Taking your pet with you on a camping trip can be challenging, but on the other hand, it can also be very rewarding and enjoyable. The following is a basic checklist that you may find helpful:
necklace and leash
pet food
Drinking water
Food and water dishes, both indoors and outdoors.
candies
bone
favorite toys
favorite blanket
Gloves and bags for cleaning – don’t always go in the bushes – ha ha!
Pet carrier, if needed.
Remember, your pet will be happy to be with you wherever you are, but providing security and protection will give you peace of mind. Always be aware of where your pet is when he is off leash. It’s easy to get distracted for a few minutes, talking to other campers, etc., and then suddenly realize your pet is gone. I am going to share a scary story with you, not to scare or surprise you, but to explain the importance of being mindful of your pet’s safety. My husband and I have owned a caravan for many years. Our kids had a habit of clambering back and forth between the RV and the truck cab through the sliding windows in both the truck cab and the RV. These windows also allowed us to communicate while traveling. This worked fine until we took our pet with us on a camping trip. We had acquired the cutest fluffy white kitten about a month prior to this trip. My daughter loved cats and named this one Fluffy. She insisted that we bring Fluffy with us. Everything was great for the first two hours of driving. The children and Fluffy were having a great time. Then everyone fell asleep. When we got to camp, we woke up the kids and started looking for Fluffy. We couldn’t find her anywhere. We finally concluded that she must have climbed out the window and into the small open space between the truck and the trailer. The children were devastated and we all learned a valuable lesson.
My grandchildren now have a Pomeranian they call Rascal. The name suits him perfectly. He is so full of life and vigor. He always gets into trouble and then looks at us with his big black eyes, as if to say, “I didn’t mean that, the devil made me do it.” Anyway, we took Rascal camping with us this summer, for the first time. He loved the beach. He would roll and roll in the sand, and then jump into the lake. He would do this over and over again. It was definitely the entertainment of the evening. And, at night, he loved to sit with us around the campfire. A word of caution here; Rascal liked to chew on a stick of split wood that he found in the woodpile. He could have put a splinter in his mouth. We had to watch it very closely. So watch out for that problem. A chew bone would have helped solve that problem, but we didn’t have one with us. Now, go out and have fun, and enjoy the love of your pets.