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So question for you guys that take your pets on back country camping trips. Do you do anything special for them in terms of keeping them warm at night? Planning some stuff with my Aussie and I'm just wondering what's required, if anything, for her to sleep in temps down to about 30 degrees or so.
She is a house dog but doesn't mind the cold and snow in the winter but that's when we're doing things or playing outside. I'm sure she'd rather have it cooler than warmer when sleeping at night even in the house. Do you bring a light blanket or anything to cover them up with when temps drop into the upper 20's or lower 30's? Maybe a small closed cell foam pad to insulate against the ground?
I dunno just wondering. I want to make it comfy for her too. Maybe I'm over thinking this but I'd like her to enjoy her time as much as possible so she looks forward to going.
I bring 1/3 of a foam mat for my dog, then throw my down jacket over her. Doesn't mean she likes it, she usually just likes sleeping on the down jacket on the ground.
Still Here
been scared and battered. My hopes the wind done scattered. Snow has friz me, Sun has baked me,
Looks like between 'em they done Tried to make me
Stop laughin', stop lovin', stop livin'-- But I don't care! I'm still here!
Langston Hughes
Play to the habits of your dog. With blankets, some lay on top, tunnel, or tunnel and bun up in a ball. They also differ on where they liked to be such as curled up next to you or by your feet facing away on "sentry" duty. As claws can do a number on your UL bag's nylon cover, I'd second the foam to get off the cold ground and add a durable blanket they can tunnel in if they get cold, ideally something from home they know and are used to, bonus if it's a "taco" sewn on two sides to make it easy to burrow into. Might test things in the backyard first if there's a cold snap in the forecast.
"A few hours' mountain climbing make of a rogue and a saint two fairly equal creatures.
Tiredness is the shortest path to equality and fraternity - and sleep finally adds to them liberty."
I find a warm dog coat to be the best option to keep them warm at night when the temps drop. And a nice thick dog bed to keep them off the ground.
Anything not attached to them (like a coat) will fall off when they move around.
Depends on the dog, of course. My greyhound used to get cold at night, so a coat and blankets were required, but a husky might not need anything except a bed.
"Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earthbound misfit, am I." -David Gilmour, Pink Floyd
"We knocked the bastard off." Hillary, 1953
"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." Hillary, 2003
Couldn't we all use 50 years of humble growth?
-Steve Gladbach
I have a Shiba that does fairly well in cold temps, but sub-freezing on cold ground he needed something extra and it needed to be something he was forced to stay in. Blankets didn't work because aside from being large and annoying to carry, he would get out during the night, move around, and then he's uncovered and cold.
We found a child's heavy winter coat at a thrift store, cut the arms off and sewed them shut, sewed the bottom shut, and now it's his sleeping bag. It works great and it can be easily rolled up so he can carry it himself.
My husky/aussie mix sleeps on an old dog bed. When it gets really cold I bring an extra blanket and she burrows herself into it.
I think the previous point about playing to the habits of your dog is the best way. I know my dog wouldn't like a blanket on top of her, but your dog might. If it ever gets too cold you can always let them climb into your sleeping bag with you.
I ended up buying a sleeping bag specifically for my dog. Camping itself it's not a big deal but for backpacking it is great to have as it comes with a stuff sack will attach to the top of his pack so he carries it!
Aussie's have a decent amount of fur but I agree with the other posters about needing something upon which she can sleep. I have a Vizsla. He has a very short coat and almost no body fat so I do worry about him getting cold. We've tried taking a cushion that was originally intended for a car seat / back. We put the cushion in one side of his dog pack and a 5x5 fleece blanket in the other side. We've given up on the cushion since it was just too bulky and now fold a jacket (goretex side out) and let him curl up on that, in his dog sweater, and under the fleece. He sleeps next to me or in between me and my tent mate and he's fine. We once took him on a camping trip where it got down into the single digits at night. As long as you make sure the dog is insulated from below and covered from above they will be okay. If they get too cold, just pull them against your body and share the warmth!
I used to have a malamute several yeas ago and he would get too hot if I did any of the above. He preferred to sleep outside, curled up on the snow, and wouldn't want inside until it was below -20F. I miss that dog.
just wondering. I want to make it comfy for her too. Maybe I'm over thinking this but I'd like her to enjoy her time as much as possible so she looks forward to going.
