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
#168847 - 08/29/12 12:35 PM Question for those who hike with Dog(s)
mccallum Offline
member

Registered: 01/22/11
Posts: 23
Loc: Kansas
What is your average mileage on a hike with the Dog?

What is the average speed/how fast do you coverr the distance?

Thanks!

Top
#168957 - 09/03/12 05:46 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: mccallum]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
My overall average hiking speed is about 1 mph, with or without dog. I'm sure that if I could go faster, my dog would! In open areas where I can let him run loose, his mileage is several times more than mine.
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#168960 - 09/03/12 08:43 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: mccallum]
aimless Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
From observation, I'd say that dogs tend to cover more miles on a hike than their owners do, due to their restlessly walking ahead, then returning, or else circling out away from the trail and then coming back to it. I attribute this to their desire to smell their surroundings, as their preferred method of sensory input. A dog may easily walk twice as far as its owner on a hike.

As for total miles per day, dogs, like their owners, vary in their conditioning, so you should experiment with your dog by working your way up to a level the dog seems to enjoy without wearing out or getting sore paws..

Another observation is that a human in really top condition can walk much further in a day than a dog can. This doesn't apply to humans in average condition (at least, average for the USA and other urbanized countries). So, if you are an athlete and plan to walk 20 miles a day, you should probably leave the dog home.

Top
#170279 - 10/09/12 05:58 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: mccallum]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
My dog, if conditioned properly can run 20+ miles a day, pulling weight. When I was training for my marathon, I took her every time. So, she worked up to the distance with me. Of course, my dog is not like every dog, so it depends on the dog and the owner. She is also getting old, so I am starting to lessen her weight in her pack. Now she only carries her things.
_________________________
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

Top
#170670 - 10/16/12 09:28 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: finallyME]
mccallum Offline
member

Registered: 01/22/11
Posts: 23
Loc: Kansas
If your avitar is your dog she is built to run; mine is built more for long days of bird hunting. Lab/Terrior mix.

Top
#170671 - 10/16/12 09:59 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: mccallum]
rockchucker22 Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/12
Posts: 751
Loc: Eastern Sierras
My current dog learned pretty quick that she's better off staying behind me and pacing herself. In this mode she can do every mile I can.
_________________________
The wind wont howl if the wind don't break.

Top
#173175 - 12/19/12 08:23 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: mccallum]
ultralightbp Offline
newbie

Registered: 12/01/12
Posts: 10
If you start the dog of with smaller trips and gradually build up its endurance it should be able to cover a lot of ground over time. Treat it like an athlete with a training program and I think you will be happy with the results

Top
#173309 - 12/27/12 03:09 PM Re: Question for those who hike with Dog(s) [Re: mccallum]
OttoStover Offline
member

Registered: 08/30/08
Posts: 62
Loc: Norway
Winter or summer? In winter we ski, and average is from 12 to 40 km in untracked terrain, probably about 25. It depends on the terrain and skiing conditions. My dog is a Border collie and he too pulls a pulk, in winter about 25 kilos.

In the summer he too like FinallyME's dog carries a backpack. The distance covered is also here depending on the terrain, but on typical mountain tracks without too much climbing it is about 20km. Then the pack is 25% of his total weight. The summer distances have less variation since the walking conditions does not wary as much as in the winter. I calculate 4km per hour on good flat tracks, 3km if the track has some height difference of more than 500m. This includes time for drinking water every hour and one stop for eating food. The dog is always ahead of us, he is not the slow one, we are!

My slogan is: a tour without a dog is half as fun as a tour with a dog. They enjoy the outdoors even more than we, never gets tired of it.
Otto


Edited by OttoStover (12/27/12 03:10 PM)

Top

Moderator:  Glenn Roberts 
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 (), 160 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