For all mountain lovers, camping is not something that is left off the checklist. As soon as Rio was an adult, we immediately wanted to organize camping trips; and with the COVID-19, this option became more and more desired to escape from the confinement.
This article is specifically about multi-day fixed camping. To take your dog on a bivouac, read Bivouacking with your dog.
What to think about when you go camping with your dog?
Check that the campsite accepts dogs
Prepare a comfortable and warm bed for your dog
Tie up your dog in the campsite
Take light and easy to wash equipment
1. Check that the campsite accepts dogs
The first thing to do is to confirm with the campsite that dogs are allowed. It is rare that dogs are refused but there are campsites that do not accept animals. In addition, there is often a limit to the number of dogs per camper, so it is important to find out in advance.
2. Prepare a comfortable and warm bed for your dog
The second most important thing is to know where and how the dog will sleep. For our camping, as we usually go by car, we don't hesitate to take the two dog beds with us. This way, they are comfortable during long roadtrips and also during the night at the campsite.
We have opted for a large 4 persons tent for our "fixed" camping vacations, preferring comfort knowing that we are staying at least a weekend. We take the dogs in the tent with us during the night because temperatures can drop drastically in the mountains. In the 4 persons tent, we have enough room for a double mattress, two sleeping bags, their two dog baskets and our bags. The rest of our gear is left in the outter space in the tent that we close at night.
As every dog has his own preferences, just be aware of what your companion prefers. Saki is always too hot and could outside even in the mountains. On the other hand, Rio can't sleep if it's a bit chilly. The first time we went camping, we underestimated the temperature and had to share our sleeping bag with her. It was a little tight! Check all the gear we used
3. Tie up your dog in the campsite
Normally, campgrounds require dogs to be tethered near the tent so they don't wander around disturbing other campers. Since our dogs are the curious type, we opted for a tethering pole that allows us to tie our dogs to our tent with a large lanyard to give them a little freedom.
4. Take light and easy to wash equipment
When it comes to dog bowls, feeders and other accessories, we opt for transportable plastic bowls that we can also take on our hikes. They are light and easy to wash. We also take microfiber cloths, in addition to our own, for our dogs so that they can dry quickly in the sun.
