Tails on the Trails

Adventure Dining Guide is a culinary web series that takes you out of the kitchen and into the great outdoors. Join Michelle Shea as she hits the trail with professional athletes, chefs, and outdoor enthusiasts to learn how to eat civilized, miles away from civilization.

Do you hate carrying extra weight in your pack? Well, so does your dog! If your dog is your official expedition companion here are a few tips to make fido’s load a little bit lighter in the backcountry:

1. Bring lightweight food – dry kibble is heavy! Try substituting dehydrated options from Stella and Chewy. These products are extremely light weight, provide great nutrition, and rate very high on dogfoodadvisor.com (*indicates reference at end). Another option is complete K9 meal bars from Turbo Pup*. These are meal replacement bars for active dogs that are sold in single serving pouches, very clever!

2. Share! – Many of your favorite backcountry snacks such as jerky, oatmeal, peanut butter and apples are actually great snacks for your pup*! Pack extra to share, or whip up a batch of these Pumpkin Peanut Butter bars for a delicious trail snack that you can both enjoy…http://www.adventurediningguide.com/recipe/trail-treats/

3. Get an ‘Eddy Bowl’* – extremely lightweight, reusable, eco friendly, made in Tahoe, and only $3.99! Yep, every dog needs one of these collapsable bowls.

4. Use a light pack – Just as you aspire to shed weight, your dog will also appreciate the lightest pack available. Check out these lightweight options:

Ruffwear Singletrack Backpack – 12 oz (.65 lbs)

Outwear Hound Kyjen 2490 Dog Packpack – .9 lbs

EzyDog Summit Dog Backpack – 1 lbs

Ruffwear Approach Dog Backpack – 1.1 lbs

Hopefully these tips are just what you dog needs to lighten their load. Don’t forget, dogs need twice as much food on backcountry trips, so plan accordingly. Have fun out there, be safe, and happy trails!

* References:

Dog Food Advisor: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/stella-chewys-raw-freeze-dried/

Turbo Pup: http://www.turbopup.com/products/copy-of-1-pack-buy-more-save-on-turbopup-complete-k9-meal-bars

Cesar Millan’s Dog Approved People Food: https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/nutrition/dog-approved-people-food

Eddy Bowl: http://www.eddybowl.com – and also available at Tahoe Mountain Sports