Winter Camping With Your Dog

Winter Camping is a uniquely difficult and rewarding form of camping. You can further its unique qualities by bringing your dog along. While not every camper is made for winter camping, not every pooch is made for camping or the winter weather, let alone both.

The first thing you must do is make sure that you and your dog can really handle winter camping. I know some dogs like to run around in the snow for a little bit, but that does not mean they can handle a long, cold time in the snow. If there is any doubt that your pup cannot handle it, then do not even try it.

Even if your dog likes the cold, you have to make sure they are built for it. A husky is going to do well in the snow and in the cold. A greyhound is not going to have an easy time, even if they really enjoy the snow, it won't matter.

Next, we want to buy the right stuff for our dog. Your normal Dog Camping Gear isn't going to cut out in the snow, wind, and cold.

You want get a pack that also doubles as a harness for your dog. Not only are packs useful to carry some treats, poop-bags, and so forth, but having a harness is needed. Why not go two for one?

Make sure you have a high quality leash. It's especially good if you can connect it to your pack easily so you can use your hands to navigate around and keep balance. Even if you know the area you are in is usually isolated and your dog responds well to voice commands, a leash is still needed.

Dog Booties are very important, too. The cold may not get to them right away, but slowly it will start to make their feet sore and each step can bring pain. Booties not only protect them from the cold, but also it gives them a little bit of cushion which can really make a difference after hours of walking.

You should also look to getting a reflective coat for your dog. This makes your dog easy to see in the waning hours of light and, if there is someone hunting nearby, your dog will stand out very easily to them, so they don't mistake it for a deer.

While this may be normal gear to have, a towel and a brush are super important for winter camping. When your dog gets wet it will take a long time for them to get warm in the tent at night. When you brush them and then towel them dry they will get warm very fast and they won't bring in extra fur into the tent, which is nice.

These items are a great start to getting your dog ready for Winter Camping. Obviously you still want to make sure you have all the normal stuff. A place for your dog to sleep, food, bowls, and bags for their droppings are all needed. I want to make a special comment about water. If you are in an environment where water will freeze if left out, you must prepare in such a way that no matter when, if your dog is thirsty, they can drink. And hiking and camping out in the winter is going to make them very thirsty. So, make sure you and your pup have enough water.