Adventure Summary - Backpacking with a 16lb dog

Robin, at 16 pounds, can carry up to four pounds. Because he has a lean rather than muscular body type, we keep it under three pounds to be safe, generally far under since most of his stuff is bulky rather than heavy. His Ruffwear Approach weighs 11.2oz according to Ruffwear, which leaves about 2.3 pounds for gear.

Here's his backpacking packing list:

Lightweight paracord leash (0.71 oz)
Small stainless bowl (? oz- we seem to have lost it on the trip)
Larger silicone collapsible bowl (2.2 oz)
Ripstop rain jacket (1.77 oz)
Survival bandana (0.69 oz)
LED blinking light (.6 oz - this was heavy and pretty much useless)
Double his normal serving of kibble for 2 days (4 cups, about 16 oz)
Supplemental Blue Buffalo Trail Toppers (2 at 3 oz each = 6 oz)
Chicken jerky treats (2 oz)
Climate Changer fleece jacket for nighttime (3.5 oz)
LED collar (1.16 oz)
Sleeping pad (11oz)

Total weight including crossed out items: 39.63 oz / 3.3lb

Addison surveying the view while Robin keeps an eye on me -
Sunset Ridge Trail

Unfortunately, not all of this fits in Robin's pack volume-wise.  4 cups of kibble is .94L all by itself- one entire side of his 2L pack.  With that, his Climate Changer, collar and his raincoat, he'd be packed full (and very unbalanced).  For a longer trip, he probably wouldn't be able to carry enough kibble, let alone everything else.  We ended up packing his food and treats in our food bag, leaving him with 15.63 oz or 1.3 pounds including his 11 oz sleeping pad.

Robin oblivious to the added weight- Sunset Ridge Trail

I had planned to strap his sleeping pad to the top of his pack, but its 11 oz compared to the 1.5lb or so of his pack filled with the remaining items made it hilariously top heavy. We ended up strapping it to Addison's pack instead along with his frisbee and the houndstooth fleece cover for his pad (about 8 oz altogether). He carried about 2lb on the way in and danced circles around us.

On the way out, I loaded him up a little more heavily and was surprised how quickly he tired out. The total weight was definitely still under 3 lb, but since he didn't perk up much even after we took most of his load,  it became obvious that the heat is hard on him.

What worked:

Robin in a total state of exhaustion on the return trip

The silicone bowl ended up being a favorite since it clips to the outside of his pack and shakes dry.

The Climate Changer kept him warm outside my sleeping bag (for more information, see my Climate Changer review).

The paracord leash,  made from a 6' strand of paracord and a lightweight carabiner,  was fantastic.  Unlike his nylon leash,  it isn't slippery,  so I could easily fasten it around my waist with a larkshead knot whenever it wasn't attached to Robin and it was essentially weightless.

His LED collar didn't seem as bright in the deep dark of the back woods as it does at the dog park,  but it still helped me keep track of him at night.   The LED clip light,  however,  was useless for its weight.


Changes for next time: His kibble, Zignature Duck formula, comprises one of his three meals a day at home (the others are usually raw chicken / rabbit and organs). At home, he is bouncing off the walls after a kibble meal. On the trail, however, he remained lethargic after eating, which made it clear that the bulk to nutrition ratio is off for high intensity activity. Even after eating his fill he didn't have enough calories to feel rejuvenated. Since we have always struggled to get him enough calories before he gets full, this should not have been a surprise. I am looking into other options and hope to have a better solution for the next trip.  

Gear Review: Keeping Warm in the Backcountry with the Ruffwear Climate Changer

Even in balmy Southern California, it gets chilly at night, especially in the mountains. I generally avoid putting clothes on Robin except when weather necessitates it, but for his first backpacking trip, I knew a packable but warm jacket would be a necessity.

I've had the fleece Ruffwear Climate Changer in mind for a cool-weather layer, and finally snapped it up on sale just in time for our trip. Here's our experience:

Chilly camp morning - Mt Lowe Trail Camp

Fit: At an 18.5" girth, 14.5" back length, 12" neck circumference, Robin fits an XS like it was made for him. The length is ideal and his curly tail doesn't fold the jacket back. It's a tiny bit roomy in the chest and belly, which makes it easier for him to run around. Potty clearance is perfect. Reviews on Ruffwear's site are all over the place fit-wise, so apparently we got lucky with Robin's body type.

Chest view of the jacket

Design: The zipper is an elegant solution compared to the velcro closures on most dog clothing, and it never unzipped by itself. The athletic cut is flattering and the reflective piping is surprisingly visible at night. It's hard to find dog clothing with sleeves and these are well-executed. The fleece is thin but dense and feels like it will resist pilling. If there's anything to nitpick, I was disappointed that the trim on the triangular zipper flap at the neck isn't too durable- I snagged it the very first time I unzipped the jacket. The cover could be cut back farther to reduce zipper interference.

This is the first time I've ever gotten him something in gray when it came in orange, but I didn't like the shade of orange on his fur, and the orange color seemed to emphasize the bagginess.

Robin awaiting his breakfast from my hammock - Mt Lowe Trail Camp

Function: I'd heard stories of this jacket keeping dogs warm down to 40 degrees, but they must have more hair than Robin. Nighttime temperatures were probably just below 60 degrees in our camp. He stayed warm on top of my sleeping bag for most of the night with just the Climate Changer, but by morning he was chilled and didn't stop shivering until he finished breakfast.

The jacket brushed remarkably clean of dirt and leaves. However, it's shedding season so the inside is hairy, and the hair doesn't come off as easily. Since Robin doesn't shed for most of the year, I'll wait and remove it with tape.

Packability: The XS Climate Changer weighs about 3.5 oz and packs into one side of Robin's XXS Approach pack with room to spare. Fleece doesn't compress too well, but the efficient cut makes it relatively small when packed.  It's thin enough to fit under his pack if we ever go hiking in freezing weather.

The XS rolled jacket takes up just over half of the 1L bag on his XXS pack.

Takeaways:
Good for: Trim body types, keeping bald chests and bellies warm, a baselayer under a pack or heavier jacket.

Not ideal for: Extreme temperatures without a top layer, bulky or muscular body types, zipper chewers.


Updates: 
06/07/2015 added packed size and chest fit photos

Robin's First Flight: Traveling with an In-Cabin Dog

Robin and I just returned from a week-long visit to my home state of Minnesota. It was my first time flying with an in-cabin pet.  Below are a few of the concerns I had prior to the flight, and how they panned out.

• Potty breaks: Although Robin can easily wait six hours in his crate or ten hours overnight, I was concerned that the stress of traveling and waiting would cause problems when added to our four hour flight. My attempt to train him with puppy pads was wholly unsuccessful. I ended up just feeding him his breakfast (eight hours before our 5pm flight) and picking up his water a couple hours before leaving for the airport. There was absolutely no grass to be found on the departures level of LAX, so he refused to pee before check-in. LAX does have dog relief areas, but they are inconveniently located on the arrivals level, which already has gardens and trees across the street. Fortunately, it ended up being fine. He had to pee badly enough when we arrived that he was willing to use a light post outside, but not until we had walked up and down the terminal looking for grass. 

Grass at HHH terminal

• For the return flight, there was actually a nice small patch of grass on the departures level,  so he had a chance to pee before we checked in. Since we'd just come from a short hike in hot weather, I offered him small quantities of water regularly throughout the flight. Despite the extra water, when we arrived at LAX he waited until we crossed the street to a small garden outside the parking structures. I had hoped to check out the pet relief area, but the nearest one was located between terminals 1 and 2, while we were at the far edge of Terminal 2.

• Security: In-cabin pets must be removed from their carriers to go through security. Since Robin sticks to me like glue, I wasn't concerned about him trying to run for it. Both times, he went through wearing his standard leash and his normal martingale collar (which has two metal D rings and a stainless tag) and didn't set off the metal detector, so I was glad I didn't buy any special metal free gear. At LAX, the TSA had me carry him through the metal detector. At Humphrey Terminal (Minnesota's small, four-airline terminal), the very friendly agent called him through first, by himself, and I followed behind. Both times, he was happy to get back into his carrier, no treat or encouragement needed.

An axious Robin panting on the
return trip.

• Stress and anxiety: Robin is generally very easygoing as long as he's by my side, so I hoped that the flight would be a cinch.  It wasn't. Although he didn't whine or scratch, he did pant heavily for the full 4-hour trip out and for a good portion of the return trip. Fortunately, both flights were quite empty and we had a vacant seat next to us going out and a vacant row on the return flight. The flight attendants were also probably more lax since the planes were so underbooked, and no one said anything about me letting him poke out of his carrier's top hatch. He was significantly calmer on the return trip, so I have hope for future stress-free flights! 

• Popping ears: I didn't think about this before the trip, but after the first descent Robin was clearly distressed about one of his ears and kept trying to scratch and shake his head.  Feeding him some stale, chewy jerky treats cleared it up within a few minutes, so on our return flight I fed him tiny pieces of jerky treat throughout the descent and we had no problems.  Since he chews his food meticulously, this worked great.  For a gulper, a bully stick or harder treats like Greenies might work better.  

Robin scoping out the other
passengers during boarding.

• Sturdibag/legroom: Robin's SturdiProducts SturdiBag in size Large fit easily under the window seat with only an inch or so of roof compression.  The front edge of the bag's base was about even with the edge of the silver seat support (visible on the left side of the photo) even though the bag looks like it's sticking pretty far out. There was about a five inch gap between his carrier and the side wall of the plane. On both flights, the middle and window seats looked equal in size, but there would not have been enough room under the aisle seat, which was significantly narrower underneath. 

• Technically, based on his shoulder height of 14.5", Robin should be using the 16" tall XL Sturdibag (the L is about 12-13") but I found it to be massive and unwieldy, and with Robin being tall but trim, he really doesn't need that space lying down. Since the roof is flexible for fitting under seats, he has no trouble getting inside. The bag itself is very well made, durable and thoughtfully designed. The mesh on the top is an absolute must for a plane carrier, and I like the top porthole. Its shoulder strap has four individually adjustable attachment points, so the bag can be adjusted to sit level even when slung over your shoulder. 

• Getting Around: I always travel with a 4-wheeled roller bag. I purchased a "Bag Bungee" from Amazon to secure Robin's carrier to the top of my bag, and it significantly stabilized the load. I tried going without it for one trip down the concourse, and his carrier was very wobbly even with its handle snapped around the rollerbag's handle. Here's a video of Robin jumping into his bag to show how well the bungee setup works: 

Takeaways:

Flying at off times was key to our comfort, especially on the first trip. The empty seats created a buffer so I could reach him more easily and didn't have to worry about him bothering my neighbor. We also got through security faster, and everyone in the airport is nicer at quiet times.

The trip would have been a lot less stressful for me if I'd had a (human) companion with me. I knew I couldn't leave Robin under the seat to go to the airplane bathroom, and his carrier definitely wouldn't fit in the lavatory. For a short flight, this was fine, but on a longer flight it would be a problem. If/when he calms down enough to sleep on the plane, I will probably be able to leave briefly.

Since the SturdiBag only has one small pocket on its back panel (totally inaccessible while on the plane), I'm thinking about creating a removable pouch to attach to the side of the bag. There's ample space under the plane seat for a small side pouch holding a bowl, some treats and a bully stick. Ideally, I'd even like for it to hold his jacket, leash and harness so that most of his gear is in one, unweighed spot (since I'd just remove it for his weighing at check in). Space and weight in my own bag is already at a premium! 

Further reading: 
I referred heavily to the fantastic site dogjaunt.com in preparation for our flight.  It's a great resource for anyone planning to travel with a dog.

Updates: 
06/07/2015 changed video orientation