Tag Archives: camping with a dog

I Took My Wife on a REMOTE Alpine Lake Adventure…

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Backpacking and Camping at a Remote Alpine Lake in the Dense Forest of Oregon.

For this adventure, Sara and I headed to a lesser used region of Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest for some lakeside camping and outdoor fun with our trusty hiking dog, Denali.

Located on the shoulder of Oregon’s tallest peak and accessed via a rocky 4×4 road, the Veda Lake trailhead offers an opportunity to hike into some alpine solitude and pristine camping on the banks of a 4,000 foot alpine lake.  Considering it was peak summer backpacking season and the majority of Mt Hood’s more well known trailheads were overflowing with a multitude of  likeminded campers, we jump at the opportunity to take a lesser traveled path.

Sure, it’s not as Instagram-worthy as the more popular  Trillium Lake down below, but that’s okay.  We got those pics on drive past, then proceeded to our more course.  Sometimes it really is the “journey, not the destination” and Veda Lake didn’t disappoint.

Route Overview Oregon Veda Lake Fall 2024

If you’re curious about the reason for the name of this lake and it’s proper pronunciation, much like I was during the video, it’s actually simpler than you might think.  It’s named after two Oregon locals who packed out juvenile trout to the lake back in 1917 in order to stock it.  Their names, Vern and Dave, were eventually honored by a forester who combined the first two letters of their names. And there you have it – Veda Lake. To this very day, the lake is still a quite sought after, if not harder to get to, fishing spot with a healthy population of trout and very large crawfish.

For gear on this trip, Sara decided to bring out several pieces of budget backpacking gear that she tested out on a previous camping trip down in Arizona – a sleeping pad, two person tent, and two person sleeping bag complete with pillows.  She found each of these for about $30 a piece on Amazon.  And you know what?  They work pretty well.  Although, this was the first time we tested out this tent and gear during a sudden fall rain storm…

Trailhead Used
Dry Fir/ Veda Lake Trailhead
Government Camp, OR 97028
GPS 45.24813509493207, -121.78770434540877

This is a small parking area with room for 2 or 3 vehicles.  While 4×4 traction is not necessary, I wouldn’t advise it for low clearance vehicles.  The road progressively gets rockier and more aggressive as it proceeds, before eventually transitioning back to a flatter dirt road near the trailhead.

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Our Best Campsite Yet – Tongue Mountain Backpacking Trip

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Camping and Backpacking in the Adirondacks on the Tongue Mountain Range.

 

For this overnight backpacking trip, Sara, Denali and I headed up to New York for some laid back camping on the summit of Fifth Peak Mountain, overlooking Lake George. The Tongue Mountain Range is a 3 mile long peninsula, so named because it looks like a tongue jutting out into the 32 mile long Lake George. Our plan was to hike in a few miles to the top of the range and hit the first peak at the top of the peninsula to set up for an afternoon and night of relaxed camping. The next morning we would have the option to either continue along the 13 mile long Tongue Mountain loop, or hike back out the same way we came in.

We had our dog with us, so we decided to return to tent camping for this trip. We did finally upgrade our previous budget tent to a four person (or 2 plus a dog) Marmot Limelight 4p tent though. And as I usually do for trips with my wife and dog, I packed in a massive backpack full of comfort camping gear and fun camp food. A more detailed gear list can be found at the bottom of this post.

Thank you to Anker for sponsoring this video.  My viewers can get $100 off the Anker Powerhouse II 800 by using this link on Amazon or direct from Anker.

Tongue Mountain Adirondacks - Route Overview - Sintax77
Tongue Mountain Adirondacks – Route Overview – Sintax77

There is no permit required for backcountry camping on the Tongue Mountain Range, but there are certain rules and regulations.  You get find more info on the official NY DEC website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

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Fall Camping in Dolly Sods – Foliage Peaking and Sleeping Pads Leaking

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Join Sara and I for 3 Days of Camp Cooking, Hiking, & Backpacking in the Dolly Sods  Wilderness.

For this 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip, Sara, Denali and I decided to do some fall foliage camping in West Virginia’s Dolly Sods Wilderness, part of the larger Monongahela National Forest. Dolly Sods is located in the Allegheny Mountains on the highest plateau east of the Mississippi river and features some of the most varied and scenic terrain available to hikers in the Mid-Atlantic region.

We had our dog with us on this trip, so we decided to give tent camping a go this time around to keep us all together in one spot.  I also decided to totally throw lightweight backpacking out the window for this trip, so I brought along my Fjallraven Kajka 75 backpack and stuffed it to the gills with various backpacking gear, just to have a little fun and switch things up a bit (gear list at end of post).  This decision was made easier by the fact that we were starting at Bear Rocks trailhead, which is already high up on the plateau with minimal elevation changes.

Campsites and great views are fairly abundant in Dolly Sods, so our general plan was to keep the mileage low and focus on a relaxed hiking pace, fun backpacking food and camp cooking.  It was the perfect recipe for a laid back camping trip.  Other than the whole leaking sleeping pad situation to make things more interesting…

 

Route Overview – Dolly Sods Fall Backpacking Loop – Sintax77

No permit is required to camp in the Dolly Sods Wilderness, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the USFS Dolly Sods website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

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Hiking Halfmoon Mountain – Camping & Backpacking in West Virginia

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Solo Backpacking, Hiking, & Camping with my Dog on the Halfmoon Mountain Loop in West Virginia.

For this 2 day, 1 night spring backpacking trip, I’ll be hiking a 10.5 mile loop in the George Washington National Forest.

Route Overview – Halfmoon Mountail Loop – Sintax77

No permit is required to camp in the George Washington National forest, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

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Budget Backpacking Trip – Camping in Tuscarora State Forest

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Budget Backpacking & Camping with my Dog in Tuscarora SF.

For this hiking and camping trip, we’ll be using the exact gear seen on my previous ‘Budget Backpacking Gear List – Go Camping for Under $250‘ video.

Check out my live gear list on LighterPack.com for weights, prices, descriptions and product links.

Other Backpacking Topics Discussed on this Episode

  • Camping & backpacking with your dog.
  • Keto backpacking food options (hiking on a ketogenic diet – low carb, high fat)

Trailhead Parking
Hemlocks Natural Area Parking Lot, Tuscarora State Forest
40°15’18.7″N 77°38’02.8″W

Trails Used

  • Patterson Run Trail
  • Rim Trail
  • Hemlock Trail
  • Bushwack to legal campsite outside Hemlocks Natural Area

Denali’s Dog Backpacking Gear

Simplified Budget Backpacking Gear List:

Backpack

Shelter

Sleep System

Storage

  • Bear Bag Line (25′ guyline leftover from tarp setup, and small carabiner)
  • Bear Bag – 13 gal trash bag
  • Zip-lock Bag – Sandwich
  • Zip-lock Bag – Gallon

Cooking & Eating

Water Treatment & Storage

Tools

First Aid

  • First Aid Kit
    (Adhesive bandages, 1 gauze bandage, superglue, neosporin in straw tube, tealight wax candle, 6 doses benedryl, 10 doses ibuprofen, spare water bottle cap)
  • Sunscreen – 30 SPF 10ml bottle https://dutchwaregear.com/product/eye-dropper-bottles/
  • Fire Starter, DIY (dryer lint and wax, or cotton balls with vasoline)
  • Bug Spray – 100% Deet Mini Bottle 

Clothing (Packed, not worn. For spare, sleeping, rain)

  • Frogg Toggs Ultralight Rain Jacket 
  • Underwear – Synthetic (1 Pair)
  • Shorts
  • Shirt, Long Sleeve -Lt Wgt
  • Shirt, short sleeve
  • Hat, Beanie – Lt Wgt Fleece
  • Wool Socks – Lt Wgt (1 pair)

Lighting

Toiletries

  • Toilet Paper
  • Toiletry Kit
  • Wet Wipes
  • Hand Sanitizer

Additional Budget Backpacking Gear Options Discussed 

Approximate Costs for Each System

  • Tarp Camping version $248
  • Kelty tent version $317
  • Hammock Version $352
Clothing Worn (not included in cost)

Tips & Gear for aking your Dog Backpacking Hiking & Camping

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Tips, Gear & our Experiences with getting a puppy / Dog into Backpacking, Hiking & Camping.

Topics Discussed

  • Dog training for trips, daily walks as a puppy etc.
  • Age to start hiking with a dog?
  • Trip planning and strategies your dog’s first backpacking trip.
  • Differences in trail selection, water sources, etc.
  • Hiking dog food – nutrition, packing options, need for increased consumption.
  • Usage of dog backpacks for hiking.
  • Sleeping arrangements, leashes and leads for around camp and on the trail.
  • Some discussion on each of our dog’s camping trips so far.
  • Items that we bring for our dog camping trips (see below)

Dog Backpacking Gear / Items Seen