What to pack for a dog hike: the checklist we keep in the car

Every trip to the trailhead starts in our kitchen in Malvern, Pennsylvania, where we make single-ingredient freeze-dried treats, beef liver, chicken hearts, sardines, and cheddar bites, treats that hold up in a hot car instead of melting into a puddle. Packing for a dog hike is less complicated than it looks, so here is the checklist we actually keep in the car. It is not a long list, and once you have gone through it a few times it turns into a habit instead of a chore.

The short version

Water for you and your dog, a bag to carry it in, waste bags, a towel, and treats that will not turn to mush. That is most of what to pack for a dog hike. Everything else on this list exists to make those five things easier to carry and easier to find when you need them. Most people already own most of it. The point of a checklist is not to sell you new gear, it is to make sure the same handful of items end up in the bag before you close the car door, instead of getting remembered halfway down the trail.

Do you need a dog hiking backpack

A dedicated dog hiking backpack earns its keep once you are carrying water, bowls, waste bags, and treats for more than a short loop. Rubyloo's Original Doggy Bag backpack is built around that exact list, with a water bottle holder, a spot for a waste bag roll, and enough pockets to keep things from turning into a pile at the bottom. If your hikes are shorter or closer to the car, a bag you already own will probably do the job. Buy for the hike you are actually taking, not the one you might take someday. Keeping the dog gear in its own bag also means you are not digging a leash and a damp towel out of the same pocket as your own lunch.

A water bottle with a bowl solves one specific problem

The annoying part of a hot afternoon on the trail is not thirst, it is forgetting a bowl. Rubyloo makes a water bottle with a detachable bowl built into the base, so the bowl cannot get left behind in a different bag. It holds water for you too, which means one bottle instead of two rattling around the pack. A dog that drinks fast on a warm afternoon is usually the reminder of why that matters, especially on a trail with no fountain waiting at the far end.

Drying off and the first aid conversation

A drying shammy towel earns its spot in the car for muddy paws and wet dogs after a creek crossing, and it packs down small enough to leave in the door pocket. A first aid kit is worth keeping in the car too. A kit like ours would hold basics like gauze, tweezers, a tick remover, saline, and wrap, the kind of items most kits like this include. Check it before a hike, not during one, so you actually know what is in there and where it sits in the bag. A kit like that is not a substitute for a veterinarian. If something looks wrong, stop and call your veterinarian.

On the trail hub

The full list lives in the dog hiking gear collection and on the trail and travel hub, including collars and leashes in our Lucky Dog collection. Partner gear ships from its own makers through Shopify Collective, while the treats ship from our kitchen.

Pack light, bring more water than you think you need, and keep the treats where you can reach them without stopping the group. That is really the whole system, checklist or not.

Questions

What is the one thing people forget to pack for a dog hike?

A bowl. It is the item people leave behind most, which is why a water bottle with a built in bowl solves a real problem instead of just being another gadget.

Do I need a dog hiking backpack for a short walk?

Not usually. Save the dedicated backpack for hikes long enough that you are carrying water, waste bags, and treats for a while. A tote or a bag you already own covers most short walks.

What should be in a dog first aid kit for hiking?

Basic items like gauze, tweezers, a tick remover, saline, and wrap are common in kits built for hikes. Keep your veterinarian's number with it, and remember a kit is not a substitute for a veterinarian.