What do you do for a blanket for your dog?

[Goonky]

I'm headed out to the Bigelows in Maine this weekend with my dog Charlie and they are predicting night time temps in the 40s. That'll be the coldest night I've spent on the trail, but I have a 20 degree mummy bag. I don't think he'll fit in it. :)

So what about Charlie? I have lots of options for what to bring, lots of stuff around the house.I have some fleece I bought to make him a sleeping pad (sewed tyvek on the bottom). Will that be enough to cover him?

What do other folks do? Am I worrying too much? I don't want him to be uncomfortable.

[Studlintsean]

I'm headed out to the Bigelows in Maine this weekend with my dog Charlie and they are predicting night time temps in the 40s. That'll be the coldest night I've spent on the trail, but I have a 20 degree mummy bag. I don't think he'll fit in it. :)

So what about Charlie? I have lots of options for what to bring, lots of stuff around the house.I have some fleece I bought to make him a sleeping pad (sewed tyvek on the bottom). Will that be enough to cover him?

What do other folks do? Am I worrying too much? I don't want him to be uncomfortable.

I think a lot depends on the type of dog. Some on here have huskies, shepherds, etc and they mention their dogs can sleep outside the tent in the snow. On the other hand, I have a American Pit Bull Terrier and he is very lean and seems to turn into a huge wuss when it gets a bit chilly in the tent. This past trip I brought him a very thin fleece blanket and a very thin piece of an old CCF sleeping pad. Last winter I brought a much thicker CCF sleeping pad and much thicker fleece blanket plus a fleece made by ruffwear and he was still cold. Im interested in some of the responses you can and have thought about maybe using a childs sleeping bag cut in half and resewn together.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I use a closed cell foam pad and a military surplus poncho liner for my dog when we are 3 season camping.

[Drybones]

I take a portion of a lightweight foam pad for him to sleep on, a kids sleeping bag if it's cold and a fleece pull over if it's really cold...and two pounds of food per day.

[Goonky]

Thanks everyone. He's a short haired mutt. Last time we hiked, it got a little chilly - not down to the 40s though. I wondered if he was cold - I wasn't convinced he was warm because he seemed more snuggly than usual. :) I do think it's warmer in the tent than a shelter, so we're going to try and tent this weekend.

I think I'll bring a fleece blanket for him. He already has something under him. I can always throw my coat over him too if he needs more.

[Drybones]

I cut the sleevs off at the elbows on the one he sleeps in on trail. Good thing about these is they can't get uncovered. I get them at a thrift store for $2 or less.
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[kerosenehat]

Nice looking dog

[Goonky]

I cut the sleevs off at the elbows on the one he sleeps in on trail. Good thing about these is they can't get uncovered. I get them at a thrift store for $2 or less.
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That's damn clever.

[The Solemates]

good idea.

it really depends on the dog. notice i did not say the breed.

my old black and tan i used to go with never got cold. well Im sure he did, but he never whined about it or acted like it bothered him. i routinely took him out into the teens with no cover and he did fine. many times he wouldnt even come into the tent with me - he liked keeping watch so much that he sleeped outside on the ground. too bad he had to go die on me.

contrast that with the 2 walkers i have now, which is virtually the same breed as the black and tan. they are wimps and dont like to be the least bit cold. they want to be inside your sleeping bag with you much below 30. course these are girls so that may have something to do with it?

[Drybones]

good idea.

it really depends on the dog. notice i did not say the breed.

my old black and tan i used to go with never got cold. well Im sure he did, but he never whined about it or acted like it bothered him. i routinely took him out into the teens with no cover and he did fine. many times he wouldnt even come into the tent with me - he liked keeping watch so much that he sleeped outside on the ground. too bad he had to go die on me.

contrast that with the 2 walkers i have now, which is virtually the same breed as the black and tan. they are wimps and dont like to be the least bit cold. they want to be inside your sleeping bag with you much below 30. course these are girls so that may have something to do with it?

It's tough not to spoil a good looking lady. Don't know if it was your post or someone else, but there was a photo of a walker that I kept trying to pet on my computer screen...twas pretty pup.

[The Solemates]

It's tough not to spoil a good looking lady. Don't know if it was your post or someone else, but there was a photo of a walker that I kept trying to pet on my computer screen...twas pretty pup.

not sure but i like my 2 girls, attached. i had a lab for years growing up. but there's just something about hounds. a beagle, a black and tan, and 2 walkers later, and I dont think I'll ever go back to another breed. the only thing I miss is the retriever instinct, which obviously hounds dont have. but their demeanor more suits me. 2385023851

[Drybones]

not sure but i like my 2 girls, attached. i had a lab for years growing up. but there's just something about hounds. a beagle, a black and tan, and 2 walkers later, and I dont think I'll ever go back to another breed. the only thing I miss is the retriever instinct, which obviously hounds dont have. but their demeanor more suits me. 2385023851

That's them...mighty pretty girls.

[Hipcheck]

My lab/shep mix can fit in my winter bag.. I got a long/wide just for that purpose.. But if I use another bag and he's chilly, he gets to wear my Nano Puff(whatever long sleeve insulation you have would be fine). Being a girl, I always have a hair tie, which I use to hold up the extra baggy waist. Then just roll up the sleeves, and voila! Doggy Oven! It's always better to use one item in your pack for multiple things, than to have multiple items that only serve one purpose.

Let me see if I can snap a pic....



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[Wise Old Owl]

This is a tough thread and here is why, a house dog is as dumb as a post.. You can set a foam bed and a quilt top and the dog will not go for it unless trained. When we get down below 40 the dog has to be "introduced" and given clues to how to deal with the situation or you are going to have a bad night. Got to introduce them.

[AAhiker]

I have a doberman who is a big winter weeny. I find him shivering in the 40's and low 50's sometimes at night when I hike. I agree with Wise Old Owl about the silliness of some dogs. I am lucky, my mostly house dog is such a baby that if I am not quick I find him on my pad and on the end of my sleeping bag. I am going to convert him to sleeping with me in my hammock for the A.T. and my solution to the warmth issue that aside from his ruffwear Cloudchaser jacket which is thin and should work well for the day but not enough for a night(haven't found a dog jacket that covers enough of the underbelly to really keep him warm so people jackets are a decent idea) but since I am not doing that and since I will be in a hammock I am getting a SOL/AMK sport utility blanket that I plan on lining the bottom of the hammock or you could line the bottom of the tent with, when you and your puppy cuddle up just wrap it around both of you. It will allow both of you to retain more body heat and allow you to use a lighter sleeping bag. this isn't the thin mylar emergency blanket btw it is the sport utility blanket. I have noticed with my fleece pieces that wind blows through on the dog and didn't keep him as warm as I'd hoped. Also remember Dogs don't sweat so wrapping him up in a blanket like that won't produce the inside condensation that it might with a hot human body inside.

[stushica]

I have a American Pit Bull Terrier and he is very lean and seems to turn into a huge wuss when it gets a bit chilly in the tent. This past trip I brought him a very thin fleece blanket and a very thin piece of an old CCF sleeping pad. Last winter I brought a much thicker CCF sleeping pad and much thicker fleece blanket plus a fleece made by ruffwear and he was still cold. Im interested in some of the responses you can and have thought about maybe using a childs sleeping bag cut in half and resewn together.

I think our dogs are related, Mine thinks 50 is getting chilly and use to squish his 70lbs into my sleeping bag with me (thankfully I'm tiny) However I just bought a brandy new one and am reluctant to share. I have also given up the tent and started hammocking recently and have had only one failed entrance with Romeo where he went over the far side and landed on his head(oops) Generally we're quite comfortable since we cuddle close anyway but I could see it not going so well with many dogs. as far as his own bed I did buy him a APO? travel bed and he likes to sleep on it around camp but it just got all squished under me in the hammock and it's just a hair too big for his pack and it's heavy for it's size so it stays home most of the time now. I like the idea of a halved child's sleeping bag and have been considering ways to sew one myself with a wider mouth.

As much as I got excited at the idea of multipurposing a clothing item for him and I I'd ultimately rather him have his own blanket/ coat for a few reasons, most likely if he needs it, so do I, also he does usually lay on the ground where it could be damp/wet/muddy and if he get's my nonexistant down coat wet then what? We both have to be cold or stay in the sleeping bag until tomorrow when it warms up and dries it? I've been torturing him with taking measurements to either sew him his own down alternative dog coat. Wool was also a possibility but I have made no investments in materials, however if I do I'll surely post pictures :D

[stushica]

Any suggestions on how to make it the best dog coat? I already saw underbelly coverage as an issue with most manufactured ones. other suggestions? This could totally flop but I can try right?

[stushica]

Thoughts on this? They make great horse blankets but I feel like this would be difficult to pack.

http://www.weatherbeeta.com/weatherbeeta-parka-with-belly-wrap-1200d-dog-coat.html

[AAhiker]

If your going to make him one I'd purchase polartec windblock material. It will help him retain more body heat. I have a pattern I am toying with but haven't fully designed yet, but I have another one that I made with silnylon outer and thinker fleece inner, it takes more space but weighs almosts nothing. I just made it poncho style. It goes the full length of his back, has a head hole and then I cut it just in front of his "business" and used sowed velcro that connects over his back. I would proably recommend using elastic with velcro only at the ends if I made it again though. I just tuck the top into the bottom belly portion. If you were so inclined you could make loose straps that will connect around the hind legs to keep it down and warm against his puppy thighs.

[Longfan]

My lab/terrier mix sleep with me till my wife comes to bed, he then gets sent to his kennel/crate. He does know to get close and share body heat if cold. He will also stay under a blanket if he gets cold, one night it was very cold in the bed room so I wrapped him up in the light blanket we keep on the bed so his hair is on it and not the bed spread and he stayed wrapped till the wife came to bed. We had to unwrap the dog so he could go to his crate. I think with a foam pad next to me he would lay down and stay on the pad with a blanket or bag over him to stay warm; most likely wake me up if he needed to be recovered! I have never tried to hike camp with him in the cold weather.

[yerbyray]

I used to just kick up a pile of leaves for Buffett to hunker down it, he is a labrador retriever and made for the cold to some degree. I tried the blanket thing and it was futile and he never kept covered up and he always mistook the action as a game or playing.
He is too old and hip displasia is too severe for him to go much more and I hate that.

RY Ray