What's in Owen's Travel Bag (and how we travel)?

As some of you may know, when I travel, I take Owen along most of the time. He is a good traveler and enjoys seeing new places and doing new things. So, given that, what do I have in Owen’s travel bag?

The Bag: Owen’s travel bag has been a messenger-style bag, but I am upgrading it very soon to a hiking day pack. The reason for the upgrade is that Owen’s travel bag doubles as his “trail bag”, which is what I take when I go on hikes with him and need supplies such as water, emergency medications, and treats. The messenger bag works well if you don’t plan to use it as a hiking bag but if you do plan to use it for that, a hiking day pack works better because the messenger bag can make your back and shoulders sore on longer hikes since it is a side-slung bag. I am upgrading to an Osprey Daylite bag.

The Stuff: I keep a variety of things in Owen’s bag. Some things stay in it all the time, some things only go along for longer trips and come out when I am hiking.

Here’s what stays in the bag all the time:

1. Water bowl and water bottle. I use a Klean Kanteen bottle and a plastic water bowl. This is just what works for me and there are many options in this category.

2. Collapsible food bowl. I have a collapsible food bowl in here. It doesn’t get used often but I have it if I need it.

3. Treats. I always keep a variety of treats in the bag, including soft treats, crunchy treats, and freeze-dried treats.

4. Emergency medications/supplies. Owen has allergies so I keep a couple doses of allergy meds in his bag in case I need them for him. Additionally, I was advised by Owen’s vet years ago to carry diphenhydramine (Benadryl) just in case he was bitten by a venomous snake again (see here for more about that). I also carry things like cotton balls, gauze, etc. for minor injuries.

5. Extra poop bags. Nothing else to say about that.

6. Cooling neck wrap. This is made for humans but can work for dogs too. It’s great to have in an emergency where your dog (or you) overheats.

The things that are in his bag when I go on a longer trip are as follows:

1. Pouches of tuna, salmon, chicken, or dog food toppers such as Blue Wilderness Trail Toppers or The Honest Kitchen powdered bone broths. These are great for hydration and getting a picky dog to eat. I know many dogs are pickier when away from home and these can be just the thing to entice them to eat. The pouches are convenient and don’t require can-openers.

2. Food and regular food bowl. This one is obvious. Whether it actually goes in the bag or not is dependent on how long I will be traveling and how much food I need.

3. Brush/comb/nail-clippers. I keep a brush, comb, and nail-clippers in the bag to help remove any material caught in his fur and to trim a nail if needed.

4. Toys. I usually bring along a soft stuffed toy (whichever one he is currently liking most), a treat toy (such as a Kong), and a rope toy, but you can bring whatever toys your dog is most excited about.

5. Towel. This is a must if you are going somewhere your dog may get dirty or wet.

6. Baby wipes. I use these to spot-clean and to help with smell.

7. Extra leash. This is useful in case your normal leash breaks or if you just need an extra. I usually bring a super long “training leash”, which can be used to give your dog more room to run while still being safe.

8. Shampoo. This comes along as you never know when your dog may need to be bathed. You can put it in a travel bottle if you need to save space.

How We Travel:

Owen wears a car safety harness when we travel in the car. This has become a routine whether we are just going for a 10-15 minute trip into town or a longer ride somewhere. For more information about car harnesses, click here. 

How do you travel with your dog(s)? I think traveling with a dog is great and, for many dogs, is preferable to boarding them in a kennel.