Hit it!

It's that season again when the weather outside is oh so conducive to being outside with your furry pal. That high temp, high humidity weather is coming, and it will slow them down. Here is some gear I love when hitting the trail with the dogs.

This collapsible water bowl is one of my favorite things. It's easy to throw in your backpack, lightweight, it pops up and stays up, isn't likely to spill, my dogs use it. You can find it at PetCo or online and it comes in several sizes. I have two, one for water, one for food.My second bowl is a size down from the one in the picture and they fit together nicely. Love them. The hole in the handle comes in handy when I use a metal clip to keep the two bowls together inside a pack during camping trips, or hang them up for easy access.

If you love being outdoors with your dogs then camping and hiking are no doubt in your dreams of summer. Want you dog to carry his weight? I know I do. Check out www.granitegear.com they have some serious hiking gear and are one of the few places I found to have serious dog hiking gear. The Long Howl Dog Pack is my personal choice for my boys. This pack doesn't wear sore patches in your pooches skin, and stays in place. My Aussie wore this pack on a 2 day camping trip where he jumped in a rushing stream, ran threw rugged terrain and hiked on leash with me everywhere our feet would take us, all wearing his pack. This pack offers what I'll call a rear hitch, so you can attach a leash to the back end of the pack. When Bugsy couldn't calm down on the trail due to the persistent presence of equestrian trail riders (not a surprise I would have hoped for) and constantly pulled the leash while I was trying to keep pace with my hiking companions up a steep incline I hooked his leash to the rear hitch and he stopped gagging himself. Also, it made me feel a lot better about him partially pulling me up the hill!
It's easy to distribute weight evenly and the wrap around his chest and belly are wide and comfortable. Bonus, it also double as a windbreaker like jacket should you choose to remove the pack from the harness.

Nature trail camping adventure? HIT IT!