Before I start, I am not an expert, I am yet to do the Advance Backpacking (WPDA) with my dogs as I am waiting until my youngest has her WPD title before starting on the next one up with them all. This is just a list of what I would usually take on a backpacking walk.

WAIT - Have you told someone where you are going!! Remember if walking alone or in remote areas, let someone know where you are going and how long you expect to be!

My Backpack

Here is a list of what I would normally take on a backpacking walk, especially if walking alone. The list below is for day walks of about 3 – 6 hours.

First and foremost is to use a well-fitted backpack, suitable for your needs. Make sure it fits you properly, and isn’t going to move around on your shoulders or rub under your arms.

I like to use a camelback – here is the one I use: http://www.camelbak.com/Sports-Recreation/Packs/2011-Mule.aspx

It means I can carry my water and means that if the dog is walking comfortably there is no reason to keep stopping to drink. With a fit dog, I would usually only stop twice. The pack can also be fully adjusted which is great as I am quite little.

Inside my backpack –

1. First Aid Kit – including painkillers and blister treatments
2. Dog First Aid Kit
3. Mobile phone, fully charged and if on pay as you go, topped up with credit.
4. Map of where I am walking with the route planed out.
5. GPS to track my route. I use a Garmin Edge 705. This fab little devise allows me to load up the map I will be using and plan a route and follow it like a Sat Nav. It also tracks your route and gives you your average pace. Take a look at one of our previous walks to give you an idea of the detail this GPS gives you. Using a GPS also  gives great evidence of your walk and through the connect.garmin site you can share your great achievement with friends.
   
6. Camera – It is important if you are completing backpacking walks for Alaskan Malamute Club of America (AMCA) titles, to take a camera and photograph your route. This acts as great evidence that you have completed the requirements. Get passers by to take photos of you and your dogs, take photos of trail signs and mark on your map where you took the photos. My backpacking camera is a little point and shoot Canon Ixus 210.
   
7. Sunglasses
8. Spare pair of socks – for that deeper than you thought it was puddle!
9. Lightweight waterproof coat – one that folds up small.
10. Compass
11. Notepad and Pen
    

What to wear

Of coarse this is mainly common sense and is weather dependent. After checking the weather forecast for the morning of your walk, ignore the weatherman when he says it is going to be dry. Always pack a lightweight waterproof coat. I like to cover all bases, waterproof WALKING trainers/boots are a must, especially over rocky, uneven terrain. Do not wear jeans! These get heavy when wet, they stay wet and get cold making the most simple walks, tiresome and uncomfortable. I wear lightweight trousers, that are breathable and quickly drying. I love the Craghopper range of clothing and there is usually something to suit all types of weather.

For warmer weather, you can’t go wrong with a pair of these Craghopper Kiwi pants, the legs zip off to leave you with a pair of shorts. Be careful though as if it is warm enough for you to wear shorts, your dog may be struggling with the heat too so plan extra stops in the shade and plan stops near water to cool off.

For cooler weather, Craghopper do a range of fleece-lined trousers, I practically live in these during the winter when out at races and weight pulls.

T-shirts, try and avoid heavy material, and choose instead material that help wick away sweat, to keep you dry and also dry fast when they get wet.

Last but not least, a jumper, a lightweight fleece is usually good, walks are usually best started at dawn, when it is cold and on walks I have planned, we aim to be finished before the heat of the day. A lightweight fleece will be easier to carry or tie around your waist when not in use.

The dogs backpack

So now I have taught you all to suck eggs… Here is what I use to fill out a dogs pack for the AMCA Working Pack Dog title (WPD)

The best packs I have found are the Weneha Explorer III and the Ruffwear Pallisades pack, both can be bought from Snowpaw Store. These packs have a harness, which is always attached around the dog, and the pack/panniers then attach to the harness. This makes things easier for water stops as you just unclip the pack and it comes off. It also makes things easy for styles and swing gates, and should your dog want to swim to cool off, you can keep the harness on your dog and remove the pack without the kerfuffle of taking it all off over the dogs head and then wrangling with your dog to get it back on again.

After you have weighed your dog, I find things much easier to round the pack-weight up to the nearest 0.5KG. This way I know that my dog is definitely carrying the correct weight. I’ll use my Selene as an example.

On one of Selene’s walks she weighed 40.37kg meaning she had to carry 12.11kg (including the weight of the pack itself). It is much easier to weigh out to the nearest 0.5kg so she carried 12.5kg and being Selene, she wouldn’t notice a few grams anyway. Of this original starting pack weight, 70% of this was “dead” weight and 30% of this was consumables, such as water, dog treats etc. This ensures that of the original weight, only up to 30% is used up by the end of the walk. Personally though, I have never completed a walk where any of my dogs have used nearly as much as 30% of their original weight… could you drink 3.75kg of water??

So to summerise:

1. Weigh the dog
2. Work out 30% of the dogs weight for your starting weight.
3. Round UP to the nearest kg (optional… you don’t need to I just do it for ease of use)
4. Work out 70% of this starting pack weight and fill with “dead weight” fill the remaining 30% with consumables.
5. Weigh the pack including the harness (if the backpack can be removed from the harness).
6. Start walking!

So what do I use for weight?

1. Lead shot diving weights in 1kg or 2kg bags. You can get these from any good diving shop. They are great if you can get hold of them as there are no sharp edged on them and the bags mold to the dogs shape so no need to wrap awkward shaped and hard edged weights in teatowels. They are also small and compact meaning they take up little room.  
2. Tin cans… usually the mushroom soup that has been hiding in the cupboard.
3. Bottles of soft drink (for the human).
4. Leads, Collars, etc
5. Water – you can get water pouches that will mold to the dogs shape. If you can’t get these, then I find the small bottle of 50cl water great. I weigh these at home to make sure they weigh 0.5kg (including the packaging).
6. Dog treats, when I stop for lunch, my dogs do too, so I usually pack some Pedigree Jumbones.
7. Collapsible water bowl, either a ruffwear or canadog one, both can be bought from Snowpaw Store 

Remember not to put anything that can get damaged when wet or likely to get broken... it is not a good idea to put your sandwiches in the dogs pack, especially if he or she is a puddle magnet... not mentioning names Lucien!!

Other essentials

One thing I will never walk my dogs without, no matter how impeccably good they are on the lead, is a walking belt. It allows me to be connected to my dog at all times, and also allows my hands free should we be walking over rough ground.

I also use a ROK Strap bungee lead, these aren’t as stretchy as the Manmat bungee leads allowing me to stay in control of my dog, especially when using the traffic handle. I connect the belt and the lead with a carabiner.

Poo bags – when walking in public places always pick up after your dogs. On some forest trails you can get away with not picking up, if you kick it off the main forest trails. But I still always pick up… I’m just glad that I get mine to go before we leave on the walk, as they used to have a habit of walking 500yards and then going meaning I had to carry the pooey bag for the next 10 miles! Of course now… if they go when walking… they end up carrying it as I just pop it in their pack.

Hopefully this is all understandable and I am happy to answer questions. I have tried to stay away from what to do when out walking and just keep it basic as to what you will need when on a walk.

Remember this is a fun activity for you and your dog. My dogs love backpacking, especially my little Selene (as some friends saw on a walk recently) her face lights up when I get her backpack out, and I would love if you experienced that for yourselves with your own dogs. With good, slow, progressive training, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to enjoy this great one to one activity with your dog and even better when shared with friends!

Sammy Taylor

www.luponooshka.com