What dog hiking gear is needed for the winter? Winter is coming, and it’s coming fast; these 8 items will be worth their weight in gold when it does!
- WARM JACKETS
- WARMER / DRYER JACKETS
- MUSHERS SECRET
- WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS / DROPS
- DOG BOOTS
- UV EYE PROTECTION
- GROUND PAD
- SOL EMERGENCY BLANKET
WHERE TO START!?
I assume you have a dog gear kit for adventures already, and you’re looking to winterize it. If you haven’t built a gear system for your dog yet, check out this 🐾RELATED ARTICLE – 12 DOG BACKPACKING & HIKING ESSENTIALS – COMPLETE KIT!🐾 Most of your gear will carry over; there are just a few tweaks that need to be made.
The problems you will face in the winter months with your gear are due to the freezing temperatures. Let’s talk about each item and why I feel it’s important to consider adding or upgrading them to your current dog pack setup.
WARM JACKETS
just like us, we need warmer jackets in the winter. You should find a puffy coat for the colder months, especially for the shorter coat adventure seekers. You may even want to double down and bring two coats! One for hiking and one for basecamp. This will give the other jacket time to dry. You don’t ever want to dry your coat by the fire; it’s most likely going to burn or make the material very brittle. You could put the jacket in your foot box to help it dry and prevent freezing at night.
PHOTO: MUSHERS SECRET Price Linked Here
MUSHERS SECRET
I love this stuff. For one, it smells AMAZING, and more importantly, it actually works. I use this on Liberty in the summer and winter months. I will apply it when I know she’s going to rest for a bit. I put it on if she’s going to wear her boots or when there is tons of snow on the ground. It’s made from all natural waxes too! It comes in a huge container, but I scoop some out and put it in a travel bottle. You can find them in any drug store travel section.
WARMER / DRYER JACKETS
PHOTO: HURTTA SLUSH Price Linked Here
PHOTO: HURTA DOWNPOUR Check Linked Price Here
Hurtta makes two jackets that are almost full-legged and waterproof. If the temps are going to drop, or you have a pupper who isn’t a fan of the cold, this might be your top pick. Keeping a dog dry is 90% of keeping a dog warm battle.
WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS / DROPS
I usually carry a Sawyer Squeeze Point One filter. During sub-freezing temperatures, the filter is prone to freezing. The manufacturer recommends replacing it once it’s frozen. Some will carry their filters on a lanyard around their necks to prevent this from happening. You can sleep with it at night too. At this point, you have to look at treating your water with tablets or drops. Be careful of the drops you use; some can’t be used below 40°F. You may also need to use more drops or tablets because of the colder temperatures. As always, follow your manufacturer’s instructions.
DOG BOOTS
I wrote about dog booties being optional in other kits. When it comes to extreme hot or cold adventures, a good pair of boots is worth it. Take care of your puppers tires; it’s their ticket home. I can’t even imagine the pain of hiking miles upon miles while my feet were burned or frozen. Make sure to practice with the boots to get them acclimated. Make sure you size them right and put them on correctly. I’d hate to lose a $75 pair of shoes in the snow!
UV EYE PROTECTION
PHOTO: REXSPECS Price Linked Here
Snow blindness is a thing. Basically, it’s a very painful sunburn of your eyeball causing loss of vision, etc. Guess what? Your dog is susceptible to this as well. We throw on a pair of sunglasses, your dogs can’t…or can they!? RexSpecs and Doggles are the two companies I see the most of. Right now I am living in a very dusty desert, and Liberty wears clear RexSpecs for the sand. She has the sunglass insert that we use while hiking.
Know that this can take some time to get your dog used to. It requires a ton of patience over time. Liberty still hasn’t mastered the RexSpecs, I’m thinking about drying the doggles to see if she likes them better.
GROUND PAD
PHOTO: RUFFWEAR HIGHLANDS BAG Price Linked Here
Ruffwear and Hurtta make the lightest ground pads for our dogs. I love the Ruffwear Highlands version because it has a zipper and can open up into a longer dog bed making it more versatile. You can add a Highlands Pad to make it even warmer. The Hurta Outback Dreamer is a saucer style bed that may be difficult for larger dogs to get comfortable in.
You can also get a closed-cell ground pad and cut it to length. I use a Thermarest Z seat for Liberty. I get to have a butt pad while in camp and Liberty gets to be warm at night. I use a ground quilt myself and drape some of Liberty while she is sleeping. If we are hammocking, this is a non-issue b/c she will lay next to me in the hammock.
SOL EMERGENCY BLANKET
PHOTO: SOL SURVIVAL RESCUE BLANKET Price Linked Here
I always ALWAYS carry a space blanket in my kit. If it’s winter time, you may want your dog to bring one too. I use the survival version. It only weighs 3.3 ounces and can be used as a shelter, ground sheet, or a sleeping bag. It reflects 90 percent of heat, keeping you warm!
SNOW DAYS
There is nothing better than hiking a clean trail with your dog. You see your footsteps and paw prints behind you, showing you where you’ve come from, but everything in front of you is a clean path. The way ahead, full of decisions not yet made. The sheer eerie peacefulness of the solitude recharges my soul.
RTH: Real Talk To Hikers. Since you have made it this far in the post, I feel like I can trust you with my dirty little secret. I may have, kinda sorta hit Liberty with a snowball (Title Image). That would explain the look I’m getting. 🐕❄☄🌟
If this article was helpful, please share it. Throw it on your Facebook page for others to read. If I’m missing something, let me know, and I’ll be sure to expand on it. These articles are meant for you, me, and the rest of our dog loving family. Your inputs will help broaden articles and in the end, helps everyone out. Stay safe and adventure those adventures!
