reading time: 3 min
My little pup Daisy is the best around, and I don’t know what I would do during my travels without her. Whenever I travel internationally and have to leave her behind, I spend a lot of time missing her cute little face. Traveling with a dog is incredibly rewarding, but this isn’t to say that it comes without challenges. Here are some products I’ve collected to make sure my pup is happy and safe while traveling with her in my Airstream. (I’m not being paid to write about these, I’m just a passionate consumer 😉)
Netvue Orb Cam
First off, I highly recommend you invest in a pet or security camera that you can view from your phone. When you’re in a new place every few days, it can feel a tad freaky leaving your dog in the trailer while you go out. The camera lets you keep an eye on your buddy and ease your worries.
Snooping on Daisy while I’m out.
I personally use the Netvue Orb Cam (which I found on Amazon for $39.99) because it’s simple, no fuss, easy-to-use, and cheap. You can pan the camera up/down and side-to-side and even speak to your pet through the app (that’s how I caught that hilarious look on their face). One thing to remember is that these cameras require a power outlet and internet connectivity (I use my AT&T booster).
Sweater, rain jacket, and cooling vest
Daisy is a French Bulldog, which is a notoriously high maintenance, low durability breed. One of the things she’s terrible at is temperature regulation, so when I’m on the road, it’s important to make sure she stays at a nice comfy temperature.
To keep her warm, I keep a couple of dog sweaters and rain jackets on hand. I always keep at least one of my propane tanks full in case I don’t have hookups to use my electric heater.
To keep her cool, I keep a cooling vest around. These are fantastic inventions—all you have to do is pour some water over it and pop it on your pup. The evaporative cooling helps keep them from overheating even in direct sunlight. I used to have to leave Daisy in the air-conditioned Airstream when I hit the beach, but now I can bring her along 🏖
K9 Sport Sack
Again, Daisy isn’t the sturdiest dog in the world, but I spend a lot of my time on the road exploring the great outdoors. It’s really important for me to be able to bring her along, because making her spend all day in our 16’ Airstream seems rather cruel.
I use the K9 Sport Sack to tote Daisy around places she otherwise couldn’t go (e.g. up a mountain). I can sometimes get away with running into a cafe with her on my back as well… it takes people a minute or two to even notice her.
Tagging along.
Dr. Bronner’s soap, towels, pet wipes
Exploring the great outdoors with Daisy means I can count on one thing: she will get filthy. With such a small space, I try to be extra vigilant about not tracking mud/dirt into the house, and Daisy is the biggest culprit.
I use Dr. Bronner’s multi-purpose, biodegradable soap for both my showers and Daisy’s and just snake the showerhead outside to hose her down. Depending on where we are (working on a ranch vs. at a city RV park), I’ll do this quickly once every 1–3 days. I dry her off with these awesome shammy towels. I also recommend getting disposable pet wipes for smaller cleanings throughout the day or between baths.
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Airstream/RV life is great if you have a dog because you can travel around with your furry best friend. These products help ease some of the less practical aspects of toting a dog around with you in your tiny home.