Essentials for road trip with dogs

I’m a list maker so first thing I always do when I even start day dreaming about a trip or plan is to make lists. List of places to visit, snack list, coffee shop list, packing list for me, etc. The one thing that was new to me was a packing list for Olive. We’ve gone on shorter road trips but nothing close to this 2 months trip I was dreaming about. So I put in time to research and gather must haves for our trip. I wanted to make sure we were both comfortable, happy, and safe.

Here’s everything you need to make sure your best friend is comfortable throughout the trip:

One of the first things I bought before bringing Olive home was a backseat cover for my car. This helps keep the seats a little cleaner and I like to think she’s a little more comfortable since my car seats are leather and slippery.
If your car can fit a crate for your dog, in my opinion that is the best way to make sure they are the safest during your travels. There are lots of great options out there. Since my car doesn’t fit a comfortable crate for Olive, I have a car seat belt for her. She’s a calm rider but I still make sure she’s secure anytime we’re going on a ride, even if it’s a five minute drive to the park.
First Aid Kit. There are several different options to buy from sports good stores or Amazon. I opted for this one from Amazon and even though its labeled as a pet first aid kit, it has everything you would need for the pet and humans on the trip.
I knew that forests and hikes up north would bring ticks and other inspects that we haven’t encountered much before in Texas.. This insect repellent is safe to spray on dogs as well as your shoes and clothes. Make sure to do your research and check out Sawyer’s website before spraying it on your dog.

I invested in a few things for our camping and hiking part of our travels including:
- Travel dog bed thats washing machine safe. The dog bed was a great constant for Olive and we pulled it out on camping nights as well as hotels to make her feel a little more at home.
- Collapsable dog bowl
- Pet water bottle. We use this so frequently! I love that it doesn’t waste any she doesn’t finish drinking. It also fit perfectly in the side pocket of my hiking backpack.
- Collar light - This was great during our camping nights.

Since I knew we were going to travel through multiple different climates and were doing a variety of activities, I made sure to pack a Olive’s booties, life vest, and goggles as well.
Extra leash and collar with a tag with your information just in case.
Poop bags! More than you think you’ll need.