Hiking at night is so much fun, especially when you have your dog with you. Many people think that they have to leave their dogs at home if they want to hike go hiking at night, but that’s not true.
So, what would you need to pack for a night hike with your dog? The thirteen things you must pack are:
- Water
- Food
- A collar with an ID tag
- A leash
- A First Aids kit
- A backpack for your dog
- Your own backpack
- A tent
- Disposable bags
- A slicker brush
- Towels
- Boots for your dog
- Two blankets.
Although what you pack for your night hike with your beloved dog is very important, there are other preparations that you should do as well that could seriously affect your dog’s health if not done.
Table of Contents
Thirteen things to pack for a night hike with your dog
Why are these thirteen things so important to pack? Let’s answer that question one item at a time.
1) Water
This might seem like a no brainer, but make sure that you pack enough water for you and your dog. If you were thinking of making your dog drink from the nearby lake that you’re going to pass while hiking, then I highly recommend you don’t do that.
The lake’s water could be full of parasites and could be source where several diseases can be transmitted to your dog.
I recommend taking more water than your dog usually drinks per day in a big bottle, then using a dog water bottle that your dog can directly drink from. If you want to get such a water bottle, then I highly you check out our Antibacterial Portable Dog Water Bottle that Doesn’t Leak here.
Large dogs tend to drink in a day between 0.5 to 1 ounce of water per pound.
2) Food
You should always pack bigger portions of food than what you and your dog usually consume daily. Since your dog is going to be exerting more energy while hiking than they usually do, they’ll need to compensate for all of that hard work with more food.
Pro-Tip: You can put the the food int the place where they drink water from their water bottle.
Also, make sure you take a bag of treats for your dog as well to reward them whenever it is appropriate.
3) A collar with an ID tag
Make sure that you’re dog is wearing their collars with the ID tags at all times while you’re hiking.
The ID tag should have your name, your address, your phone number, and your dog’s name on it. This is very important in case something goes wrong and your dog goes missing. If your dog is wearing that ID tag, whoever finds them will be able to contact you.
Also, the collar is important because you’ll have to keep your dog on leash at all times. Speaking of leashes, let us move on to our next item.
4) A leash
It is safer for your dog to be leashed during the hike. This way, they won’t get lost or go nuts running after a wild animal.
Also, depending on where you’re going to hike, there is most probably going to be a law that states that you should keep your dog leashed at all times. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
5) A First Aids kit
Bringing a first aids kit with you while hiking is very crucial for both you and your beloved dog. A lot of the basic things that could be found in a regular first aid kit can be useful for your dog as well.
Things like tweezer, alcohol, and gauze can help your dog if something pokes their pads. You’ll be able to remove whatever punctured there paws with the tweezer, disinfect their injury with alcohol, and use the gauze to wrap their paw.
Make sure you take a styptic powder as well to be prepared in case your dogs start bleeding. You can actually purchase a canine first aid kit if you want because they will have the basic medications that your dog might need in case of an emergency.
6) Get your dog their own backpack
These things do exist! Now, you’re not going to make them carry a lot of things, but you can put their water bottle, slicker brush, their first aid kit, and disposable bags in there to reduce what you’re going to carry on your back.
If you’re interested in something like that, then check out our German Hiking Backpack& Dog Harness For Outdoor Camping here.
7) Your own back pack
In your backpack, you’ll carry your dog’s food, their boots, your food, water ( which will include some your dog’s), towels, blankets, and the tent.
Don’t forget to pack some spare clothes for you as well.
8) The tent
Make sure that you get a sturdy, dog-friendly tent. You’ll, of course, have to get your dog used to sleeping inside the tent before going on a hike, so make sure you have multiple sleepovers with your in the tent in your backyard to help them get used to it.
9) Disposable bags
You’ll need a lot of disposable bags to pick up your dog’s feces. Dog’s usually need to go to the bathroom after they exercise, so imagine how many time they might defecate after hiking?
Kindly note that you can’t leave the non-biodegradable bags holding your dog’s feces on the ground wherever you’re hiking. If there are no garage bins near you, keep the disposable bags with you until you find one.
10) Your dog’s slicker brush
Since you’re hiking in the wilderness, it is expected that some spikes and pollens are going to end up stuck to your dog’s coat. That is why it is extremely important that you pack your dog’s slicker brush with you, and brush their coats while hiking and before they go to sleep.
These spikes are not something to ignore because they’re capable of scrayching and injuring your dog’s skin.
11) Towels
Bring two towels with you; one for you and one for your dog. They will be useful if it rains, so you’ll have to dry up your four-legged best friend.
Also, if your dog gets super dirty throughout the hike, then you’re going to need to clean them a bit before letting them go inside the tent.
12) Boots for your dogs
Dogs in boots look cute, but that is not why you should make them wear boots while hiking. These boots are going to protect your dog’s paws from any rocks or thorns. They’re also a great option if you have to make your dog walk in the snow.
I should warn you that dogs are similar to babies; they might lose a boot while they’re walking in them. It is preventable, though.
All you have to do is tighten their shoes a bit and check on their feet consistently while you’re hiking to make sure that they didn’t lose one of their boots.
If your dog doesn’t own any boots, then check out our High Waist Waterproof Boots.
13) Two blankets
You’re not the only one who is going to need a blanket to feel comfy or warm while sleeping. Dogs can also feel a bit chilly, so make sure you get a blanket for yourself and a blanket for your four-legged best friend.
Other important preparations
As I have previously mentioned, what you pack for a night hike with your dog is super important, but there are other preparations that are crucial as well. These preparations include the following:
- Trimming your dog’s nails
- Trimming your dog’s hair
- Trimming the hair between your dog’s paws.
Why you should trim your dog’s nails before taking them on a hike?
Did you know that your dog’s long nails could make them experience serious problems such as joint pain? Not only that, but long nails make your dog more prone to slipping, falling, getting ripped, ane being torn.
If you want to know how you can trim your dog’s nails at home, then check out our How to Clip Dog Nails ( A Guide) blog post.
Why you should trim your dog’s hair before taking them on a hike?
Your dog’s long hair is basically an open invitation for pollens and other things to stick to your dog’s hair. If your dog’s hair is short, less of these stuff will end up sticking to their coat.
Also, it will make it easier on you when you check your dog for fleas and tick before your dog enters the tend and after the hike is over.
If you want to trim your dog’s hair at home, then we need to check our How to Cut My Dog’s Hair at Home? The Guide You Will Need blog post.
Why you should trim the hair between your dog’s paws?
Just like how pollen can stick to your dog’s hair, it could also stick to the hair between your dog’s paw. This means that those pollens or other things might end up poking your dog’s paws, which is why you should trim those hairs that are between their paws.
You can learn how to do that yourself here.
That’s it for today’s post. You should now be able to fully prepare and go on a beautiful night hike with your four-legged best friend.
If you have any questions regarding this topic or you want to share your night hiking experience with your beloved dog, then feel free to do so in the comments section down below.
Sources
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/hiking-dogs.html
https://www.backpacker.com/skills/the-manual-take-your-dog-hiking
