Does anyone know a collapsible dog crate that can be easily carried in my backpack? I'm taking Greyhound and I won't have a car to leave a bigger crate in but I need something I can let him hang out in while I'm gone. (As in if we were in a hotel room, I wouldn't leave him just outside in a crate alone.) I would let him be loose but he has separation anxiety and a crate creates a "safe" place and all of that.

All of the ones I've looked at online look heavy.

Thanks!

I'm not much help, but would worry about leaving my dog crated up while I was out exploring. If you dog is crated and encounters a predator he/she is dead meat. A bear would look at that as a prepackaged meal. I would seriously reconsider this as an option for your dog.

I agree with Rockchucker--please don't ever leave your dog alone in camp! In addition to bears and cougars, coyotes (far more numerous) also love to chow down on small dogs.

There are doggie tents and various nylon "crates." Another reason for not leaving your dog alone in them is that if he panics, he can claw his way out--you're left with shredded tent and loose dog. You might be able to rig up a tethering option inside the "crate." The barrier of a nylon tent, whether a doggie tent or your own, is strictly psychological.

Do note that most motels/hotels specifically do not allow you to leave the dog alone in the room, even if securely crated (i.e. in a solid plastic or a wire mesh crate). I've done it a few times (along with a citronella collar to keep him from barking), but it certainly wasn't legal.

No no no...like I said. I'm not leaving him just outside. That's crazy. He'd die. He can come with me on hikes or almost anywhere. It's for if we stay in a hotel room or a hostel and I need to leave him while I run to a restaurant or something. I just need to find a light one that I can take while backpacking because everything has to be able to come with me in my backpack. There is no car to keep big stuff in while the dog and I wander.

I thought maybe someone would know where to get one that would work.

He's a service animal so I can get away with more. And I'm not terribly worried about legal.

I was going to bring his plastic carrier but then decided I didn't want to carry that thing around. I have a sling that I carry him in if he doesn't want to walk or something so I just wanted a crate for times when I need to leave him or keep him out of the way. (You know how dogs are about running underfoot at the worst possible moments).

On a side note: you should see the reactions I get when I carry that spoiled mutt in his sling. People either think it's super cute or I'm insane. The later is of course closer to the truth.

If you trust him not to panic and wreck it - see my reply in your tent thread - if you get a freestanding tent, you could set it up in a hotel room. that might solve your problem.

Oh phat, you are very smart! Thanks!

I had to laugh a little picturing a dog in a sling looking happy as can be, while everyone doing the head turn stare. I see one smiling while another shaking their head. Thanks for sharing!

Nah, I'm actually pretty dumb most of the time - I believe I just have a few years of "experience" on you - And that word doens't usually mean "smart" - it means "I did a bunch of stupid things once, and managed to not die, and remember them"

And yes, I've set up a tent in a hotel room - actually many times. How else would I dry it out to pack it up after washing it in the hotel tub before coming home

Dry it in the tub?

It doesn't dry as well, particularly when my tired just-gotten-off the trail butt is sitting in it soaking.

You obviously aren't "backpacking" in the sense that we use the word. To us, and this site, backpacking is wilderness camping where you walk several miles to a campground with no cars, and sleep in a tent (or something similar). This is not traveling around the world staying at hotels every night.

That being said, they sell metal crates that are wire mesh that collapse flat. If that is too heavy, then you can either use your tent, or make a small doggy tent, or even make a collapsible plastic crate.

You might want to check out Pet Edge--they have a really large selection of various types of crates and may have something to suit you.

I'm still wondering how you are going to get around the rules most dog-friendly motels/hotels have about never leaving the dog alone in the room. With a service dog, under the ADA rules you should be able to take him everywhere with you, so the occasion of a crate shouldn't even arise.

What kind of sling do you have and where did you find it?

I'll be hiking/backpacking with my dog and a brand new puppy in a few weeks, and I was trying to figure how to carry the puppy effectively while carrying my backpacking gear on my back and my dog on a leash. My dog is an avid hiker, so he can put in some serious miles, but I figure a puppy will tire easily.

Please note that the OPs post is over two years old. Also, if you check the OP's profile, you'll note that (s)he has not posted in over two years. I don't think you'll get an answer!