Planning some hikes with my 2 year old aussie mix and I’ve just realized my AirTag setup will probably be useless out there. Last weekend we were on a trail maybe 3 miles from the nearest road and lost signal on the AirTag for hours and only got updates when we hiked back toward the trailhead.

My pup is usually great off-leash but desert wildlife can be unpredictable. I’m a little paranoid about her chasing something into a wash or getting turned around if we get separated. The whole point of bringing tracking was peace of mind but now I'm second guessing everything. I’m thinking of getting a dedicated gps tracker just in case

I’ve looked around and my main concerns are:

• Need something that still works if my dog gets far enough away that the AirTag signal stops working
• Either good battery life or fast charging. I bring a handy battery pack anywhere I go anyway
• Lightweight enough for a 45lb dog
• Won't get destroyed by sand/heat/water, just anything with weatherproofing really

I’m seeing tractive and fi come up often but people also have their own complaints about them. What’s the better option here? Also curious if anyone's tried those Garmin hunting collars, I know this seems overkill but maybe that's what’s needed for serious wilderness?

Granite Chief was rugged with seldom used trails, steep terrain, and nobody there. The Quite a contrast with wilderness freeway trails and many more people in Desolation. We explored the North and Middle Forks of the American River; and Diamond Crossing and Powderhorn Creek. Then changed gears and had easy trails through Desolation Wilderness.

So, I want to take my puppies camping/hiking, but they are Shih Tzus. If that’s not explanation enough, I’ll elaborate. They are small and can overheat, etc, so I want a backpack like a baby carrier.

I recently went on a trek to a gupt shivling in a deep forest and something magical happened

From the very start of the trek a random dog started following us It didn’t bark once It would stop when we stopped and run when we ran Like it was determined to walk with us

The trek was long like 5 to 6 km and this dog followed us step by step All the way to the gupt shivling

At the end when we finished the trek and were about to give it something to eat or pet it It just disappeared into the forest as if it never existed I still miss that doggo It felt like a guardian spirit watching over us

Sometimes I wonder if these dogs are sent by the forest to guide and protect wanderers

Anyone else had a similar experience with a random dog on a trek

I want to take my 9 year old Beagle mix for a 4 day trek that is not too much altitude, we would walk 5-6 hours each day, and up until now she would do great on the 3ish hour hikes that we would do. Any tips, or experience of multi-day adventures with older dogs? Is this a bad idea?

I've got a one year old toller, absolutely gorgeous. Currently we're careful on distance walks, longest we've done is probably 10 miles ish, through fields and woods. I'd like to do lands end to john o'groats taking in the 3 peaks on the way, with him eventually, it won't be for a good couple of years. Plenty of training and endurance to do beforehand. Any advice on training would be great, best ways to train endurance, is swimming a good way? He loves swimming. How many days can dogs go before needing a rest day etc. Anything i might need to know.

I’m looking to camp Smokey mountain national park this October and bringing the dog. From what I reading there are ONLY 2 trails in the entire park that allow dogs. These trails are neither near each other or ANY CAMPGROUND. Is this true?

I decided to take a week off and take my dog on an outdoor adventure. I want to go to the NE USA because I haven’t been yet. Would love anyone’s insight into this area!

Hi! I’m wondering if anyone here does multi-day hikes or thru-hikes with a small dog and sometimes needs to carry them along the way.

My dog is about 7 lbs, and on longer trips I often need to carry him part of the time. The tricky part is having both my backpack and him at the same time.

So far I’ve tried:

*Classic enclosed dog backpack on the front – not comfortable, too bulky, blocks my view.

*Sling carrier – my dog doesn’t like it.

I’ve seen some people wear the K9 Sport Sack on the front, even though it’s not really designed for that, and I’m curious if anyone here actually uses it that way.

I also once saw someone with a custom setup where the dog carrier was attached to the top of their hiking backpack, which looked perfect (though I’d worry a bit about what my active little guy would be doing up there). I haven’t found anything like that sold commercially. I guess I could try modifying a regular dog bag, but I’m not too confident in my DIY skills.

For those of you who backpack or thru-hike with small dogs – what carrying systems or bags have worked for you? Any creative solutions or gear you’d recommend?

We had a great hike and camping trip in the Tillamook forest. I was putting the camping gear away at home and rolling up the tent when she laid down on it. Maybe we will try Mt. Hood this weekend.

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice.

I have two dogs, but I’m considering bringing just one on a backpacking trip in a few weeks. She’s a 2-year-old, 40 lb cocker spaniel/Australian cattle dog/pit mix with very high energy. She’s fairly active — we hike 1–2 times a week (shorter distances) and she loves camping with us, especially when we’re active.

However...

• She’s never backpacked before.
• She’s never hiked more than ~5 miles in a day.
• The trip would be in the backcountry/bear country.
• The plan is ~24 miles over 3 days/2 nights

I would love to bring her, but since this is a last-minute decision, I’m unsure if:

• It’s risky to bring a dog into bear country.
• The mileage might be too much for her if she hasn’t worked up to it.
• It could cause her (or me) unnecessary stress or safety concerns.

Would love to hear from anyone with experience backpacking with their dog — especially in similar conditions. If this is doable but maybe not with a total of 24 miles, how many miles do you recommend a day to make this doable, if at all? Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone Have a bunch of deer flies locally (seacoast NH) that absolutely love my pups ears. Have tried a few dog safe sprays like Repel-X but nothing seems to work. Deet (specifically OFF Deep Woods) seems to work well on me, but that's obviously not an option for the dog.

Has anyone had any luck with anything dog safe for deer flies?

From: North Liberty, Iowa To: Badlands NP, Wind Cave NP, Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, Theodore Roosevelt NP Travelers: 2 adults, driving Dates: August 16 to August 23 (8 days) Purpose: Scenic adventure, sightseeing, chill time, budget-friendly