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Question: How did “dog days of summer” get its name?
a. Named after the Greek God, Canidae, God of Sun and Light
b. Named after the astrological constellation Siruis, or “Dog Star”
c. Named after a symptom of heat stroke, which causes humans to pant, similar to that of a dog
Two days, four canines, 18 humans, three canoes, four paddleboards, and 14 tents. What does that equal? A two-day company retreat filled with adventure! Here’s a diary of our recent Ruff Wear Summer Retreat.
Thursday, July 22
7:50am – Ruff Wear Pack meets at HQ and gets ready for departure. Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards are loaded and lashed to roofs in a manner that still allows hatchback access to our canine crew.
8:00am – Mavis decides to call shotgun, regardless that new guy Geoff is already sitting there. No matter…Mavis uses Geoff as a seat cushion.
8:30am – The night owls of the Pack beg for a coffee stop. Note: If you order a coffee “plain and black” from McDonalds, you are likely to get an iced Vanilla Latte of sorts.
9:30am – Arrive at Black Butte. Check for enticing scat before letting out the hounds to avoid stinky car companions when traveling to the campsite.
Tripp, Chelsea, and Debbie at Black Butte
9:35am – Dogs reach the summit.
10:30am – Humans reach the summit. One mile of straight vertical. Luckily, the view is incredible!
Group Photo at top of Black Butte
10:45am – Wish we had made human versions of the DoubleBack™ harness so we could be belayed back down. Granola bars make for some quick energy for humans. A Bivy Bowl™ of water works for the dogs.
We got a good chuckle as this funny excerpt circled around the office courtesy of camping-tips.com, however we feel it lacked the true spirit of camping with your canine. So, we’d like to share camping-tips.com’s funny piece, but we’ve also our own Ruff Wear touch. Enjoy!
Camp Terms Defined (via camping-tips.com):
Camp spot: the most likely place for wind velocities to exceed fifty miles per hour, five minutes after you have spent 2 hours setting up your camp.
Lantern: a device for singeing the eye brows and eye lashes off anyone closer that 5 feet when it is lit.
Tent: A portable outdoor home used to protect one from the elements unless it rains, snows, the wind blows, it’s cold or hot. It is usually setup with poles. It also has entertainment value doubling as a puzzle. Usually setup after dark using a flashlight with dead or nearly dead batteries.
Camp fire: A device used to heat bacon grease to a temperature hot enough such that it can be combined with cold water, producing entertainment for the kids and a team-building experience for adults as they try to maximize the entertainment. Lighting the campfire itself sometimes serves as good entertainment as well. Also serves as the camp recycle container and television set, and is very useful for choking the camp cook out of the kitchen. Occasionally, you’ll find the odd person actually using it’s heating abilities to get warm as if they were on a rotisserie.
Pre-dawn Alarm Clock: Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom. Did you hear that growling noise? Is something burning? Where’s Gabie?
Sleeping bag: An easy to setup camping bed that has the amazing ability to make warm things hot and cold things colder, especially feet. It doubles as a sponge for soaking up water from leaks in your tent.
Marshmallow: A soft pure white substance that has spontaneous combustion properties. It is also believed by some to have been one of the early prototypes of gorilla glue as it can fuse the fingers of children together.
Ruff Wear’s Definitions:
Camp spot: The exact spot the dog lays as you’re trying to set up.
Lantern: The device that is supposed to prevent you from tripping over the dog in the dark.
Tent: A portable outdoor home, of which the dog takes up the first 50 percent of the space, and tracks debris through the remaining 50 percent.
Camp fire: The device used to roast a perfect hot dog, which is inevitably snagged by dog as soon as it’s hot.
Pre-dawn Alarm Clock: “[Whine, howl, bark]”—in other words, “time to let the dog out to go to the bathroom.” Then the dog runs after a squirrel and a good 15 minutes is spent calling them back.
Sleeping bag: A.K.A. portable dog bed.
Marshmallow: Sticky-natured substance with properties especially attracted to dog hair.
Campfire and country music go together like, well, country and canines!
So next time your sitting ‘round the campfire with your favorite canine, why not serenade them with one of these dog-inspired classic country tunes.
Every Dog Has It’s Day – Toby Keith
Chorus:
See every dog has it’s day dog, when the big dog throws him a bone
One moment in the sunshine when your ducks line up in a row
Lucky dog gets a big ol’ bed, stray dog gets the porch
Every dog has it’s day dog, but today dog just ain’t yours
Howl at the Moon – Cheryl Wheeler
Lyrics:
If I were maybe a wolf or a dog
I wouldn’t have to speak
Wouldn’t have to talk
Just eat my dinner and go for a walk
And howl at the moon.
Though they’re no camels, dogs can pack up to 25-30 percent of their body weight their dog pack. So, how will you utilize all that space? Here are some suggestions of what we feel are the essentials for a medium-sized dog. And the best part…total weight is under 12 lbs, which means even a 40 lb dog could haul this much gear!
Packed In...
...Packed Out
1. Dog Pack
Why Bring It: You’ve got a full load carrying your own gear, so why not have your dog carry their gear?
Tips: A dog can pack up 25 – 30 percent of its body weight in a pack, so that’s a lot less sweat off your back.
Weight: 2 lbs, 4 oz (Palisades Pack™, Size Medium)
Recently, I overheard a customer asking a sales person about what type of camping supplies they should buy. The retailer asked, “Are you backpacking or camping?”, and it made me think of the differences between the two activities and why it’s important to consider the type of overnight adventure you are planning before purchasing outdoor gear–yes, even dog gear!
Ruff Wear makes a variety of canine gear for outdoor adventures. But before the first design is drafted, the first stitch is sewn, or the first dog hair is shed on it, our design team determines the use, conditions, and activities for the product being designed. In our pack, bed, and bowl lines, our goal has been to design products ideal for backpacking and camping, with features that complement each activity.
Since backpacking gear requires long hikes over many miles, weight and space were huge considerations in our design plan for backpacking gear. The Highlands Bed™ and Bivy Bowl™ were designed to be lightweight and compact, while capacity was a huge factor in the Palisades Pack™, so your dog can carry it comfortably during multi-day adventures.
Conversely, camping usually allows for a greater number and size of supplies, providing the opportunity for increased sleeping space (our Mt. Bachelor Pad™ comes in a 3′ x 4′ large size), and larger multi-day food and water bowls, such as our Quencher™ bowls.
Here are our recommendations for the best canine camping and backpacking gear options.
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Backpacking Gear List
The Pack – Palisades Pack™
The Palisades Pack is our largest capacity pack; with enough room for a bowl, food, a Highlands Bed™, and 2L of water. It comes with two, easy-pour water bladders, removable saddlebags for breaks and water crossings, and a compression system to help balance a large load.
The Bowl – Bivy Bowl™
The Bivy Bowl is single-walled, so it packs down into small spaces and weighs less than 2 oz. It also shakes dry, making cleaning and drying a breeze when there’s no extra water to spare.
The Bed – Highlands Bed™
The Highlands Bed comes with its own stuff sack which compresses to fit inside any size Palisades Pack (total stuffed size is 12″ x 5″ [30 x 13cm] and 14 oz [400 g]). The water-resistant, quick-drying shell doesn’t require the shelter of a tent, so Fido can enjoy the outdoors…outdoor! The synthetic shell fabric was built to withstand tears from dog nails, sharp rocks, and campsite debris, and includes four stakeout loops to help keep it in place or for hanging out to dry.
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Camping Gear List
The Pack – Approach Pack™
The Approach Pack is large enough to fit all the essentials: water, leash, food, and bowl.
The Bowl – Quencher Cinch Top™ Collapsible Bowl
The Quencher bowl comes in a variety of sizes from 24 fl oz (.7L) to 2.6 qt (2.5L). The cinch-top version is great for filling with kibble and cinching shut, while the open-top style is great for water. The pyramid-style, tapered shape works well in the car, minimizing spillage.
The Bed – Mt. Bachelor Pad™
The Mt. Bachelor Pad rolls up into a convenient bed roll for carrying to and from the campsite. It has 1″ of loft and up to 7″ x 19″ (18 x 48 cm) of bed space (size L) for your dog to “sprawl” out on. It will hardly seem like your dog is “ruffing” it!
