Hiking

I’m sure that several of you go hiking with your staffies.
What kind of preparation do you do ?
What kind of distances do you cover ?
Any particular recommendations in terms of equipment, electrolytes in water ?

Hi
I'm hoping to do a lot of Hiking / Camping with Lucy this summer.

If she is anything like other dogs (or hikers) she will need plenty of water and snacks along the way. In my experience, dogs will walk / hike as far you will.

We will be aiming for an average of 15 miles per day.
As for electrolytes... erm... never needed them before for hiking, good Scottish tap water has done me (and my dogs) just fine

I'd be feeding her when and what I would normally feed her with a slightly larger portion size.

I'm even looking at getting her a wee tactical vest / harness to carry her snacks and water in

When I get back in from taking her for a wee walk just now I'll post about equipment etc.

That’s great, thanks alot

“Brainfart”

OK

Equipment is dependent upon what you expect to be doing.

A day hike is fairly easy to equip and plan for. A week (or longer) would require more planning, equipment and resources...

For example, my equipment recommendations would be as follows;

Boots
Regardless of the distance that you plan to cover decent boots are an absolute must. You can spend silly money on "branded" boots but at the end of the day it is all about comfort, durability and practicality.
Personally, I swear by the current British Army Issue HAIX Hi-Liability boots.
The BEST all-round boots I've ever used... and I have paid silly money for a pair of boots that lasted all of two seasons use...
For around £40 I bought a pair of good condition surplus boots via Ebay. They've lasted me two years so far and show very little signs of wear.
Take care of your feet and the dogs. Check your feet for any signs of injury and also check the dogs paws...

Suitable clothing
Always carry and pack your waterproofs where you can quickly get at them.
For hiking in I use light-weight trousers that will dry quickly if they get wet. Again, you can buy the branded multi-pocketed walking trousers... or like me buy a pair of NEW unissued British Army Issue MTP combat trousers for about a tenner
A shirt that is breathable and will wick away sweat while walking to help keep you cool. These are easily available from any good outdoor gear shop (Go Outdoors, Decathlon etc) for a few quid... yes, you can even get the military ones for around same price. They all do the same job.
Fleece - dependent on conditions, light for spring / summer and thick n heavy for winter. Pack it even if you're not wearing it while walking.
Hat and shades, again weather dependent but pack em anyway.

Rucksack / Backpack
A day-sack sized backpack (25L capacity min) for a day hike to pack waterproofs, fleece, food n water, first-aid kit.
A medium sized rucksack (approx 35 - 45L) for a few days; making sure it can carry same as day pack plus a tent, sleeping equipment, cooking equipment etc.
A Bergen sized rucksack (minimum 65L) for a week or more hike again making sure it has all the straps n attachment loops for the equipment that you'll be carrying, as per the medium sized rucksack but with more room for extra resources. This size of rucksack MUST have a decent load adjusting strap rig to ensure comfort and stability. Chest straps, padded waist belt, back length adjustment etc.
Weight wise, NEVER carry more than you need to and only carry what you need. Remember, you'll be the one carrying it
This is usually learned by trial and error.

As for prepping for a hike, plenty of walking in all weathers in all kinds of terrain... you've got a dog so you'll be used to that
Just built up the distances and the times spent out walking so as to be as sure as possible that both you and the pup are up to it

If there's anything else you wanna ask just fire away

Thanks so much for such a detailed reply

I’m just a beginner at the moment and have discovered the possibility of very nice walks of 10, 15 or 20kms. Did one with a friend last weekend and was telling myself how nice it would be to take Nifty with me. Will have to build up her current walks, I think.
Humans can snack on dried fruit, cereal bars or the such. What would the canine equivalent be or no need ?

When walking with Lucy I always carry some of the dried food that she usually eats for her main meals and the gravy bones and marrow roll dog biscuits that she loves and let her have a wee handful when we stop for a wee break. Basically, when I stop for a snack and a drink then she gets a snack and a drink to
I have a water bottle with attached dish for her that I got from Poundland and I always carry plenty of water for both of us. She does like to drink from streams though

I like to hike using trekking poles as well as they really do help to take the strain out of your knees and muscles. However, it was not easy to use these and have Lucy on the lead.
After a bit of experimenting I am hiking with her lead attached to the padded waist belt of my rucksack (seems to be working so far) she walks alongside me now rather than trying to haul me along

Camping with a dog? Lucy prefers my larger tent (4 person) to the compact tent I would normally use (2 person) and in this she's different to my previous dogs who were quite happy with the wee tent. She like her space to star fish at the end of a day's hike lol