Camping With Your Dog? Here are 4 Essentials You Need to Pack

Are you camping with your dog? Hitting the great outdoors is one of the best parts of summer, and bringing your pooch along only elevates the experience of a camping trip. But before you set out on a cross-country camping trip, it’s crucial to load up your vehicle with dog travel accessories to keep your Fido safe and comfortable.

A pup tent that accommodates the two of you, as well as food and water, aren’t the only items you need for a camping trip. You need to pack some more stuff for your furry friend for a successful and stress-free experience.

 

Camping With Your Dog?

Here’s a list of essentials that you must keep in your carry-on or backpack to make camping with your pooch safe and easy.

 

1. A Hands-Free Leash

A leash is that piece of gear without which your camping trip with your canine companion can be a total nightmare.

Canines love the great outdoors. They often get thrilled by the new sights, smells, sounds, and other pets. Thus, the chances of your furry friend getting lost in the woods are high. But keeping it on a leash on camping sites will prevent it from getting lost.

A short leash is a big no-no on camping sites. Instead, opt for long leashes because they offer plenty of room for dogs to roam. Avoid overly long leashes, or your canine will wander too far, where it might injure itself.

A standard leash will do, but a hands-free leash will be a game changer. Hands-free leashes can be worn in several ways. You can wear them as a wrist strap, a bandolier, or a belt.

This leash is particularly beneficial for pet owners with high-energy or reactive dogs. Your dog can roam a bit farther from you while being connected to you. As it frees up your hands, you can use trekking poles easily. You can also stop your pooch from running off towards danger.

When shopping for a leash, go for a heavy-duty, hands-free leash because it is designed to take a beating. Hands-free leashes made from nylon will be the best bet.

 

2. Collapsible Travel Bowls

Food and water bowls are obvious camping gear essentials. Stainless steel bowls are great because they are resistant to puncturing and rust. But they will take up a lot of space in your backpack.

For sunshine-spattered hikes, you must choose collapsible travel bowls. Dogs keep themselves cool by panting, which can dehydrate them over time.

Having one of these in your camping backpack will allow you to give your Fido water even on the go. Several collapsible travel bowls pack up small enough to fit in a pocket. Opting for them will be wise.

Collapsible food and water bowls are mostly made of durable, coated nylon or thermoplastic rubber (TPR). You can go for either of the two, but nylon bowls will be the best bet.

Some consider thermoplastic rubber bowls safe for canines because the material is non-toxic and doesn’t contain harmful chemicals like phthalates or BPA. But others consider them unsafe, as germs can harbor in plastic bowls. Plus, they aren’t easy to clean.

As the jury is still out on whether plastic bowls are safe, consider picking nylon bowls for your pooch’s safety. A plus side of nylon bowls is that they feature waterproof lining, so you need not worry about water leaking into your backpack.

 

3. Flea and Tick Preventive

Overgrown vegetation, piles of leaves, and standing water are hotspots for fleas and ticks. Dogs are attractive hosts for these parasites because of their warm blood. They can attach to your canine at campsites and transmit harmful diseases.

Tick and flea infestations in canines can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (tick fever), contact dermatitis, and many more illnesses. Therefore, carrying flea and tick preventives is essential during camping trips.

There are several ways to keep fleas and ticks away from your dog’s skin on camping sites. But the least invasive way to provide flea and tick protection to your pooch is to use a flea and tick collar.

Flea and tick collars are considered the best tick treatments because they repel pesky bugs as well as kill existing fleas. Once tick and flea collars are wrapped around a dog’s neck, they keep parasites away from them for months.

The newest and fanciest option currently available on the market is the Seresto collar for dogs. This tick and flea collar is infused with active ingredients, namely flumethrin and imidacloprid.

According to PetCareRx, flumethrin is a parasiticide that makes a dog’s body poisonous to pesky parasites, including ticks and fleas. It further explains that imidacloprid, an insecticide, repels fleas and ticks by mimicking tobacco, which is lethal for these bugs.

A significant upside of this flea and tick control collar is that it remains effective for eight continuous months. What makes Seresto collars a worthwhile option for tick and flea control on camping trips is that they are water-resistant. Even when your Fido is immersed in water, this collar will repel fleas and ticks as well as kill them effectively.

 

4. A Dog First-Aid Kit

None of you would want to think of worst-case scenarios when you’re trying to escape city woes. But accidents do happen. That is why it’s imperative to travel with a pet-centric first-aid kit.

You can either purchase a dog-specific kit from an online store of pet supplies or create your own first-aid kit.

Pet-specific purchase kits sold on the market contain everything you might need in case your pooch injures itself. These include sterile gauze dressings, bandages, triple antibiotic ointments, antiseptic wipes, and alcohol swabs. Many dog-specific kits also include antihistamines, tick-removal forceps as well as pet first-aid manuals.

If you plan to create your own first-aid kit, be sure to pack bandages, dressings, a tick remover, and Neosporin. Triple antibiotic ointment, or Neosporin reduces the risk of infection by killing the bacteria in cases of minor skin injuries.

Wrapping it up, a worry-free camping trip with your Fido hinges on thorough preparation. Packing all these essentials will make your trip an enjoyable one. You must also pack a cozy fleece pullover, a winter coat, a low-profile travel bed, and a balm for your pooch’s comfort.

Before you set out on the camping trip, find out which veterinary clinic is nearest to the campsite. Should there be an emergency, you will know where to rush.

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