Solo camping with a dog- guide and tips

A quick overview

Dog-friendly campsites around the world

Not all campsites are dog-friendly so you have to watch out and make the campsite you are heading to is a dog-friendly campsite.

Camping is one of many Dog friendly holiday options and can totally enhance your camping experience, whilst allowing you to spend precious time with your canine companion.

Some campsites have a limit on the number of dogs you can bring with you while in some campsites it is totally, while in others you can not even take any kind of pet with you, not even a pet bird.

Here are some pet-friendly campsites you can go to.

  • Cape Henlopen State Park. This is a state park which is located in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States and it is possible to camp with your dog or even dog if you want, it is located on the coast of the Atlantic ocean so you can go surfing and boating with your dog many other things.
  • Butterfly Campsite. This is a campsite located in Italy, dogs are allowed in butterfly campground but they must be leased or kept around you the whole time
  • Cherry Creek State Park. This is a state park located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, in the United States. there are many things you can do in this state pare like horseback riding, fishing, and many other things and the best thing is that it’s allowed to bring your pet with you.
  • Simien Mountains. This is a beautiful place located in East Africa Ethiopia with a lot of wildlife, the thing is it is open to any visitors and you can have any pet you want with you. just make sure you are not a beginner camper cause it is not easy.
  • Heyburn State Park. this is a state park located in Benewah Country, Idaho, in the United States. it has three lakes so you can go for boating, fishing and many more. and it is also allowed to camp with your dog.

Campground rules on dogs

rules-on blackboard

Every campground has its own rule and regulation and if you are about to bring your pet with you should not forget to follow the rules. Here are some of the rules that you have to follow in many campgrounds.

And some campgrounds have restrictions on some dog breeds, especially breeds like Pitbulls, Rottweilers and some other breeds that can have a potential danger. you can read this article more on what dog breeds are not allowed in some campsites.

  • Owners must dispose of there pets’ excrement properly.
  • Barking and violent dogs are not allowed, if you have permission they should be under good control.
  • Pets must be vaccinated.
  • Your pet should have to have a collar and id on them.
  • Dogs must be on a 6-foot leash.
  • Pets should not disturb other visitors.

Pack not only for your self

woman sitting with a dog along a river

we should not forget to pack useful things for ourselves but neither should we forget our pets gear if we are camping with a pet.

While it is easy to say we what should I pack for my pet it is just food and water is what he needs! that’s completely wrong your pet needs many more things, not just water and food.

So what should you take with you for your pet? I mean dog we are going to specifically talk about dogs gear like Sleeping pads, paw protection and many other things your dog might need while camping.

Sleeping pad for your dog

If you let your dog sleep on the ground, the ground will take his body heat and you don’t want that that will make your pet ill so you have to get a sleeping pad for your pet. There are thermally insulated sleeping pads which will be best if you are camping in a cold place.

If your dog sleeps directly on the ground he/she might suffer from hypothermia(losing body heat faster than it can produce) so you have to protect your dog from sleeping on a cold ground.

Paw protection

dog booties

Another very important thing is dog booties, dog booties are very important when thinking of camping with your dog. There are many things that would hurt your dogs’ feet so it is very smart to take pair of them with you they might feel uncomfortable for your dog but he will get used to it in a matter of hours or just minutes.

They can provide protection from snowy and wet ground, they can protect him from thorns and other harmful things and they have an anti-slip sole which can provide stability and traction for your dog. I have used these dog booties which I have bought from amazon and I have found them useful for my dogs you can check them.

First aid kit

First aid kits are another must for a camping trip whether you are camping with your dog or not it is is a good thing to pack a first aid kit. Anything might happen you might bleed or something might scratch your skin and you might get a burn so get some basic first aid kit with you.

It does not have to be expensive you can just get the essential first aid kit but if you want something good for your dog you can get a pet first aid kit which is a little different from normal first aid kit it has tourniquet with buckle, flea comb, pet waste bags dog, emergency collar and some other things.

You can check these dog first aid kit from amazon I have not tried them for my self but I think they are useful.

Extra water

The last thing you want while camping is to run out of the water so you should not forget to pack some extra water for your dog.

On average your dog has to drink 1-ounce of water per pound of body weight per one day, so if your dog is 20 pounds you have to have 20 ounce of water for one day so if you are planning to stay for a week you have to have extra 140 ounce of water for your dog.

There are water bottles that are specifically designed for camping they will fit easily into backpacks. And if you have a water source on your camping site you should not pack a whole bunch of water, all you need is a good water filter and a bottle.

You can even buy a dog backpack and you can make your dog carry his own water which will reduce the amount of weight you have to carry. But you should not overload your dog it might not be comfortable for him and you can make him carry his food rather than his water I guess that would be easier.

Train your dog

Training your dog might not be easy it might take time and good effort but if you are successful you will like it very much. Teach your dog some basic things like sit, stop and some other basic things I know its hard be if you manage to do it will be very helpful.

And there are many things you can teach him like to alarm you if something is happening. This is very hard to do but it is life-saving and it’s not only for camping it can be helpful in your day to day life. You can read this blog about basics of how to train your dog.

There are some online guides you can see on how you can train your dog that could make things simpler. And you don’t have to get very serious about it just teach him/her simple things.

Benefits of solo camping with your pet

Generally, camping has many benefits, and out of the many benefits, health benefit is one of them. You can breathe fresh air and you can make your mind calmer and peaceful while camping and if you are camping alone that makes it more beautiful and adventurous.

in this article, I will share with you what benefits I have got from solo camping and I will generally talk about solo camping with dogs.

You can know your limit

Many people think it is easy not to have a conversation with other people but it is not that easy. If you have ever stayed alone for a few days alone you don’t feel comfortable. We humans are so used to having a conversation with others that we will feel unease when we are alone for a longer time than we usually do.

And so if you are going for a solo camping you will experience what it is like to have no people around you, You can see how much you can stay alone. bringing your dog with you will make it more fun.

I remember the first time I did a solo camping I was a little frustrated the only thing I took was water, food, and my tent. I did not take anything to entertain myself not even a book so that it’s me and me only. I was okay for a few days but I was a little anxious and bored after a week and I stayed for 33! days and that was an amazing experience for me.

Breaking your habits

If you have noticed we are full of habits every day doing the same thing we have done yesterday. We can become like a mechanical robot if we do ie every day so sometimes we have to change things.

For instance, I change the positions of my apps on my phone once every month or so, why? Because I get accustomised to the old places and it makes me like a robot for example if the Gmail app is on the left corner side of my phone I change it to the bottom right! and I usually get tricked to touch the left corner when I want to check my email.

This also works in our life, so we must change somethings in our life. And camping is one of the ways to have somethings going, especially on a solo camping things change a lot. While you are camping with friends or family you might get into your old habits but while solo camping things might little different

Decision-making

While camping alone we have to make more decisions and more freedom of what to do, you can decide when to eat when to have a nap and many other more decisions. And in my experience the more decisions I make I feel more centered.

But in our civilization most of the time you can not even decide when to eat. For example, if you are hired in a place and if the lunch break is at 01:00 pm that is when you will have to eat and even your dog can have more freedom to explore new places

camping with or without a dog which is better

Advantages: I sometimes love to spend time with a dog than with a friend. dogs are probably the most friendly animal and most dogs are very playful. So you can have a good time playing with them. What other things you can do you can go hiking with your dog, go for a walk, running in the wilderness with your dog and many more things. The second thing is that your dog can make you aware of your surroundings he/she will bark if something unusual is happening so you can be more careful and do what has to be done.

Disadvantages: As camping with your dog have many advantages it also has many disadvantages the first is privacy, yeah!!! sometimes I just want to sit silently but my dog is probably one of the most playful dog on earth. And sometimes I get tired of it. So if your dog is like my dog you might give up privacy. the second con is you have to pack not only for yourself your dog needs stuff as almost as you! which might make things more complicated for you.

But in my opinion camping with a dog is better for many reasons.

Group camping vs solo camping

The advantages of group camping are you will have people to play and have fun with but while solo camping you will have to spend time alone. So which one is better? it depends on you. You might like spending time alone or you might like to spend time with family and friends.

But in my opinion and what this article is about is solo camping, and so that’s what I have written but if you want activities you can do while group camping you can take a look, camping activities to do at night.

While solo camping with your dog you can do many things to have fun. You can go boating, fishing, hiking with your dog, walk with your dog, and many other things.

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