Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#120837 - 09/13/09 08:56 AM Keeping Pooch Warm
MissouriWalker Offline
member

Registered: 07/01/09
Posts: 26
Loc: USA
For those of you that hike with dogs: what do you do to keep your dog warm and comfortable in the tent? This weekend I camped overnight with the dog, and while I was comfortable with sleeping pad and sleeping bag, the dog couldn't find a good place to settle, due to the rocky terrain. I ended up trying to spread the sleeping bag out like a quilt, but then I got cold.

What do you do to protect your dog from the cold ground? I guess I could spread out extra clothes on the tent floor, and hope the dog nests on it. Will that be good enough? I don't plan on hiking if the weather forecast predicts freezing freezing temperatures.


Top
#120858 - 09/13/09 01:58 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: MissouriWalker]
JimmyTH Offline
member

Registered: 03/11/09
Posts: 59
Loc: Indiana
Your dog needs to be more assertive, and probably will be with practice. I hiked with a Dalmatian for many years and when it was time to sleep he simply regarded me and the sleeping bag as furniture. Used to circle around and knead me into a comfortable pulp before laying down. We usually found a way to keep warm without anything extra. Sleeping in the open I'd scrape together debris to pad the ground but he'd need some extra help then, a tarp to keep the wind off. A pad of leaf debris under your tent floor might help.

Jimmy T

Top
#120860 - 09/13/09 02:44 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: JimmyTH]
bigb Offline
member

Registered: 07/05/09
Posts: 124
Loc: Maryland
I cut a sleeping pad in half, light and easy for my dog to push around and dig at to get comfy


Attachments
IMG_0566_1_1.JPG


_________________________
"In the beginers mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."
Shunryu Suzuki

Top
#120861 - 09/13/09 02:56 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: MissouriWalker]
Trailrunner Offline
member

Registered: 01/05/02
Posts: 1835
Loc: Los Angeles
Our doxies just burrow into our sleeping bags but they're not very big. Bigger dog = bigger problem staying warm.
_________________________
If you only travel on sunny days you will never reach your destination.*

* May not apply at certain latitudes in Canada and elsewhere.

Top
#120865 - 09/13/09 04:11 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: Trailrunner]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Hysson has a 1/8" Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad (cut to 36" long) that he curls up on. He generally cuddles up to my feet, keeping them nice and warm. (He is part of my sleep system!) If he's wet or if it's cold, I put a makeshift sweater on him made from an old polypro baselayer top. This has kept him warm down to at least 20 degrees. He carries both items in his doggie pack. Hysson is an indoor dog at home, so his coat isn't as thick as that of a regular hunting Labrador retriever that goes into freezing water to retrieve ducks. In fact, Hysson refuses either to swim or retrieve (the last because of his overbite--undershot lower jaw). He sure sheds a lot, though!

A short-haired, thin-coated dog needs a lot more warmth and should have a regular jacket, and perhaps a rain coat. My daughter's Vizsla (since deceased) needed both when out backpacking, plus a thicker sleeping pad.

The Thermarest folks used to make a sleeping pad for dogs, basically a 36" long Z-Rest. This pad was discontinued a few years ago. My granddaughter (age 7) now uses it as her sleeping pad. When I used it for Hysson, I had to carry it in my pack.

I like being able to roll up the GG Thinlight and stuff it in Hysson's pack, but he really needs something stiffer--several times during the night he shifts position and does the turn-around-three-times-before-lying-down act, which wads up the 1/8" pad. I may go back to something stiffer (maybe GG's torso-length Nightlite), carry it in my pack, and let Hysson carry something of mine of comparable weight. A 30" pad is plenty long enough because Hysson sleeps curled up in a ball. At $16 it's considerably cheaper than buying a Z-Rest and cutting it down.


Edited by OregonMouse (09/13/09 04:17 PM)
Edit Reason: add'l info
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#120875 - 09/13/09 06:07 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: OregonMouse]
Knaight Offline
member

Registered: 03/31/09
Posts: 50
Loc: Massachusetts
I'd been having trouble with this as well. My most recent solution was to cut the sleeves off an old fleece and use it as a jacket for him. It rolls up nicely into his backpack and it seemed to do the trick on this last trip.

Here's a picture: Archimedes in his jacket

Top
#120881 - 09/13/09 09:06 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: Knaight]
MissouriWalker Offline
member

Registered: 07/01/09
Posts: 26
Loc: USA
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking about cutting up my Thermarest Ridgerest for the dog, and training her to sleep on it.

Top
#120944 - 09/14/09 09:13 PM Re: Keeping Pooch Warm [Re: MissouriWalker]
kbennett Offline
member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 820
Loc: north carolina
Yup, the Ridgerest or a 4- or 6-section Z rest would be great. The ground insulation is important.
_________________________
--Ken B

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 170 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum