As your walks become longer and the mountains get higher, your dog is going to need their own set of adventure gear!
Harnesses
A harness, rather than a collar, is far more secure and gives you more control over your dog. For any walks with mild scrambles or steep ascents, a harness is a must. Ruffwear Web Master harnesses are brilliant. The small handle across the top of the harness is really useful, especially if your dog needs help scrambling.
Keeping your Dog Cool in Warm Weather
Now, bear with me because I’m about to recommend baby clothes for your dog! With the aim of keeping my dog cool during summer hikes, I looked at various cool jackets and cool bandanas but they were either very expensive or had awful reviews.
Instead, I bought a pack of baby dribble bibs. The towel material means that the bibs are very absorbent. Dunk the bib in water and clip it around your dogs neck or collar. Keep dunking the bib in water throughout the hike and your dog stays really cool.
Jackets
The weather in any mountain range or on high level walks can be very unpredictable. Your dog may need a jacket to keep warm and dry. My dog has a Cloud Chaser jacket from Ruffwear, which we’ve put to the test in snow and heavy rain.
Paw Protection
For any multi-day hikes or long distance walks on rough terrain, I would recommend using a type of paw protector. I tried boots (from Ruffwear, surprise surprise) but my dog wasn’t having it.
Instead, I use Musher’s Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax from Amazon. The wax is used to cover the paws and in-between the pads. My dog didn’t notice the wax was there and it made an enormous difference; we hiked 120 miles, across rocky terrain in six days and Musher’s completely protected her paws.
Portable Bowl
For any hikes without regular water sources, you'll need to bring water and some sort of bowl for your dog. I use Mudder silicone bowls. They’re lightweight, collapsible and have a metal climbing bucket to easily attach to your backpack.
