backpacking foods

[sluj]

Hi,

I should probably preface this by saying that I'm not an experienced or particularly ambitious backpacker, but I'm hoping to get in at least a couple of weekend trips this summer. Anyways, the lighter the load, the better, so I was looking into some of the dehydrated foods: (Honest Kitchen/ Ziwi Peak / Sojos / Nature's Variety - I know there are others but can't name them off the top of my head), and wanted to hear people's experiences with them. My dog's not a picky eater, but I don't want to be marching her around on an upset stomach.

 

One thing that bothers me is the size of the recommended servings - are they as inflated as the guidelines for kibble tend to be? According to their serving sizes, a dog her weight would need 9 oz/day of ZP, 9-16 oz/day of HK, and darn near the entire bag of NV medallions. Her regular daily consumption of kibble is only 12.5oz, making me wonder if it wouldn't make more sense just to carry the food she's used to.

 

Any thoughts on these (and any others you can think of!) much appreciated!

[Liz P]

Absolutely go with the food she is used to. No one wants diarrhea on a hiking trip.

[MaggieDog]

I feed HK - currently Preference with beef added and Keen (and the cat gets Prowl). My dogs do eat the recommended amounts on the box: 1/2-3/4 cup dry plus an equal amount of water for Z and Maggie per meal and 1 cup dry w/ 1 cup water for Kes per meal. Z and Maggie have done quite well on any of the varieties we've fed, Kes does best on the Preference and Keen (we tried Verve and he has a bit of an upset tummy). I would def do a feeding trial with your pupper at home before taking it on the trail.

 

I'm part of the HK Allies program, so if you'd like to try the food, I can give you a coupon for $2 off a small box or $5 off a large box - just pm me.

[Alchemist]

In days past, when we went backpacking in the High Sierras with our Border collie, we used her regular kibble. She had her own pack and carried her own food. If my memory serves me correctly, even if we were out for close to a week, she didn't seem to have a problem hauling it.

[Bullet87]

I also have my dogs carry their own food and collapsable bowls. I'd much rather give them their own food that they are used to then introduce something new on an outing. Sometimes I buy those small pouches of wet food and bring a few for each dog to add to their dry kibble to entice them to eat especially if we are doing a more difficult backpack trip. Outward Hound has really good packs. Your local pet store should carry those packs and make sure to take the dog to fit for one if you have not done so already. I found that the size charts on the packs aren't always right. Good luck on you trips!

[sluj]

Thanks or the input! I'll start getting her used to her pack.

[Alaska]

For a weekend trip, it hardly matters what you feed. A few ounces more or less will not significantly change the pack weight (yours or hers) and the dog will have a great time even if you feed nothing at all. I feed raw at home and on overnight trips just bring along the regular raw meal, frozen when we start out and thawed by dinner time.

 

For multiday trips, I use kibble that is very high in protein and fat (made for racing sled dogs). Again, for just a few days it doesn't matter, but after a few weeks of continuous hiking they lose weight if I don't bump up both the size of their meals and the quality of the kibble.

 

I tried Honest Kitchen on the trail and found it to be pretty messy, both going into and coming out of the dog

 

As far as who carries the dog food, I try not to put packs on the dogs if I don't have to. Their backs aren't really designed for it and I want them to be able to keep on hiking with me into their old age. I just carry their food myself if the trip is only a few days. On a weeklong trip, I do need them to help carry the food at first, but once they eat enough, I move what's left into my own pack and let them hike naked for the last 3 days or so

[sluj]

As far as who carries the dog food, I try not to put packs on the dogs if I don't have to. Their backs aren't really designed for it and I want them to be able to keep on hiking with me into their old age. I just carry their food myself if the trip is only a few days. On a weeklong trip, I do need them to help carry the food at first, but once they eat enough, I move what's left into my own pack and let them hike naked for the last 3 days or so

 

Good point. I guess I should work on conditioning my own back some more. Or better yet, persuade the bf to buy a pack and come with.

[Cody & Duchess]

Last summer we were hiking Wheeler Peak in NM (13,100). We passed a large hiking group that had a dog with them. About an hour later the dog caught up with us - but her group was really far behind. We kept the dog with us ( it is an up and back route) - at first I gave her some of my water. I cannot tell you how happy I was when I finally checked her pack and discovered she came with her own water, waterbowl and food. I fed her at the top of the mountain- she dined with extraordinary views. On the way down we came upon her group- she was happy to see them and they made her summit again (which she was not happy with). They knew that we had her because hikers heading down had been told to pass the message. I am sure that you won't lose your dog - but since it happened I was glad that she had something to eat.

[hsnrs]

Does Pet Smart sell backpacks? What a great idea. Or, do you make your own packs? What all do you carry in them? Interesting topic.

[MaggieDog]

There's a recent thread on backpacks around here somewhere - I would stay far away from the petsmart brand for various reasons.