Lucky Dog: Food

In as much as we have to get ourselves put together and have everything prepped for us to leave on the trail, I also have to do the same for Lucky. In some cases, it is even more important that I have everything prepped for him, as he is dependent upon us.



Because of this, there are some things to consider, including food, water, gear, waste products, and style of hiking. While he can carry up to 12.5 pounds, based off of the ability of dogs to carry a quarter of their weight, not all of this supplies will fit in that, depending on the section we are hiking. That means I will be shouldering the additional weight, though it shouldn't be too much.

When it comes to food, I have a pro deal through Search and Rescue that I will be utilizing which allows me to purchase quality dog food at a decreased price. Even with that, I will still need to spread my purchasing of dog food over three different months. I thought I would be needing to purchase it in a traditional manner, so I put this off. I will have to have a family member purchase an order for me, utilizing my debit card, while we are on trail, and then package it for us.

The food I have chosen to use is a whole grain, dehydrated, raw, chicken-based dog food. Try saying that five times fast. He will get a total of 1 pound of the dehydrated product, in addition to the water needed to rehydrate it every day. I plan on feeding half a pound in the morning and half a pound in the evening. And I plan on packaging each half pound individually, so that it is easy to feed. I know it sounds like a lot of trash to be produced, but at the same time, I don't have an easy way to measure out his food.

In addition, I will be making sure that we have treats for during the day. These will hopefully be high calorie, high protein treats that will help tide him over until dinner. Inasmuch as we need snacks and rewards, so does he.

When we are in town, my plan is that he will be able to eat as much as he wants, just like we are able to eat as much as we want. Wherever we stop for restock, we will probably buy a small bag of kibble and let him eat as much as he wants, and then leave it in a hiker box for the next four legged hiker. Also, if we have the time, we would like to talk with local restaurants to see if they have any trimmings that they won't be using they would be willing to part with. It will be whatever extra food we can find for him to add to his calorie intake.