Last Updated on 11 November, 2025 by Robyn Dockendorf

Hiking is an activity for all ages and all skill levels. It brings us closer to nature, gives us a breath of fresh air, and allows us to escape from our everyday lives for a few miles. One thing that makes hiking even better is bringing your pup with you. But before any boots or paws hit the trail, it’s important to ensure you bring everything your dog needs for the adventure.

Dog hiking gear includes a collar with your information, a harness, a leash, a doggy first-aid kit, a Byte tag, a collapsible water and food bowl, poo bags, training treats, and pet wipes. These ensure that every hike is safe, enjoyable, and fun!

This article lists all the essential dog hiking gear and will also cover some non-essentials like life jackets and portable dog beds. No matter if you’re summiting a mountain or exploring the forest, this article’s got you covered!

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9 Dog Hiking Gear Essentials

There’s no time to waste. Let’s jump right in! When we take our tripod dog on a hike, we always bring 9 essential dog hiking gear items. These are either on the dog or in our backpack.

Now, let’s review the best dog hiking gear essentials that we dirtbags use:

1. Collar With Information

Having pets has enormous benefits for your physical and psychological health. So, the last thing we want is to lose our precious furballs. That’s why we always make sure our dog has his collar with his name and our phone numbers. It’s one of the most essential pieces of dog hiking gear on the list!

We use the GoTags Nylon Personalized Dog Collar. We lost our first collar, but loved it so much that we repurchased the same collar. It comes in various colors, such as neon green, blue, baby pink, and gold, so it can be customized for your pet’s personality.

We prefer to use dog collars with the information stitched on them instead of using jingly tags for a few reasons:

• Our dog plays rough, and the etch of the tags fades quickly/gets filled with dirt, making it hard to read.
• No jingly noises when he walks, runs, or scratches
• The name and number are printed in large, bright-colored lettering, making it easier to read from far away. No one has to get close to our dog to see our phone number.

Whether you go with a tag or a stitched collar, you’ll want to have some way for people to contact you if your dog gets lost. Additionally, collars let people know that your dog is not a stray. This avoids hassles at a dog pound or shelter.

2. Harness

A harness is an essential piece of dog hiking gear. No matter the size of your dog, it’s always better to leash them on a harness rather than a collar. If your dog takes off after a distraction, the leash will stop them by putting pressure on their chest instead of around their neck.

Additionally, harnesses are more challenging to slip out of than a collar, which can often be pulled off by the dog backing up.

We use a different dog hiking harness for specific situations:

• Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Dog Cooling Harness: This is for everyday wear or for light hikes that are less than 5 miles. It has three color choices: graphite gray, sage green, and heliotrope purple. 
• Front Range Dog Harness: We have this in campfire orange for hunting season. It’s also a snugger fit with extra padding, so we use it on longer hikes as well. This harness has a variety of colors as well, including twilight gray, aurora teal, blue moon, red clay, and more!
• Flagline Harness: Can you tell we love Ruffwear dog hiking gear? The flagline is our personal favorite. It works on short hikes, long hikes, in the rain, snow, or shine. It’s versatile and has three straps on each side, which helps it stay in place on our tripod.

If you’re interested in purchasing a harness for your pooch, we have a fantastic article on the best dog hiking harnesses that includes our 8 top picks!

You might be hesitant to make a dog cooling harness your everyday harness, but I promise it’s worth it! Dog cooling harnesses are super light, and we love that it has an extra strap, which works great with our tripod. You can read more about dog cooling vests here!

3. Leash

Another essential piece of dog hiking gear is a leash. There are tons of options out there, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Having a leash is essential on hikes so you can keep your pal under control when you pass other hikers or dogs.

Don’t be the “it’s okay, he’s friendly!” person on the trail. No dog owner appreciates it! Especially those with reactive dogs.

We use three different leashes, depending on the situation:

1. Short leash: We use the Crag Reflective Dog Leash on a busy trail where we want our dog to stick close to us. We rarely use this to actually walk our dog on hikes, but every once in a while, it’s necessary.
2. Retractable leash: we know, we know. Retractable leashes are a big no-no for dogs. But we’ve found that on less-crowded hikes, it’s the best thing ever. Our dog gets to sniff around, hike ahead, or lag behind, all without getting pulled by a shorter leash. We use Frisco Retractable Dog Leash. Just select the correct size based on your dog’s weight.
3. Off-leash training lead: When we still want our dog to be able to sniff around to his heart’s content, but we want a little more reliable control, we use a long lead. These are often considered off-leash training leads. We use PetSafe Cotton Dog Training Lead. We use the 20-foot lead, but there are 15- and 30-foot leads available.

One thing I don’t recommend is bringing your dog on a hike where you plan to constantly pull them on the leash. Try not to set a schedule when you hike, but instead let your dog sniff, go slow, and enjoy your time together. To back this up, an article from the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science found that allowing dogs more time to use their olfactory system (their nose!) improved their general welfare and made dogs more optimistic in new situations.

4. Dog First-Aid Kit

There are some things on your dog hiking gear list that you never hope to use – bear mace, emergency bivy, and your first-aid kit. However, it’s always better to have it and never need it than vice versa!

When we hike with our dog, we always pack the Adventure Medical Kits Trail Dog First Aid Kit and the FIDO Pro XL Airlift Emergency Dog Rescue Sling.

The medical kit includes all the essentials like gauze, Band-Aids, triple antibiotic ointment, alcohol swabs, and a tick remover. The FIDO Airlift is essential if you have a larger dog and they get hurt, and you must carry them out. Read about our in-depth look at the Fido Emergency Airlift Rescue Sling.

5. Extra Lead

An extra lead is a recent addition to our dog hiking gear list. Unfortunately, the reason for the extra lead is a frustrating experience that we’ve dealt with over and over on hikes

Untrained off-leash dogs.

Our dog, Pawdrick, is dog-reactive. We’ve hiked with him all over the United States in over 30 states, and the problem of untrained off-leash dogs is everywhere. People let their dogs run on trails even when the trail requires dogs to be on leash. The dogs have no recall and run right up to us with Pawdrick, who, of course, wants to attack them.

An extra lead is a way for you to control an off-leash dog until their owner catches up, which, in our experience, can be anywhere from a few seconds to over ten minutes. You don’t need anything fancy. A simple leash like the Frisco solid nylon dog leash works fine.

6. Collapsible Water Dish & Extra Water

Kansas State University tells us that dogs need approximately 1 ounce of water for every pound of body weight. In warmer weather, the amount increases. So, if you’re hiking with your 50-pound pup, bring at least 50 ounces of water.

One of the easiest ways to give your dog water is to use a collapsible dog bowl. We use Mr. Peanut’s Premium Collapsible Non-Skid Silicone Dog & Cat Bowls. They come in a 4-pack and collapse to make it easy to store in a hiking backpack. They’re also made of food-grade silicone, so it’s nice and safe for our adventure dog.

When the bowls are entirely unfolded, they can hold up to 32 ounces of water. They also have a small carabiner clip on the end to make it easy to hang from a backpack.

We’ve also used the Bivy Collapsible bowl from Ruffwear, but found the Mr. Peanut’s easier to carry because they’re smaller and have the carabiner. However, the Bivy is great for large dogs because it can hold up to 60 ounces of water.

A water bowl is a crucial piece of dog hiking gear. Just like you get thirsty on hikes, your dog will too!

7. Poo Bags

Whether you’re scaling a mountain, exploring a forest, or just taking a leisurely stroll in your local park, there’s one tiny dog hiking gear item that can make a huge difference – poo bags. Dog poop isn’t just unsightly—it can be harmful too. When left behind, it can seep into the soil and contaminate water sources. 

You can read more about why you should pick up your dog poop here.

Picking up after your dog is a sign of respect—for nature, for other hikers, and for the local wildlife that calls these spaces home. Nobody wants to step into an unexpected surprise, and certain animals might even be attracted to your pup’s leftovers, disrupting their natural behaviors.

We probably have more poo bags than we’ll ever need, but we hate to be anywhere without them. We use Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags. These work great for a few different reasons:

• Made of recycled plastic.
• Extra strong and thick, so you don’t have to worry about getting any surprises on your hand.
• Easy to store in a poo-bag holder.
• Easy to tear from the other bags.

Dog-friendly trails won’t stay that way for long if no one picks up after their dog. Do your part and pack out their poo! That way, we can enjoy these trails with our dogs for years to come.

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8. Training Treats

Training treats are a must-have on hikes with your dog. It’s the perfect opportunity to train them around distractions, so why not reward your dog for good behavior? It may not be a piece of ‘gear’ so to speak, but it’s still always on our list of essential dog hiking gear items.

Whether your dog is 1 year old or 10, they’re never too old to have habits reinforced with training treats. Did your pup do a good sit while another dog walked by? Treato time! 

We’ve used a few different treats over the years with our dog:

• Pupford Train Beef Liver Natural Freeze-Dried Dog Treats: These are our go-to. The treats are made with whole, natural ingredients without added flavors or ingredients that your dog doesn’t need. They’re also low-calorie, so you can feel good about having multiple training sessions with your pup.
• Zuke’s Mini Naturals: These are fantastic training treats. They’re small and only 2 calories per treat. They’re crafted in the USA, but they source their ingredients from Australia and a few other reliable sources. One downside is that they’re not the most high-reward treat, and my dog quickly got bored of them.
• The Honest Kitchen Surf & Turf Meaty Littles: Like Pupford, these treats are made with whole, natural ingredients without any artifical dyes or fillers. The only downside to these is that they’re quite small, so they may not be the best choice for extra large doggos.

Even if your dog is a little older, you should still keep up with training. Pack those treats on every hike to make the journey more enjoyable!

9. Cleaner

While we might not pack this in our hiking bag, we always have some way to clean off our dog after a hike and consider it an essential piece of dog hiking gear. There’s no reason not to let your dog have a blast on a hike, get their paws a little dirty, and enjoy themselves. Especially when it’s super easy to clean them off using pet wipes or paw cleaners.

We keep pet wipes and a paw cleaner in the car for post-hike cleaning. For pet wipes, we use Vetnique Labs Furbliss Pet Bathing Wipes. These are hypoallergenic and can be used on all parts of the dog’s body, such as ears, face, and paws.

To clean his paws, we use the Dexas MudBuster Portable Dog Paw Cleaner. It’s easy to use – fill it up with water, place your dog’s paw in, twist, and pull the paw out. Your pup’s paws will be sparkly clean!

Non-Essential Dog Hiking Gear

Now that we know the 9 essential dog hiking gear items, let’s chat about some extras you can bring. We have an excellent article on what to bring on a hike with your dog for a deeper look. However, there’s some dog hiking gear items that you should consider taking.

• Life jackets
• Portable dog bed
• Toys
• Post-hike bone

These are just a few items you can bring to make the hike with your dog even more enjoyable – for both of you! By the way, if you’re looking for some gift ideas for the adventurous dog parent in your life, check out our 31 Gift Ideas For The Adventurous Dog Lover In Your Life.

Wrapping It Up: The Essentials for a Pawsome Adventure

Looking for the best hiking gear for dogs? We got you! Let’s recap the 9 essential dog hiking gear items and wrap up this adventure!

1. Collar with information (we prefer stitched instead of tags!)
2. Harness
3. Leash (we use a 6-foot, retractable, and a training lead)
4. Dog First-Aid Kit
5. Extra lead
6. Collapsible Water Dish & Extra Water
7. Poo Bags
8. Training Treats
9. Cleaner (We use a combination of pet wipes and a paw cleaner)

Do you have a must-have item that didn’t make our list? We’d love to hear from you. Sharing knowledge makes us all better adventurers, so don’t hesitate to drop us a line in the comments below!

Remember, every great adventure starts with preparation. As we lace up our boots and load our packs, let’s remember our four-legged friends rely on us to bring along everything they need, too. So, pack smart, hike responsibly, and embrace the joy of sharing the great outdoors with your furry pal.

Ready to get started? Check out our hiking blog for inspiration on where to go!