Packing bag for dogs: ideal for tackling the 5 most beautiful hikes in France with your dog
Do you like nature ? Do you want to go on an adventure with your dog? Go hiking with your dog for several days. I often see photos of masters with their dogs trekking or trekking in magnificent places. Musher and I love these kinds of getaways. It's a perfect activity to share with your dog. This strengthens our bond while combining sport and the discovery of breathtaking landscapes.
Before sharing with you the top 5 of the most beautiful hikes to do with your dog, find a special focus dog pack bag. While roaming or on a day trip, your dog may carry his equipment. Which equipment to choose? How to choose it well? I present here different models of packsacks for dogs. To provide you with more technical details, I interviewed Matthieu Morin, expert at Morin France. His advice will surely be very valuable to you.
Come on, adventurers!
The dog pack bag: useful or futile?
As lovers of hiking, by the day or over several days, you have no doubt noticed that your backpack quickly becomes heavy: food, sleeping bag, kway, headlamp, duvet for dog, croquettes, water⊠and the tent! And yes, who says hiking independently over several days says bivouac with his dog and therefore a big (too big) hiking bag to carry all the necessary equipment.
Any good hiker knows that weight is a formidable enemy⊠In order not to carry everything on my back, I absolutely had to find a way to lighten my backpack. So I thought of involving my dog ââa little more in the common effort, by making sure he could carry his things. My solution? the pack bag for dog. It's a revolution! Thanks to his packsack, my dog ââcan carry his own equipment: water, kibble, first aid kit...
Be careful, you have to choose⊠You will have to choose between the traction harness and the packsack. Your dog will not be able to tow you in cani-rando mode and at the same time carry his belongings. Musher has a very good recall, she evolves freely by my side. My choice was therefore very easy: I opted for the packsack!
Which packsack for my dog?
There are many models of pack bag for dog or hiking harness, but be careful the choice of the latter is important. Don't buy the first pack bag you find.
The expert's view
To help you choose the best equipment for your dog, a canine expert. A specialist in dogs, he equips security dogs all over the world!
Here are his tips:
Matthew Morin : âTo ensure your dog's comfort, you need to take the time to analyze all the features of the material. To help you see more clearly, know that four specific criteria must be taken into account.
Your dog's body type
In reality, a packsack is a harness fused with a hiking pack. Between a stocky and robust dog, like the malamute, and a thin and slender dog, like the greyhound, the suitable pack bag will not necessarily be the same. Rest assured, there are hiking bags for all types of dogs!
To find the one that corresponds to your dog's morphology, you must first measure the chest circumference and the length of your dog's back.
If the equipment is too small, your dog will be compressed and the friction of the bag can cause injuries. On the other hand, if it is too wide, it will not fit properly on your dog's back. An unbalanced and spinning bag can also injure him over time.
A pack sack that is poorly adjusted to his size may therefore hinder him when hiking and/or even injure him. To avoid chafing and irritation, Ruffwear has created a chest protection for Ruffwear pack bags.
Generally speaking, it is said that the dog can carry up to a third of its weight. Personally, I find that huge. In the case of Musher, Sophie's dog, this implies that Musher could carry up to 10 kilos! Sophie limits it to half that weight and prefers to let her get used to it and build her back for that weight. And she is right ! Let your dog help you, ok; but be careful to respect your dog's abilities and limits. âWho wants to go far takes care of his mountâ as the saying goes.
Before choosing the bag, remember to take into account its own empty weight.
If your dog has health problems (arthritis dog, senior dog, overweight dog, too thin dogâŠ), quickly banish the idea of ââputting a hiking bag on his back. If your dog is growing, it's the same thing. Let him grow and complete his growth before putting him on his back.
The fixing system
A properly fitted dog backpack should fit your dog's body perfectly in order to provide maximum comfort. Choose a simple fixing system. Generally, the first step is to put the hiking harness over your dog's head. Then attach the attachments, at the front and ventral, and adjust them to the size of your dog. Be careful not to tighten too much, he must feel comfortable in his movements.
Prefer clips to straps: once adjusted, no need to edit them; rather than straps that have to be refastened every time and that require your dog to be calm and patient.
Also check that the fasteners and attachment straps are reinforced with a protective membrane to prevent the strap or clip from rubbing directly on your dog's hair or skin to avoid friction injuries. It's still much more pleasant to carry a backpack with padded straps than a bag that lacerates your shoulders with simple straps. It's the same principle here for your dog's harness.
Saddlebags
Before buying your dog's pack bag, make sure that the maximum load of the bags is suitable. From one model to another, this capacity may be different. Some bags, like the Palisades Pack from Ruffwear contain water bladders.
Speaking of saddlebags, if you want the ride to be enjoyable and comfortable for your dog, make sure to balance the weight of both saddlebags. For example, I advise you not to place your dog's water in his packsack. As soon as you give him a drink, you will have to succeed in re-balancing the bag correctly: thank you for the puzzle!
Some bags have removable panniers, which offers the possibility of being able to remove the panniers from your dog's back during breaks or to relieve his back in delicate or narrow passages. This is a real good point for this kind of material!
Often packsack bags are not waterproof... Sophie paid the price with Musher. During a hike, it started to rain heavily and she hadn't expected it⊠Musher's croquettes were in her hiking bag. I'm not drawing you a picture, you can imagine the result: his croquettes had turned into mash. A cat!
To remedy this waterproofing problem, Ruffwear has released a rain protection for the bag saddlebags. Approach Pack and Palisades Pack.
Finishes
The presence of a handle on the packsack makes it easy to carry your dog in the event of obstacles to be overcome. This handle must be very solid, it should not break when you lift your dog. It must be able to support the weight of your dog.
A good pack bag also has reflective strips to help you spot your dog better in the dark. Even if your hiking harness is fitted with reflective strips, opt for brightly colored equipment and a light system.
Most hiking shelters have an attachment loop for the longe, but as said above, your dog is not a mule! Traction harness or packsaddle, you will have to make a choice. No question of your dog towing you and carrying his belongings at the same time!
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Thank you Matthew for all these details! This time, we see more clearly! To end this article in style, with Musher, we have concocted our selection of the best pack bags for dogs:
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The Approach Pack â Ruffwear : Our favorite !
If you want to find our packsack test, I advise you to read the article My dog ââalso has his hiking bag! You will discover in more detail my feedback on several of these equipments.
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Go, now that you are well equipped, I take you to discover the 5 most beautiful hikes to do with your dog ! Let's go on an adventure guys.
Pssssst: Want to know more about hiking with your dog? Take a look at these articles: âHiking with your dog cannot be improvised"; "Bivouac and cani-rando in the mountains"And"Where to hike with your dog?â. Other articles coming very soon on the Mag' of EmmĂšneTonChien.com ! Stay connected and listen and listen! !
In the meantime, for more info, holiday advice and dog-friendly tips, follow EmmĂšneTonChien.com on our facebook page et our instagram account : )