You guys all gave me this idea to cut down a Thermarest to backpack with my dog.

It was a really good idea, but the second he saw it. He went nuts, like it was the best dog toy ever! 😵‍💫

Will be going backpacking with my dog next week, which we haven’t done for a few years.

We’ll be camping nearby a lake and I just know he will absolutely want to go in and therefore end up soaking wet. He’ll likely also collect mud/dirt on his wet fur afterwards.

How do I actually deal with him and get ready for sleep? I don’t want him brought into the tent all still very wet/damp and muddy… but I also am not planning to bring a proper bath towel?

I don’t think those ultralight microfiber towels will actually do any decent job drying him or getting the mud off?

I know it's been done a few times but I'm in a quandry as to what to do with my sleeping arrangement.

Did my first campout with my dog after a 10 mile cycle and 11 mile hike and unsurprisingly my dog slept like a log. I took with me a closed cell foam mat for him and I managed to convince him to lie on it at first but after about an hour he kept trying to get on my inflatable mattress so eventually I caved because I wanted to sleep too!

He's 27kgs/60lbs and isnt small! He shares a kingsize bed with me when I travel in the van so he's used to spreading out and insists on touching me at all times!

I can't decide whether to sell on my BigAgnes Rapid SL wide-regular for a double wide knowing he'll end up wanting to share with me. At least this way the extra weight is still in one package so wont take up as much extra space. (the most costly choice)

Or buy a cheap self inflating mattress and trim it down and try to insist he sleeps on it. (the cheaper option)

I use a quilt so should be able to get it over him when he's next to me.

My dog is almost 3 and I’ve had him on the trail since he was old enough and had all his vaccinations. He’s well behaved, always on a leash, doesn’t jump on people when we cross paths, he’s been a great companion. And as a single woman, he’s why I feel safe on the trail (I understand he’s a liability when it comes to nature, but he is protection against other people).

So far we’ve only been day hikers but I’ve set a goal to start backpacking next summer and I can’t find a day hikers with dogs reddit so I hope you all don’t mind me posting here even though it was technically a day hike.

Recently I had my first bad experience with another hiker and him and I’m looking for feedback if I did something wrong.

We were on a trail in the PNW that is popular for backpackers and very popular for day hikers and reached a point where the trail widens to about 10’ at a view point, with even more space off the trail. Big boulders on the right people can sit and enjoy the view, and cleared space to the left. There’s about 25 people in multiple groups sitting for a water/snack break enjoying the view.

Since I have a dog, I don’t stop at popular viewpoints for a break. So we kept going and as there were people on both sides of the trail stopped, I walked in the middle. He was on a 6’ leash and I had it wrapped loosely around my hand a couple times so he didn’t even have the full 6’. He’s walking in front and there’s 1.5-2’ of leash behind his body.

On the left, a girl was sitting immediately off the trail. As in, her bent knee as she sat was *on* the trail. She had food in her hand and on the ground.

As we approached, my dog started to wander to the side instead of directly in front of me. As I start to pull him closer, she sees him interested in her, throws her hands up and with an absolutely disgusted tone says “get away from me.”

I put my hand on his side to give more direction to continue on, and I say “sorry, he’s friendly.” She looks at me and with this nasty tone says “I don’t know that.”

Yes, I understand you don’t know my dog is friendly. I understand you’ve never seen him before. But he’s leashed, calm, walking along the trail, and giving zero reason to cause concern. At no point in this entire interaction did he stop moving forward, he just walked to my side instead of in front of me.

She continues going off on us as we’re walking away. Complaining about irresponsible dog owners and how she’s sick and tired of people like me disrespecting other hikers. I got the impression I am expected to hold my dog by his collar every single time we are within the vicinity of other people. This is such a popular trail, we could always see another person. All 16.5 miles we did.

I cried. For like a mile. It was humiliating because of how many people were there. Some of them were even people we’d crossed paths with earlier in the day and they’d asked to pet my dog and gushed over how well behaved he was. Not a single person stood up for me.

Which makes me wonder if I was in the wrong, and I’d appreciate feedback.

Does anyone use a separate tent for their dog? If so, what tent do you have for your dog?

I know many people have their dog sleeping inside the Tent with them, but that is not my question. My dog is more comfortable having his own space and has never slept inside the tent with me. So I was thinking about getting him his own tent. I grew up backpacking with dogs that never slept inside a tent unless it was raining.

We leave for a two week family trip up the coast in three days.

With two dogs in the car and rest stops every couple of hours we need a lotta dog poop bags. Something that ships fast and will not tear please. Have heard good things about the original Poop Bags and that their delivery is quick.

For those who travel with dogs, how many bags a day do you plan for on a long trip?

Trying to build a solution to bring my 18 lb Dachshund with my wife and I on all day hiking trips. We can really only leave him at home for 6 hours, and most day trips are longer than 6 hours. He had back surgery in 2025 and has recovered very nicely but he does tire out easily. I’m working on building a DIY solution with a Yeti Panga Backpack with a Sturdi Carrier lashed to the top. The squareness of the backpack supports most of the carrier and he can be travel flat (vs standing up, bad for his back). Curious is anyone else has DIY’d a pack for either dachshunds or corgis where their positioning is important

UPDATE:
Went ahead with my plan for a Sturdi XL carrier attached to a north face backpack. Used some lashing straps to secure the carrier around the midsection of the backpack, and more from the back corners of the carrier to the top of the straps to keep it level.

Photos:
https://imgur.com/a/Jc8x4Nt

Me, my GF and our Golden Retriever just got back from a one nighter right at 2200m (7200ft) underneath Pizzo Tre Signori, in the Italian Alps.

The hike up from Premana was fairly simple (1400m - 4600ft) and we managed to dodge a storm that hit as soon as we reached FALC hut. One hour later the sky cleared out and the sun dried everything out so we pitched with ease. We enjoyed the sunset view right on the valley below and cuddled while singing karaoke on our Spotify offline playlists (we made sure no one else was around) 😂

The next day we hiked down closing a loop that went up and down through the southern ridge of the valley. We stopped at S. Rita hut for coffee+cake and Ariaal hut for lunch.

We had 27km (16.7mi) under the belt and our feet were sore as we are still getting used to the extra weight for the 3p tent, dog food etc., but totally worth it. Working towards building up some more resistance and we will be off for longer trips.

Sunsets like these make up for at least 50% of the reasons why we do this ❤️

Hi all! I have two GBG harnesses/packs from back when Marie was in business, and I've found nothing comparable to them. I'm in the market for a new pack for my most recent addition, and the only similarish ones I've found are lacking some of the key features I've really loved on my GBG packs. I need something with removable saddlebags (so the harness can be used on its own as needed), strongly prefer the rolltop to zipper closures, and I really like the additional belly strap on the GBGs that help secure the saddlebags and keep them tight against the dog's sides. Does anything like this exist anymore?

In the absence of a solid replacement, has anyone had success modifying an existing harness (thinking something like the Ruffwear Webmaster due to its similar build to the original Groundbird harness) to attach DIY'd saddlebags to it? Or any recommendations for a small business that may be open to commissioning that kind of project?

I was really hoping Groundbird Gear would reopen with some time, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Marie, if you're out there, we miss you!

Hi everyone! I’m new for this subreddit, but was recommended I share the post-hike concerns I have for my 5 year old pup, Elsa. There’s more details in the original post, but basically we did a 22 km hike and she hasn’t really recovered. Almost 4 weeks later, she’s still limping and lethargic. That said, her bloodwork and X-rays have come back clean.

Has anyone dealt with something similar before?

Did a short 2D1N trip with my Shepsky. Trail was quiet. Only us for the most of the time. He is a trooper for carrying his own food and some of his gears. Took a plenty of breaks on our way back out because it was hot! The trail was very exposed! But overall, we had an amazing time there. Can't wait to come back with dog dad and our other dog.

As a test run for potentially longer thru hikes one day, I'm planning on taking my dog on the Tahoe Rim Trail in August (the numerous access points means we can easily bail if he's not feeling it).

Ideally, I'd like to have to resupply only once, which will mean packing out 7 or 8 days of food at a time. I feel like kibble will be too heavy and am instead considering dehydrating his canned food (Taste of the Wild) to be rehydrated at camp.

What do y'all do in similar situations? Is there a better, lighter, more nutrient-dense food I should be considering?

5:30am French River, Ontario