Backpacking with a Puppy: The Trek

Turkenna: the backpacker

Ever since the idea of ​​hiking the AT became a possibility, we always knew Turkenna would be part of the trip. Over the years she has always been by our side during our adventures and we couldn’t imagine leaving her home for the AT. As for our other pup, Skamp, ​​he could never make the hike. That being said, I don’t think he’d want to do it anyway with his love of being a couch potato and the fact that he only has 3 legs. We knew that bringing Turk on our hike would make things more difficult, but we were up for the challenge!

Priorities with a puppy

First things first, this is the Turkenna hike. Your wants and needs are priority above all. If you want to take a break or a zero day we are doing it. This is something we believe is vitally important for the future of Turkenna. enjoyment and longevity while walking. We want Turk to travel the entire AT (where he’s at least allowed to go) and he won’t make it to the end if he doesn’t get enough rest.

Turk’s first backpacking trip

canine team

The last few years we have been saving up for our AT hike and collecting and preparing gear. Turk has been a part of these test hikes and has tested some of his own equipment. The equipment you have chosen is: the Ruffwear Front Range backpack, the Ruffwear Sun Shower waterproof jacket, the Ruffwear collapsible bowl, the Nomadix towel and its leash. We have tried to get Turk to wear shoes to protect her paws, but she is very against it. We will keep a close eye on their paw pads and make sure they remain moist and intact. Our medicine cabinet also has additional supplies specifically for Turk, such as extra gauze, bandage, and paw balm.

Turkish meals

Finding the right food for Turkenna took quite a bit of research. We spoke with our veterinarian and she recommended a diet high in protein and fat that provides at least 1400 Kcal/day. Now that that number was specifically for Turkenna’s breed and size, this will not be the same recommendation for all hiking pups. We started reading blogs and watched YouTube videos about what others gave their pups on their walks and came across Inukshuk. Inukshuk is a Canadian dog food company that has a product rich in calories, protein and fat. They originally began catering to the needs of the sled dogs that drove Yukon Quest. Perfect for Turkish! This meets our veterinarians’ calorie intake recommendation while also being lighter than their regular kibble. This will allow Turk to help himself carry some of his own food, without carrying more than 10% of his body weight.

Trans Catalina Trail

Planning our mailings

Now that we’ve chosen the food and Turk has given it his blessing, we can start receiving mail together. Before we hit the road, we will divide all of Turkenna’s food into boxes and mail it to places along the way. We found mail delivery locations using the AWOL Appalachian Guide and The Trek article A Guide to Mail Delivery on the AT. These places include: post offices, service providers, shelters or campgrounds. We plan to mail out the first month of boxes before we get going. After that, the remaining boxes will go to Mom Norris and she will mail them to us as we walk. That way, if we needed something sent to us while we were on the road, she could leave it in one of the packages.

Trail Etiquette

We are excited at the prospect of taking Turkenna with us on the AT. We know that prioritizing your wants and needs will be easier for everyone. We also know that we are not the only ones who hike and we must respect others. We recognize that not everyone we meet will be a big fan of dogs in the countryside. We take this matter very seriously, therefore we will do everything in our power to respect other hikers and their boundaries. In addition to doing everything possible to uphold the principles of LNT with our pup.

Linville Gorge Circuit

Get excited

We are looking forward to this next adventure and we know Turkenna is excited too. Turk loves backpacking and we know he will do great on the AT!

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