# Lightweight, filling dog food for pack traveling?



## ThreeKlicksAway (Mar 23, 2013)

I am planning on hiking for a while, and need my dog to carry her own food as we go along. Of course we all know how heavy dog food is, and how much they eat a day! I need something preferably cheap, and very light and filling. This will need to last a while, although I can get more on the way if I have too. It is best if you can find it at any old store, just in case.
Thanks for your help!

-Klick


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

What kind of stores are you likely to find: mom and pop, nationwide chains, feed stores or specialty stores?


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I use to make liver muffins they were sort of light ok that was for one day. How long will you be hiking? How about something like Honest Kitchen because don't you soak it in water?

Something dehydrated wouldn't that be the best?


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Using more dense kibble means more energy packed in so you need to bring less. With more porous kibble you have to bring more. It all equals out. If you want you can look for kibble that has a low kcal/kg number (in the low 3000s) and get some lard. Lard is great on long hikes and trips like that.


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## ThreeKlicksAway (Mar 23, 2013)

-Celt: I am not really sure what stores I will come across. I will be traveling widely, aiming for generally specific areas, but no seriously planned destinations. I would guess I would run across the usual stores; Walmart, Meijers and stores like Tractor Supply Co., which we have around here in the north-east.

Herzo: How long will I be traveling? A long time. Too long for what you are questioning. Also, it is not exactly _only_ hiking. Either horseback riding or traveling via Jeep also. 

Dehydrated food sounds like a good idea, but is it really filling? I am not sure how expensive that is either, or if you can find that just about anywhere.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

how much weight can your dog carry? find out what's a safe amount of weight for your
dog to carry. help your dog out and you carry some food him. i just read where you're
going to traveling by horse and jeep. are you taking a pack horse or mule on your hike?
you can store food in the jeep.


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## Kassandra (Jun 6, 2012)

I feel like dehydrated would be the way to go in terms of light and filling. Yes, it is expensive and no, you wouldn't find it at any old store but it's the lightest, most filling meal I can think of really. 

But light and filling doesn't really matter. It's about calorie/fat/protein intake in this case. If a food is lighter in calories then you are going to have to feed more, heavier, then you feed less. A dense food is IMO your best bet, as DaViking said. I also agree that lard would be excellent for a trip like this. 

The only food you are going to regularly be able to find in all of those stores you mentioned (plus probably just a small town shop that doesn't have any of those stores) that I would think of are things like Pedigree, Purina, which I personally don't think is suitable at all, but especially not in this situation where your dog is going to be burning tons of calories and will be needing a LOT of nutrition. I don't think these foods are ideal for an extremely active dog.

Will you be taking your jeep with you along the way? Or any other type of car? If so, then you could store the food in there and backtrack as you need it. This way, yes your dog is still carrying her own food but only as much as she needs until you return to car - or can tolerate carrying and you can go back to the car as you need more.

I've gone hiking with Charlie last summer and made her carry her own food as well. It is extremely convenient but I was aware she could only (comfortably) carry approx 5 lbs of food - she could carry heavier things, its just that her pack was way too bulky with anything else in it and she couldn't move normally. Those 5 lbs of food went pretty quickly as you have to up their food intake when burning all those calories. I think in total her pack was 12 lbs with things like an extra leash, her bowl, extra water for her just in case we didn't come across a stream in a while, poop bags etc. Like I said, anything else in it and she couldn't move comfortably with it on and that IMO is more important than her carrying all her food at the one time.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Personally, I would carry dehydrated meats, some lard, and use a base kibble for something like you describe. Then make a "mix" with them. I'd soak the meat in hot water, then mix in the lard and kibble. It would probably be a good idea to start feeding whatever you decide on now, so you'll know how much you would need to carry and prevent any tummy problems during the hike.


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## BearMurphy (Feb 29, 2012)

where is the OP traveling? can you carry lard in warm temps without it spoiling?


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

If you're going horseback, pack a tent, pack all items on your horse and walk to the area you want to set up. OR if your horse can tow items. Get some sort of a small trailer with rugged wheels and pack that up. Tie to your horse/ride to set area. Your dog isn't going to be able to carry kibble to last beyond a week-2 weeks.

If your dog was on a raw diet and has been on for a while, you could hunt/slaughter your own meat. I think you're hoping too much for your dog to carry all his food.


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## danea (Oct 25, 2008)

it's also important to know how much protein and fat your dog can safely handle on a regular basis.
Otherwise, it could result in a very unpleasant trip.


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## ThreeKlicksAway (Mar 23, 2013)

Sorry I hadn't been replying, I have been very busy with things like school.

I am sorry to give you such vague answers, but I really can't say anything other than such. I am preparing my dog to travel with me all around the country, through the heat and probably the cold as well. This is why I am not sure what I can do if the lard melts. How could I possibly prevent it from doing so? That choice of food seems like a very good idea, and I will be sure to bring some along.

Kyra, my Golden, eats your regular fairly high quality dry food, and the occasional raw treat(Though not exactly my choice; we _do_ live in the country where the chipmunks and voles sometimes aren't fast enough.:wink: )
I could train her to eat a diet of raw meat as well, but I am not a hunter and doubt I could bear to shoot any animal. This was an idea for a day or so, but I hate to see things die. Raw meat would be a very filling diet however, and if I just killed a rabbit for example, would I have to prepare it in any way if my dog was already "accustomed" to eating such things?

I will most likely use a pack horse to carry things like a tent, food and my camera, so it could probably carry some extra weight, as long as I keep things light.


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## SuperPug (Mar 5, 2013)

Horses can carry ALOT of weight. They've been bred to carry people, which range anywhere from 100-300lbs. Even a donkey can easily manage 150-ish lbs.

If your dog gets quite accustomed to a raw diet, I don't think you'd have to prepare the food much. If you have a large dog, the dog can do the slaughtering himself. If there are any leftovers, you can simple toss/move your camping site from the area you tossed the remains or seal up/save what's left for another meal.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

A healthy horse can carry approximately 20% of it's own weight...that's the general rule. Sure some can carry more, some less it just depends, but as horse person this is the ratio that I go by.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Besides the food issue, I'm really interested and jealous about your trip. What an awesome experience that's going to be. Whereabouts roughly are you planning to go? It is my wish to one day tramp the Appalachian Trail with my dog.


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## ThreeKlicksAway (Mar 23, 2013)

MollyWoppy- Currently I am planning on seeing much of the US, and since I am a big birder as well as explorer, I would like to go to the Rio Grande in Texas, and the coast of California as well as Alaska sometime. There is just so much to see! Of course the only solution is travel it all, with my easel and canvas in hand! I am still trying to decide on ways to get money on the way though. I have a few ideas. As soon as I can handle selling some of my art, that could be a quick and fun way. Poker as well, but I am not exactly an expert yet...


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

You sound like my kind of person!


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## ThreeKlicksAway (Mar 23, 2013)

It sounds like a naive enough plan, but trust me when I say that I have put a lot of thought into it!

I am currently "reforming" my Golden so she may come with me. She lives in the country with me, so she never exactly got a chance to be trained to do all that obedience stuff. Two years old and I am now beginning obedience training(Well, she already knew how to behave, she is just a little... stubborn.)! Walking is going well, and staying too. Oh whoops, getting a little rambly now, lol. :J


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## Keliko (May 8, 2012)

Adding puppy food works well if your going to have access to stores. I take my dogs camping, backpacking quite a bit, I never let them carry over 25% of their body-weight and constantly exercise them with their packs on (whether just a few water bottles to some light weights). Start slow and just work from there.
Based on the advise of several fellow backpackers and a few vets, opinions vary from cutting half of the dog food with puppy food or just using only puppy food especially if it's going to be highly active hikes, I would play around with numbers and see where your dog is not losing weight or gaining it.
Good luck.


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