Album The dogs of backcountrypost.com

[Keliko]

See that Z-Lite langutah?? Makes a great backcountry dog bed!

Haha...

Hey Nick, quick ? I seen on the forums that you really like the Mountainsmith dog pack? Would the medium fit my barrel chested Bullmastiff fine in your opinion? He's just short (lengthwise, and height wise) but stocky so everything looks kind of weird on him while my GD is so long and skinny...

What do you usually pack for the dogs to sleep in? Both of mine have waterproof coats for the winter that they can carry in their packs. I was thinking of a cheap army surplus pad and light bag and letting them hash it out.

 

[Nick]

Keliko

Looking at your pup, the medium should be perfect. It's a great pack. I think Udink uses one too.

As for sleeping, I have the z-lite as shown in that previous photo. I cut it into two pieces, one 1/3 length and one 2/3 length so i can bring as much as I need based on how many dogs I have with me. Makes for a nice butt pad for me when they're not sleeping on it.

I've tried a few different solutions for getting them warm on top. Custom cut fleece blankets and hoodies early on. At home, Patina wears a hoody every night. Then I tried the coats like you see Nikita wearing in the previous photo. They work pretty well but aren't very light. My favorite thing so far is a women's down vest I found at Costco last year. Only $22 and it's sleeveless so perfect for dogs.

 

[Udink]

Looking at your pup, the medium should be perfect. It's a great pack. I think Udink uses one too.

Yep, Torrey has the Mountainsmith medium. It's a little large on her (she's about 42 pounds) and there's a lot of strap sticking out, so it would probably fit a 100-pound dog that's not too rotund.

 

[Nick]

All three of my pups wear the medium too. Nikita is on the small end around 75 lbs and Teak on the large end around 100 lbs. She also has a very large chest being a doberman but it fits great. I bought a large once but it was huge and I sold it to a friend with a big lab so he could load it with rocks to slow him down on walks.

Teak wearing her Mountainsmith Dog Pack in the Swell

 

[Keliko]

Sweet, just orderd a nearly new one for $24 on amazon. Will post pics when I get it.

 

[Tyson]

Here is Beau, my 1 1/2 year old boxer on his first official backpacking trip down near Woodruff Canyon

 

[Artemus]

What great coloration on Dexter and Debra. I kept having to re-look. I thought their split faces were inverses of each other. An optical illusion due to their body color. I sometimes have had trouble getting dogs to drink water in the field too. I just say the "heck with it" and they eventually drink. Never had to leave one behind due to dehydration Eventually as they become better desert rats it seems they become more adept at drinking every time it is offered or when we cross a mountain stream in the high country. Both my dogs now know what "get some water" means and my Dexter-personality dog Merlin will go over to the water and take one lick just to pacify me even if he won't drink (because I assume he doesn't want to). 9 years together in the wilderness and we are good.....

 

[Ranger Joe]

Late to the party, as usual...

Anyhoo, here's our (mostly) 4-legged menagerie...

This is Claymore, posing next to a brand new Goodyear Duratrac. He's almost ten now, not quite as graceful as he used to be, and since we lifted the Jeep he has trouble getting up into it.

This is our adopted Aussie Shepherd, Owen, leading the way at our local offroad park. He's a wonderful Jeepdog. Small, agile, compact and tends to stay seated while the Jeep is moving.

The third member of our canine corps is our 6 year old rescued greyhound, Jack, seen here with his brothers camping in the backyard. Jack is a terrible Jeepdog, as he tends to stand up in the back most of the time.

Here's our three furry kids, shot earlier this spring (the device that I'm painting is a winch mount for our Liberty).

Oh, yeah, Jack only has three legs...he lost his left front leg to cancer last year. Take a look at this video I shot last month and see if you think it's slowed him down any.

 

[Bill]

We had been talking about getting a dog for the last year and finally got pretty serious about looking a few months ago. After a few weeks of looking we found the exact breed we were looking for and she ended up only being only a few blocks away.

Meet our Australian Shepard / Border Collie mix, Moki.

and she loves the kids - http://www.flickr.com/photos/summit42/8816378953/

 

[slc_dan]

SO CUTE!

 

[Artemus]

Meet our Australian Shepard / Border Collie mix, Moki.

Alright Bill! time to get some sheep

 

[Yvonne]

what a cute pup!!

 

[Tyler]

Late to the party, as usual...

Oh, yeah, Jack only has three legs...he lost his left front leg to cancer last year. Take a look at this video I shot last month and see if you think it's slowed him down any.

Wow. He sure can move for only having 3 legs.

 

[Shelbs]

Saber is a pitbull and should have been named Ferdinand (like the bull from the kid's book) since he loves flowers so much! I started taking him on hikes about a year ago and he LOVES it!

HE DIGS GOING TO THE PARK AND SOCIALIZING



HIS FIRST TIME OUT WITH ME HIKING



ON THE CAR RIDE HOME...ALL WORN OUT

 

[WileyWanka]

This is my big baby Nero. He's full blooded American Red. Sweetest Pit I have ever met, but he's a lazy boy... He takes hikes with me, but he tries to squeeze in as many breaks as he can.

The little one next to him is my little girl Paige. She is a Staffordshire Terrier (which is just a fancy name for an English Pit), and she may be the devil.

 

[Nick]

Beautiful pups Shelbs and WileyWanka! I love pits! Such good dogs!

 

[Shelbs]

Beautiful pups Shelbs and WileyWanka! I love pits! Such good dogs!

Thanks, Nick! He is such a fun dog, so well mannered. Pits ARE wonderful!

 

[Artemus]

A couple of Luna baby pics.

Here she is as a couple of month old. No clue as to the hellion she would become...


Baby runt, Border Collie, Luna wailing on bigger, father-figure, Border Collie Merlin

 

[Udink]

I added a new family member yesterday! This is Boulder, an eight-week-old Brittany Spaniel. She seems to like Torrey, but Torrey isn't sure what to think about Boulder.

 

[Artemus]

Great. She is beautiful. Now you are in the market for another backpack....