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Deb_and_Ed_M's avatar
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Apr 23, 2014

Tent Camping With Dogs?

Perhaps we're taking a "leave of senses" - but Ed is talking about exploring the Pacific Northwest after our daughter's family moved to Portland. The conversation started with the thought that we could cover a lot more ground, cheaper, faster, with a minivan - and stay in dog-friendly hotels along the way. We'd go in the fall, with cooler temps in case the dogs had to sit in the car for an hour or two.

Me? I love to camp...so after Ed nixed the "Let's get a Pop-up idea"; I came back with "what about a tent with cots (concession to old age)"? He said that would be OK on an occasional basis. :-)

So surely there are dog-lovers here who have tent-camped with dogs, either now or in the past? Any advice? I'd probably camp out back, here at work, just to get the dogs used to being "one with the outdoors" - I'm picturing Jimmy being on High Alert at first....

I've tent-camped in Black Bear country here in Michigan - I know the rules about no food in the tent, cooler locked in the car, etc.
  • BTPO1's avatar
    BTPO1
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2014
    Back in the 70's the DW and I did camp in a tent in the rain with two small dogs for a week. No problems then. I would not do it now that I am older, but then it was fun and the dogs always let us know when something was around. JMO
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2014
    We tent camped for years and years and always took the dog. No problem with the dog. Just keep them on a leash all the time and never leave them alone.
  • RoyF's avatar
    RoyF
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2014
    We used to tent-camp and pop-up camp with a rat terrier. Never a problem in the tent, but there were two different times in the pop-up when "Butch", who liked to be up on the bed, saw a squirrel and went right through the screening. Had to replace the screening!
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2014
    We tent camped all over the West...CA, NV, OR and WA with our two Dalmatians...when we were a lot younger and a lot broker.

    But, we got tired of dealing with mud, dirt, tough cooking and cleaning up situations, living out of an ice chest for days on end, setting up and taking down a tent and all the gear involved, ...often in wet conditions...

    ....so, now, being older, the comfortable trailer has kept us camping.

    It is certainly doable. We had a great time, had lots of adventures and made a ton of memories.

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