Weekend Warrior Tips For Adventure Dogs

This weekend, Chloe and I explored the White Mountains. Though it is just a 2 hour drive, we strive to make the best of our weekend trips, and really optimize our time. If you’re a healthcare traveler who loves spending weekends exploring with your dog, a van-lifer who drives off grid for the weekend, or any inseparable human- dog team like Chloe and I, who love exploring new areas- these tips are perfect for you!

Before the Weekend

Get Chores Done During the Week

Everybody has chores. Laundry, Dishes, Cleaning- it is going to have to happen at some point and the WORST habit is to wait until Friday night (when you’re exhausted after a long work week) or worse waiting until Saturday morning to finish up a few chores before taking on the weekend. It puts a dent into the time you get to play on the weekends. Getting in the habit of a single chore choice per night on the week days can really help make you feel comfortable leaving immediately after work on a Friday to take on the entire weekend.

Stay Active and Healthy

Some Weekend Warriors hike 20 mile long trails, after sitting in the office all week. This can lead to injury so easily. Taking the time to exercise, hydrate, and add electrolytes to your routine can truly save your spirits on a weekend trip. I just think about how much more sore I’ll feel on Monday if I don’t prepare for the adventure all week.

No matter if you’re camping, hiking, driving, or any adventure dog activity- you might find that prepping for it throughout the week will make you feel better in the long run.

Choose a Base Camp

Everyone likes to adventure their own way, and everybody’s way is okay! Personally, I find my adventure dog Chloe Rue feels more comfortable if we return to the same base camp every night. It also helps me feel more connected to the area, and most of the time I’ll have a better opportunity to meet locals and find people to connect with.

We stayed in Littleton New Hampshire last weekend as our basecamp, and from there adventured out to the mountains. Littleton had the CUTEST downtown and local book shop. We enjoyed brunch and a couple breweries too. The dogs were able to feel comfortable in the airbnb. While in some cases it makes sense to hop around- We love to set up at a base camp.

Pack Smart

My sister and mom are probably cheering for me outloud about this one- because I have the WORST habit of packing last minute. I’ve learned over my weekend trips though how important it is to pack BEFORE you are leaving because you can forget some pretty essential items. I always check my list for both human 10 Essentials and the Doggy 10 EssenTAILS (Check it out right here), but I’ve forgotten things like shoes, sports bra, or even my hiking pack before. Don’t be like me! Pack before you go, so you know that everything you need is ready for you on your weekend warrior adventure.

During the Weekend Adventure

Be Weather Aware

If you’re going into the mountains with your dog, ALWAYS check the weather. We had to veto a sunrise summit last weekend due to unexpected lightning in the forecast. Chloe Rue would NEVER forgive me if I took her into a lightning storm for the second time in a year, (thanks Mount Ashland on the PCT) and we would much rather be safe.

Mountain Weather Forecast is a website that can easily be saved to your phone. If you’re on the East Coast, Mount Washington Observatory releases daily updates about the weather, and you should always check it right before heading out. Be more weather aware than glancing at your phone while in your basecamp and thinking it looks safe because the mountains are typically up to something.

If you’re off grid, use your Garmin in reach! The Garmin can update you on weather too, and is a great way to be safe when offline to communicate any emergencies.

Prioritize your Good Dog’s Needs

Remember that 20 mile trek I referenced above, and how I mentioned it was so important to prepare your body? That is also an important thing to consider for your adventure dog. Many people will exercise with their pups throughout the week, but if they are going from 3 mile walks to 20 mile treks with elevation they are also at higher risk of experiencing an injury.

Thinking about what your pup needs is important on ALL fronts. Sometimes you need to change it up last minute. I think about when Chloe and I had a 4 day weekend trip planned to Yosemite. It was a 12 hour drive down, and we originally planned a 10 mile hike while we were there. She was showing some strange symptoms of fatigue and limping so we chose really short walks and we drove around instead. It turns out that was when her lymes disease decided to show (from when she was bitten by ticks as a baby). We had SO much fun on that trip and we both will never forget one of our favorite national parks. Honestly, changing our plan to fit what she needed was a perfect way to see more of Yosemite anyway!

A few apps that can help take care of your pup’s needs along a weekend adventure include:

Sniffspot allows you to rent out people’s yards as a private dog park if they need to just run around in a safe space and decompress.
Rover has doggy daycare options all over the U.S. if you’re going somewhere that is not pet friendly.
All trails will let you know if a trail is pet friendly, on leash/off leash and how crowded it might be.
Freecampsites or campendium also reference if a campsite is pet friendly if you’re out camping, or need a quiet space to run around while on a road trip
BringFido is a great resource for finding local, dog friendly spots

What apps have you used that are helpful for dog friendly weekends?

Be Wise about Food Storage

Camping, Hiking, Roadtripping, Backpacking, and Snowboard/Skijor weekends are probably my favorite weekend warrior adventures. Kayaking, biking, and off roading are a little less common for me, but still super cool. Do you know what all of these dog friendly adventures have in common? FOOD! We have to eat when we are on adventures- I mean, really all of the time.

I have learned to set an alarm to remind me to feed Chloe. I realize most dogs probably start looking around for dinner at their dinner time, but Chloe is not like that at all. She just snuggles up and takes advantage of naps when she can. SO, I set an alarm. I keep her dog food in a container that is sealed so her austrian shepard food-hound sister can’t eat it all. And I keep that container in reach. For road trips it has a home in the back seat, for backpacking Chloes food goes right on top of our bear canister, and for hiking it’s right next to mine by her treat-os. Not having to dig for your dog food, and remembering to feed them is a game changer.

It’s also important to think about if your dog might try to eat all your food if they have access to it. There was a time when Chloe realized how incredibly tasty sandwich bread was, and if that wasn’t locked in a cooler it would disappear and I’d be stuck eating ham and cheese for lunch instead of a real sandwich.

Food storage should be in the front of your mind on dog friendly adventures. You’re protecting your dogs from eating something dangerous, and keeping their food in an easy access location. Your are keeping wildlife safe, by limiting their access to your food. Save the bears, (and chipmunks and birds), be smart about food storage!

What is something you do to help store your food properly?

Take Advantage of All Opportunities

If you are a weekend warrior who plans out every day with an itinerary, that is okay! If you’re an adventurer who does not book their stay until they arrive to where they want to go- also okay! I just always, always encourage all travelers to open their eyes and minds to the opportunities within the communities they dwell.

The Drive is a Part of your Adventure

Maybe it’s 2 hours away from home or maybe it’s 16 hours to your destination. You are most likely going on a dog friendly adventure via car. Unfortunately air travel with dogs is extremely limited (but keep your eye on Bark Air because omygawsh there are cool things happening!). So no matter how far you’re going, from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon, or from Vermont to New Hampshire – you are probably going to be driving there. Make the road trip fun!

This weekend I saw a sign for the Dog Chapel, which is something I remembered reading about before moving to Vermont, but forgot to add to my East Coast bucket list for some reason, so I hadn’t thought about it since. Thankfully we saw a sign and I remembered that an artist made a chapel special for dogs AND I remembered there was a nice place to exercise your dogs too. We figured it was a good place to stop in for some fetches before continuing along our trip.

That little Dog Chapel changed my heart forever. I cried reading about the love shared between human and dog (just don’t read the signs if you don’t want to cry because oofta); I LOVED the art gallery full of good dogs, and absolutely cherished the beautiful views and good dogs flying like angels on top of buildings. I thought it might make me sad to think about humans losing their dogs, but it was so special to have Chloe at my side there, knowing she has a shorter life than me, and when I write her story on the wall (some day like 500 years from now), I can remember having her at my side in that special place.

The moral is, stop in to the places that peak your interest! Take breaks from the road and enjoy stretching your legs with your dog for a while. Let them smell fresh grass in new places, while you take a breath of air.

The journey is never about the destination.

So my weekend warrior dog adventure friends- what are your tips to take advantage of weekends? Does anyone think you’ve lost your mind when you shrug at a 16 hour drive one way (It’s a part of the fun!) Or a 20 mile trail that’s calling your name? No matter where your paws and feet trek, we hope you always know that we wish you Happy Trails and Happy Tails everyday.

Barking Embarkers