Buying camping gear in itself is a lot of fun, but it is even better when you are buying dog camping gear. To make camping with your dog easier and a more comfortable experience for your dog, there are a handful of things you should get for your dog before your camping trip.
In this post, I’m sharing the dog camping gear we have collected over the years for Kirby and why we believe they are necessary for your trip!
Related Post:
This page may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read our full disclosure for more information.
Gear to Keep Your Dog Comfortable
Travel Pillow Dog Bed
Useful for more than just camping. Unfortunately, the exact one we have is out of stock., so this is a similar one. We love bringing this travel dog bed along with us for Kirby. He knows it’s his, so we can use the command “place” for it and keep him out of the way if need be. We keep this in the tent as his bed on the ground, though he ends up on our air mattress anyway. It is sleeping bag material, rolls up into its own case, and is machine washable!
Elevated Pet Cot
These cots are great for when you want to keep your dog off the ground. It also helps cool them down, since air can travel underneath. . If you have a dog with longer hair, like us, this keeps them cleaner and keeps twigs and dirt out of their fur.
Shade device / Tent
We were lucky in that my mother-in-law had one of these that she gave to us. You can see ours in the picture above. This shade device is a lifesaver on hot days and if your campsite doesn’t have any shade. You can buy dog-specific ones or a regular human version, This one folds up nice and small in its own carry bag.
Cooling Mat or cooling Gaiter
Another essential thing to bring is a cooling mat to keep your dog nice and cool! Some people have issues with their dog chewing it, so if your dog is a chewer this might not work for you and you might be better off with a Cooling Neck Gaiter Kirby loves to lay on his and we haven’t had any issues with it tearing or him chewing it. It’s easy to clean as well!
Campsite Dog Hitch or regular tie off
We personally just use a leash and tie him off to a tree or use our ground screw. I have seen campsite dog hitches that keep your dog on a line so their leash doesn’t get tangled up, This could definitely come in handy if your dog tends to pace and move around a lot when tied up.
Gear for Food, Water, and Accessories
food and Water Bowls
Remember to bring food and water bowls! We love these silicone bowls because they collapse, are easy to clean, and you get four of them.
food carrier bag
Keeping your dog’s food fresh and well-sealed is important. A bag like this does the trick!
dog Water Bottle
This bottle is especially useful in the car and on the go. I would also suggest a double-walled steel water bottle to have ice-cold water at the ready for your dog one hot days. We use an extra Simply Modern bottle that we have for that.
Microfiber Towel
I will forever rave about these Wise Owl towels! We love that it comes with a hand towel and a large towel all within its own carry bag. We have two others in a different color for us humans too.
Durable Outdoor Toys
We love the Ruffwear brand of outdoor toys because they are durable and all match (haha). You could also get a specific bone toy to designate as an “outdoor” bone.
Gear for Dog Safety
First Aid Kit
You never know what trouble your dog may get into, so it’s always good to have one of these First Aid Kits handy. This one has all the essentials, though there are others that are bigger and more extensive. You can also build your own!
Tick Remover
It is super important to check your dog for ticks regularly when camping. We like these keychain removers since they clip onto a backpack and you can have multiple on different bags.
Paw Cleaner
This paw cleaning tool is a funny-looking thing, but it works! If you have a dog that has very furry paws like our dog, this is super useful in getting your dog’s paws clean before they get inside your tent after a long fun-filled day.
Pet wipes
These are convenient to have, but not a must. Pet wipes are tailored to dogs, unscented and useful to wipe your dog down if they got into something or are especially dirty after hanging out on the ground of your campsite all day.
Dog supply organizer bag
We personally just use an old Swiss Army Backpack, but once that breaks or wears down, we plan on upgrading to something like this. We love the look of this bag with the food bag and a good amount of pockets to organize all of his gear. This bag also comes with collapsible bowls, a blanket, and a frisbee!
I know there are plenty more dog camping gear items you can get, but these are our go-tos! Let me know in the comments if there are other items we should check out.