Camp with your dog
Camping is a type of vacation very popular with the French. Camping is actually a bit of a French specialty! So much so that French people are moving abroad to create campsites all over the world. It's a type of holiday that appeals to all types of holidaymakers: with family, couple, friends, young and old... Camping holidays are also very popular with Wouafer's who travel with their dog.
We are 18 million French people who have a dog and many of us choose camping for holidays with one or more dogs. Fortunately, there are many dog-friendly campsites throughout France. And you know where to find them, don't you? For those who don't know, look quickly in the accommodation section of the site!! For a successful camping holiday, you need to be well equipped. This is the sine qua non condition to avoid the galleys like a tent that takes on water, to eat on the ground in the middle of ants, to come back barefoot from the shower... Let's take stock together of the equipment you need for your next camping holiday with your dog. Of course, you will find here the list of all the necessary equipment for your dog! He too has the right to his comfort during his vacation. Let's go!
The camping gear you need
A small precision before starting: there is camping and camping! Here, I am not talking about holidays in a mobile home, but about camping holidays, under a tent. Camping equipment has become very technical and the image of tents on which you had to plant a potato to avoid lightning is outdated.
To have a good holiday, you will have to choose your tent! The first essential accessory and frankly not the easiest to choose... There are hundreds of models: for 1, 2, 3 people or even for a large family, with or without an inner chamber, equipped to avoid getting too hot or to keep a little darkness in the early morning... There are models that you can take to a bivouac with your dog for example, these are called extra-light or much less compact models, but with more options for a comfortable camping holiday.
Once your “house” has been chosen, you also need to equip yourself to cook. The essential is the stove. We often associate camping and barbecue, but impossible to make your morning coffee on the barbec, hence the usefulness of a camping stove ! Again, there are plenty of choices depending on your use. Whether you want to make your morning coffee or cook a giant paella for all your camping neighbors, the camping stove model will be very different. Me, I opted for the minimalist model that I can slip into my hiking bag for bivouacs with my dog. Thus, my camping stove is used to heat water for my freeze-dried meals and for a good cup of tea. It's not haute cuisine, but eating in the mountains with marmots as table neighbors transforms each freeze-dried dish into a feast! I assure you.
You have something to sleep in the shelter and something to eat! So you have the essentials for your stay at the campsite. To add a good dose of comfort to all this, you will need choose a mattress, a suitable duvet, a flashlight or a headlamp, a phone charger and a spare battery and above all, above all: an adapter for a special camping electrical outlet.
Your dog's suitcase for a successful camping holiday
You've thought of everything for your camping holiday, now all you have to do is pack your dog's suitcase.
First of all, you must ask yourself a first question: camping + dog, is it really a good idea? I answer without hesitation: yes! Whether your dog is well educated above all. You will meet lots of other dog owners there. Our friends the animals do not bother: when they meet, they sniff each other, forcing their masters to greet each other and even to start a discussion. Something to quickly make friends for the holidays with whom to share nice little aperitifs while your doggies have fun together. For a well behaved dog, dog-friendly campsite is a perfect playground to meet new friends, test new experiences and enjoy your master H-24!
For your dog's vacation to go well, you will need to take with you:
- his leash and his collar: your dog must be kept on a leash even if he is the nicest and most obedient of all doggies. This is often a rule imposed in campsites to prevent a dog from running away, causing damage or injuring itself,
- his bowl and his croquettes: W'ouf race!
- his mat or basket to make him feel at home. Be sure to recreate a zone of his own in which he can take refuge to sleep or if he needs to isolate himself a little,
- his identity papers and his up-to-date health record: you will be asked for them in most campsites when you arrive for the stay,
- his favorite toys and all the equipment he will need to follow you in all your holiday activities: pocket bowl for hikes or walks, harness for hiking, life jacket for nautical activities,
- do not forget his medication if your dog suffers from a particular pathology. I also advise you to take a first aid kit with you for the little sores,
- its travel accessories: transport cage, safety harness for the car, etc.
I think once you have packed all of this you will be ready for a wonderful camping holiday with your dog.
Before wishing you a good stay, let me remind you of a few rules of good conduct to follow when camping with your dog. These are common sense rules, but it's always good to remember them!
First, as said earlier in the article, your dog must always be kept on a leash.
Second, never, ever leave your dog alone in your tent. It quickly becomes unbearably hot in a tent and your dog could quickly feel unwell and have a fatal heat stroke.
Third and finally, never leave your dog alone on your site without supervision. He could not welcome a child who crosses your site to join his friends more quickly. He might bark or wolf down until you come back and royally “piss off” all the neighbors… Or he might just get kidnapped. In short, NEVER alone! The campsite is a space of conviviality and everyone must respect their neighbor for it to work; it goes without saying.
One last rule to finish: we collect the little smelly memories of our dog!!!!
Well this time it only remains for me to wish you a nice holiday with your dog my dear Wouafer's!! Have fun and remember to post your photos on Instagram with #emmenetonchien