Hi everyone. I'm getting ready for a CT thruhike this summer, and I'm having trouble finding info on how dogs have fared on this trail. Obviously much depends on the particular dog and human. We'll do some shakedown trips once we get out west, but for now I'm trying to get a sense of what to do for his warmth at night and his paws. He's a 30-pound, sporty mutt, not particularly built for the cold, but with a decent coif of neck hair. We'll be on the trail in july/august.

I think we're going to be sleeping in a Tarptent Contrail, and I'll be under a 20* quilt, which I don't think he'll fit under. I was thinking about cutting some foam pad for him to sleep on, but it seems like he'd be pretty cold without anything over him. Should I bring a blanket or something for him? Maybe get him one of these?

How have other dogs' paws done on the trail? He's fine running on and off trail out here in Appalachia... are there many talus sections? Anyone taken dogs up on the Collegiate Peaks?