10 Necessities for Hiking with Your Pup

Hiking with your pup is not only a great way to stay active, but also creates more of a bond between you and your favorite canine. Bringing your pup on hikes can also help them socialize and become less nervous in crowded areas or around unfamiliar noises. As always, before heading for a hike, make sure dogs are allowed. Most national parks do not allow dogs on the trails, but most state parks do. There are tons of products on the market nowadays for hiking with your pup. If you are an adventurous travel nurse and bring your pup with you for every new assignment, we encourage you to read on and view our recommended products. Some products may be obvious, but others may be something new!

MuttRuk Phoenix 14L Backpack

If you are familiar with the Dogstagram world, you may have heard of the brand MuttRuk. They came to the market a few years ago with a brilliant idea of a dog-focused backpack for humans. Obviously, when going on any hike, you will more than likely be bringing a backpack to store food, water, and other items. However, MuttRuk created a backpack specifically for those that hike with their pups. Not only does this backpack have tons of storage and pockets for carrying your phone, keys, dog treats, or waste dispenser bags, but it also comes with a carabiner you can use to hook your pup’s leash to for handsfree hiking. MuttRuk’s Phoenix Backpack is also water reservoir compatible. For shorter hikes, they also have a Sidekick Pack that straps around your waist. Both packs are available in multiple colors and so perfect for hiking with your pup!

Water Bottles/Bowls

This will be one of the obvious necessities, but you always want to make sure you have lots of water on hand for not only yourself, but for your pup. If you plan on doing longer day hikes, make sure to bring plenty of water to last through the entire trip. There are different kinds of portable water bowls for dogs. Most bowls are collapsible and made with either silicone or fabric with a waterproof lining. Some companies offer bowls that clip directly to your backpack to offer you more storage inside our pack. Another popular dog bowl are the squeezable water bottles. Those are nice to prevent wasting water as you can squeeze the water directly into the bowl that’s placed on top of the bottle where a cap would usually be. Makes it quick and easy to give your pup water while on the go too.

Food/Treats

Just like water, also be sure to pack food and treats for your pup! For those longer hikes, if you plan on spending some time at the destination of interest, bring some food for your pup while you eat your lunch. You can use your hike for training by rewarding them for staying by you or ignoring others you pass by on the trails. While on the trail, if it allows off-leash, you can practice your dog’s recall with a dog whistle. Note: We do not recommend practicing this if your dog is new to recall or does not do well around other humans and pets.

Poop Bags/Container

This may be another obvious necessity, but several forget to pack them while hiking the trails. Poop bags are important to help keep the parks clean. Some parks no longer accept pets due to owners not picking up after their dogs. Most poop bags come with a holder that can latch to any leash or backpack. However, the bags themselves do not stop the smell. We recommend looking for reusable and washable containers that lock the stink in until you arrive home. Those will help remove the stench during your hike so you can continue to enjoy your trip.

First Aid Kit

Just like you would bring one for yourself, you should also pack one for your pup! The brand, Adventure Medical Kits, creates first aid kits for both you and your dog. Their kits are packed up in a waterproof bag and provide a handbook to help examine and administer first aid on your pet. The kits also have tick/splinter removers, bandages, and a wound cleaning tool. You never know what may happen while on a hike. Your pup could step on a sharp rock or piece of wood and puncture their paw pad. It is best to have a first aid kit on hand to prepare for any kind of emergency.

Boots

Boots are a great option to help protect your dog’s paw pads from being damaged. While we have hiking boots to protect our feet, your dog should have boots as well for longer hikes. Boots are especially important for hiking rocky terrain like the mountains or in hot areas like the desert. You do not want your dog to injure or burn their paw pads during your hike. Not only will they be in pain, but they will also have a harder time hiking back to the car if you do not have a rescue sling.

Rescue Sling

Slings are important to have on hand in case of emergencies during your hike. Fido Pro provides good quality and reliable slings to place your dog in in case something happens to their legs or paws. They are easy to pack in your backpack for travel and can be extremely helpful if any issues happen to occur. With their slings, you will essentially be wearing your dog as a backpack. This will help keep them off the ground and for easier transport back to your car or nearby shelter.

Additional Collars and Leashes

Let’s face it, we have all had a time when our pets have escaped their collar, or the leash snapped. If your dog is not so great at recall, make sure to bring an additional collar or leash with you on your hike. Martingale collars or harnesses are great to have for hikes to help prevent your dog from pulling and escaping. For leashes, try investing in a biothane one as that material is much more durable than the basic webbing ones you can find at local pet stores. Biothane is waterproof and has a larger break strength than polyester webbing as well.

Eurolead

If you have not heard of a eurolead, we highly recommend checking them out! Most euroleads are multifunction where you get multiple leashes in one! These leashes will typically have two clasps (one on each end) and a floating O-Ring to hook one clasp end to. Euroleads can be used for handsfree hiking, whether it be wrapping the leash around your waist or as a crossbody. There are also options for different leash lengths or using it to keep your dog in one spot by wrapping it around a tree or post. As we mentioned in the last tip, make sure to look for a eurolead made with biothane for easy cleanup!

Flea/Tick Spray

Just how you would use bug spray on yourself, you should get some for your pup as well. There are special brands on the market that make spray specifically for pets since their skin tends to be more sensitive than ours. Typically wearing long clothing helps protect us from getting ticks on our skin. However, our pets do not have that protection. They are more likely to get ticks while hiking, so it is best to help keep the ticks away with bug spray. Even if you give your pets flea/tick medicine monthly, that may not fully protect them. If going on longer hikes, make sure to apply the spray every so often for maximum protection.

For those who are adventurous with their pups, we hope this article has been helpful. Depending on where your hike is or how long it is, some of these items may not be necessary. Always make sure to bring your phone or camera with you on your hikes to snap some pictures of the gorgeous view with your dog. If you go on hikes with your dog, what are some necessities you bring with you?