What To Bring When Camping With Your Dog
It has come to the time to start packing for your next camping trip with your dog but you have no idea what to bring and what not to bring. You see his/her box of toys sitting in the corner with hundreds of dollars of dog toys and expensive pet products. You ask yourself, “Should I really be bringing all of that?” I’ll answer this question for you… probably not.
When camping with your dog, you should bring collapsible dog travel bowls, extra food as your dog will be burning more energy than usual, a kibble carrier, a comfortable dog travel bed that is lightweight and easy to pack, a dog first aid kit, extra towels, biodegradable dog poo bags and 2-3 of your dog’s favourite toys to keep him/her occupied.
Table of Contents
1. Water & Food Bowls
Everyone remembers to bring dog food with them when camping but it’s no good to get to your destination and realise that you forgot to pack the water and food bowls!
When camping it is a good idea to bring collapsible dog travel bowls as they are much lighter, compact and ultimately easier to bring with you. I suggest that you always keep one stored in your car. It can come in handy in any situation when you are out and about with your dog and he/she needs a drink of water!
I recommend bringing these dog travel bowls when camping:
1. COMSUN 2-Pack Extra Large Size Collapsible Dog Bowl
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2. WINSEE Collapsible Dog Bowls Water
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Make sure that your dog always has a full water bowl available at your camping site. It’s very important that you keep your dog hydrated!
2. Extra Food
While it is unlikely that you will forget to bring your dogs meals for your camping trip, you might not realise that feeding while camping is slightly different than feeding your dog at home.
When you are camping with your dog you should bring extra food as your dog’s activity levels are going to be much higher than a normal day at home. Your dog is going to be doing a lot of extra running around on much more challenging terrain compared to the usual paved footpath walk he/she would get during the week. This means he/she will burn more energy and need more sustenance.
You should also bring extra food in case you decide to extend your camping trip last minute or if there are no supermarkets to buy extra food anywhere nearby. I suggest bring about double the normal amount of food for your dog. This might seem like overkill but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I also suggest that you invest in a kibble carrier for your camping trip to keep your dog food fresh!
This Is A Good Quality Kibble Carrier:
Find Out The Current Price On Amazon Here
3. A Comfy Travel Bed
The next most important thing to bring on your next dog camping trip is to tack a comfy travel bed. There are many different types of travel beds that are appropriate for camping such as:
- Roll up dog travel bed/mat
- Inflatable dog travel bed
- Dog sleeping bag
- Elevated folding dog travel bed
These Dog Travel Beds Are Good Options:
1. Large Dog Outdoor Travel Bed Mat
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2. YEP HHO Large Elevated Folding Pet Bed
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3. Chuckit! Travel Bed – Comfort on the Go – Blue/Gray
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4. Selkirk Portable, Inflatable Dog Travel Bed
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You might also be interested in reading my article on the 5 Best Roll Up Travel Beds!
4. Dog First Aid Kit
Another important item to bring when camping with a your dog is a pet first aid kit. It doesn’t differ too much from an ordinary human first aid kit however there are some tools that are greatly beneficial to dogs. For example, dog first aid kits usually contain tick removers, inflatable dog cones, a muzzle etc.
I recommend this dog first aid kit:
Wild Barkers Dog First Aid Kit with Emergency Supplies Ideal for Travel, Camping, Hiking, The Car, and Office
Find Out The Current Price On Amazon Here
In addition to a first add kit, it is a good idea to compile all of the necessary information about your dog into a display folder and bring it with you on your camping trip. In the instance of a dog emergency you will have the correct information handy to keep you calm and give your dog the best possible care.
- Guidebook for emergency pet first aid
- Emergency contact numbers – your vet, the closest animal emergency hospital, poison control hotline, animal control hotline etc.
- Vaccination and medical records – If you need to go to the vet, your dog’s vaccination and medical records are handy as the vet can look over them and prescribe appropriate medication or give appropriate treatment according to your dog’s pre-existing conditions etc.
5. Extra Towels
Always pack an extra towel or towels when camping with your dog. This is especially the case if you are going to go camping near a lake or river where your dog might go swimming or if the weather is going to be rainy/it has recently rained and the terrain is muddy. I don’t think there is anything worse than sharing a tent with a wet dog. The smell is pretty horrible!
6. Collar, Leash & A Dog ID Tag
Sometimes people totally forget to pack their dog’s collar, leash and ID tag when in the rush to get everything together to go camping. It can happen that you just drive off leaving some of the most important dog supplies behind.
Lot’s of camping grounds have rules about dogs being on leashes full or part time. That is why it might be a good idea to invest in a dog tie out cable. It is a tether system where a metal screw with a hook goes into the ground and a very long dog lead is attached to it. It allows your dog to walk around quite a bit without wandering too far from your camping site.
You might consider investing in something like this…
Check Out The Current Price On Amazon Here
If your dog does not usually wear an ID tag, it is a good idea to put one on his/her collar for a camping trip. The ID tag should have your phone number and your dog’s name on it. This is so your dog can be brought safely back to you in the case of getting lost.
7. Biodegradable Poo Bags
It is an absolute must to clean up after your dog while camping. But this can become tricky if you have forgotten to pack dog poo baggies.
If you want to reduce your plastic usage, try biodegradable dog poo bags made from corn starch…
Check Out The Current Price On Amazon Here
8. Some Of Your Dog’s Favourite Toys
Don’t forget to pack some of your dog’s favourite toys for your next camping trip! While sitting around a fire at a campsite might be super fun for you, your dog can easily become bored.
My best advice is to bring 2-3 of your dog’s fav toys. Don’t go overboard – there is no point taking up precious packing space with a whole box of toys. Remember your dog will still have lots of things to do at the campsite like sniffing out the new area, marking his/her territory and maybe chasing some wildlife (hopefully not too much)! The toys are more for entertain during your down time when you are partaking in physical activity such as hiking, swimming or exploring with your dog.
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