Milo and I have only been on the road for three days and there are already a few things I’m really glad I brought:

Hands-free leash. It’s nice to have both hands free for taking pictures, carrying things, or just comfortable hiking. When we’re attached I can sit at a picnic table and read without worrying about him.

I have a Kurgo K9 Excursion Running Belt. I bought this particular brand because it happened to be in the store and I didn’t have time to shop around. If you’re crafty you could easily make one. The Kurgo is good but not perfect. I like that it’s stretchy and the wide waistband is comfortable. The pockets for keys and poop bags are convenient, but the water bottle is too small to be useful. Milo could break the leash clips if he put his mind to it. But, I’m OK with this unintended break-away option. I don’t want him pulling me over any cliffs! If there is a situation where he might lunge, I can thread the loop of his leash through the belt itself. A hands-free leash makes setting up camp easier.

Milo lounging in his xpen

Exercise pens. I brought two 48-inch-tall exercise pens and an aluminum shade cloth. These make an easy to assemble and secure home for Milo. I can put him in there with a bed, a bowl of water and a frozen Kong and he is good for an afternoon of lounging and listening to the birds.

Frozen Kong fixings. My camper has a freezer and I brought some high quality wet dog food and two Kong toys. A can of food is enough to fill two toys, with just enough left over for a little snack for The Boy. Freeze those Kongs solid and you have a long-lasting, highly engaging dog snack—great for rainy afternoons or days when I am done walking before he is.

Not all the good things are for Milo. Some of them are just for me:

Olives.  You know what is better than salty olives after a long hike? Nothing. Total yum.

A nice plastic beer glass. This was an impulse buy at a box store just before we left. A nice cold beer in a pilsner glass goes well with the olives.

Happy camping!