog Backpack

Dog backpacks may look a little odd, but their appeal is their practicality, not their aesthetic qualities. Built to a high standard of durability for rugged conditions, where your pet could be traveling through rough terrain and weather for several days, these pieces of kit have two big advantages.

The main one is fairly obvious; they increase your carrying capacity significantly. Depending on the size and fitness of your dog, you can keep extra water, food and other accessories for your pet in the backpack and save you the extra weight. Some backpacks even have built in water bladders so your pet can take a drink when it needs to (with a little training of course). The second advantage to these is that the harness of the backpack can be useful when it comes to crossing difficult terrain; if you need to lift your dog over an obstacle or take a firm hold onto them whilst crossing a river or stream, the straps provide an easy way of doing just that.

Dog jacket/coat

Of course a backpack won't protect your dog from the elements, so if you're planning on spending a long time outside or in adverse weather then a waterproof, windproof jacket will help protect your dog. Even with all that fur your pet can still get cold. An extra layer of insulation can help make sure that they enjoy the hike even once the rush of playing in the mud wears off.

Dog Boots

Another piece of canine clothing that won't win any awards for aesthetics, these small boots can help smaller dogs keep their grip in all kinds of terrain. If you're planning on fell running or hiking up steep terrain with a loose surface, these can be a useful investment in helping your dog to keep up with you.

Roll-up sleeping mat

If you're planning on spending a night out in the wild then this is a much more practical idea than carting a dog bed on your shoulders. Like a normal sleeping mat - just smaller and more portable - this will insulate your pet from the cold, hard ground and provide a far comfier surface for your four legged friend. Of course this accessory doesn't have to be used solely for hiking and camping trips; if you're traveling anywhere, this is probably a much more practical choice than the bed you have at home.