The helicopter harness for dogs: unlimited hiking
I love hiking with my dog. Musher and I regularly travel for several days and preferably in the mountains. We very often opt for the bivouac. Thus, we discover quite remote corners of France and marvelous landscapes in a very preserved nature. Happiness ! Even if I prepare our hikes, I have already had the unpleasant surprise of discovering a ladder on my route. And then will you tell me? For Musher and me, the ladders often spell the end of the game. I explain in this new article the solution that I found to pass all the obstacles while hiking with my dog: the helicopter harness. Nothing stops us!
Hiking in the mountains with your dog
Before showing you the helicopter winch harness that I tested, let me remind you of some information to go hiking with peace of mind with your dog:
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hiking with your dog : yes, but not for just any dog…. if your dog is not athletic or in good health, always remember to adapt your practice to his abilities. You may even have to give up taking it with you.
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hiking with your dog: yes, but not just anywhere! Dogs are not allowed in certain protected areas such as nature reserves, national parks…. or they can be admitted only under certain conditions such as wearing a leash, a restriction at the time of nesting…. Make sure your dog is allowed on the circuit you have chosen on the article Where to hike with your dog. Also adapt your behavior if you encounter a patou…
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hiking with your dog: yes, but not without the right equipment! Provide enough water for you AND for him. In the mountains, the weather can change dramatically in minutes: make sure you have the right equipment for you & your dog. Always carry your first aid kit and the first aid kit for your dog, boots if he ever hurts his paws, his refreshing vest if it is very very hot, his leash, his collar or his harness with his medal or cani-rando equipment: pulling harness, canicross harnesses…
The helicopter winching harness: ideal for complicated hikes
The last time it happened to me was while hiking in the Calanques national park. We had studied a route to reach the creek of Morgiou. Except that nowhere, we had identified the presence of two ladders on our hiking route. Arrived at the height of the first ladder, we tried by all means to circumvent it but it was impossible with the dog. There was no question of putting us in danger on the pretext of finishing the hike at all costs. We therefore turned back and found a plan B by descending towards the Calanque de Sormiou. We followed the coast on the GR 98 followed which joins Marseille and Cassis by the creeks. To descend to the Calanque de Morgiou, we had to pass a final ladder, which was totally unavoidable. My husband came down to take a great photo while I was babysitting Musher. Then I went down to do the same and we had to, forced, forced and frustrated, turn back again with Musher. The poor had nothing to do with it, but I cursed that I couldn't enjoy this magnificent place with her. She would have loved to swim there. What a desappointment. All this way for nothing! So, back home, I looked for a solution to be able to bring her down on those famous ladders that were ruining our lives on hikes!
For a “small” dog, the question does not really arise. Either you take it in your arms and you go down with it or you carry it in your hiking bag or even a dog backpack. Small, less athletic dogs love this kind of bag. They do a few kilometers by your side enjoying the joys of hiking and finish the trip in the bag on your back. It's great for dogs who are not very sporty, with health problems or very young or senior. You will find lots of information about the backpacks for carrying your dog in this article.
My dog being a Labrador, it does not fit in a dog backpack !! CFQD! So I had to find another 100% safe solution for her. And to make matters worse, she has terrible vertigo, so even if I had spotted the Ruffwear doubleback harness, it did not meet our needs. It's a great harness that allows you to abseil your dog up or down along a wall. But he assumes the dog is comfortable with vertigo. Musher will never be able to step into the void and let himself slide down a ladder or wall… I have already seen dogs accompany their master in climbing thanks to this equipment. Unbelievable ! This is a practice exclusively reserved for insiders !!!!!
For my part, I had to find another solution. Julius K9's Helicopter Harness meets our needs perfectly. That's exactly what I was looking for. This is a harness used by special forces on a mission with their dog. What I like about this system is that the dog hangs on his master's backpack. So Musher is not alone on the descent, she is behind me with me. Even if it seems “simple” like that, the fact remains that going up or down a ladder with 28 kilos on your back and in an imposing format is not so easy. So you need to be sure you can do this safely for you and your dog. It is a very technical material, of high quality and rather expensive but it is perfect for my practice. The dog is like in a bag with 4 holes for its legs. Impossible for him to fall. The only downside to this material is its weight and size. Also when I leave for the day and I know that I will cross ladders, I take it but when I go on a trek with my dog, I cannot carry this equipment in addition to the tent, duvet, croquettes...
From now on, no more ladder will resist us!! Hallelujah!! This weekend, we are leaving for a 2-day trek in the Cévennes. We plan 40 km of hikes. We will feast. For information, the Cévennes national park is regulated: dogs must be kept on a leash and bivouacs are authorized at certain times and in certain sectors only.
If you want to revise the basics a bit and have other tips to get started: discover the article Hiking with your dog cannot be improvised. Nice outings to you!