Camping with Pets: A New Camper's Guide to Hitting the Road with Your Best Friend

A little while back I put together a guide on camping with kids, and y'all seemed to really dig it — so a bunch of you asked for the version with four legs and a tail. Say no more. Whether you've got a dog who thinks every car ride leads to the vet or a cat who's judging you right now from across the room, I've got you covered.

I'm Joe — Squatch to most folks — and around here at Camping with Squatch, we believe the whole family should get to come along, and yes, that absolutely includes the furry members. The good news for new campers: pets are usually fantastic camping buddies. The honest news: it takes a little prep to keep them safe, comfortable, and welcome. So let's walk through camping with pets the right way, so your best friend has as good a time as you do.

New to the RV life? Don't go it alone. This post lives inside my RV Beginners Guide, where I've rounded up everything I wish someone had handed me on day one.

Start Before You Even Leave the Driveway

Just like with the kids, a good pet trip is mostly won at home before you ever pull out.

Make a vet stop first. Before a big trip, it's worth a quick vet check to make sure your buddy's healthy enough for the adventure and current on vaccinations and flea/tick prevention (more on ticks later — the woods are crawling with the little freeloaders). Grab a copy of their vaccination records while you're at it; some campgrounds ask for proof.

Double-check the ID situation. This is the big one. Make sure the collar tags are current, and if your pet's microchipped, confirm the info on file is up to date. A pet that bolts at a strange campground is every owner's nightmare, and good ID is what gets them home. Snap a fresh photo of them before you go, too — same trick I gave the parents.

Read the campground's pet rules BEFORE you book. Not every campground is pet-friendly, and the ones that are usually have rules: leash requirements, pet fees, breed restrictions, or limits on how many. Find out before you're standing at the check-in window with a confused dog and a problem. A two-minute phone call saves a lot of headache.

Do a practice run. If your pet isn't used to the camper or long car rides, take a short test drive or let them hang out in the parked RV first. A backyard or driveway trial run lets them sniff everything out and get comfortable on home turf before the real thing.

Pack Smart for Your Pet

You pack a bag for everybody else — your buddy gets one too. The essentials:

• Food and water — bring more than you think, plus their regular bowls. Sudden diet changes + new environment = a mess nobody wants to clean up in a camper.

• Leash, plus a long lead or tie-out for hanging around the campsite safely.

• Their bed or a familiar blanket — that familiar smell helps them settle in a strange place, exactly like a kid's comfort item.

• Waste bags — lots of them. Cleaning up after your pet isn't optional (your campground neighbors thank you).

• Any medications, plus a basic pet first-aid kit.

• Towels — for muddy paws, wet dogs, and the general chaos of outdoor life.

• A favorite toy or two to keep them happy and occupied.

• Vaccination records and that recent photo.

There's a full printable pet checklist down at the bottom — print it, tape it next to the kids' one, and you're set.

Keeping Your Pet Happy and Comfortable at Camp

Here's the heart of it. A happy camping pet comes down to a few simple things.

Stick to the routine. Try to feed and walk them around their normal times. Familiar rhythms keep pets calm when everything else around them is new and exciting and smells like a thousand squirrels.

Exercise is your best friend (and theirs). A tired pet is a happy, well-behaved pet — same as kids, funny enough. A good walk or some playtime burns off the nervous energy and cuts way down on barking and restlessness.

Give them shade and water, always. Set up your campsite so your pet has a shady spot to retreat to and fresh water they can always reach. The outdoors gets hot fast, especially for a dog in a fur coat.

Manage the barking. New sounds, other dogs, wildlife — lots of new triggers at a campground. Keep an eye on your buddy and redirect them before the barking becomes the soundtrack of the whole loop. Good campground manners keep everybody welcome.

Keep them secured. A leash or tie-out isn't just a rule, it's safety. Even the best-trained pet can take off after a deer or a rabbit before you can blink.

The Hardest Part: Heat and Never Leaving Them Alone

I'm putting this in its own section because it's the one that actually matters most.

Never, ever leave your pet alone in a hot vehicle — or a hot RV. This is the big one, new campers, so hear me loud: an RV without the AC running heats up just like a car, fast, and it can turn deadly in a shockingly short time. If you're heading somewhere pets can't go, either bring them along, leave them with someone, or make 100% sure your rig's climate control is running reliably and you've got a way to monitor it. A temperature monitor for the camper is worth every penny for pet owners. When in doubt, don't risk it.

Watch for overheating in general — heavy panting, drooling, lethargy. Hot pavement and trails can burn paw pads, too; if it's too hot for your bare hand, it's too hot for their feet. Walk early morning or evening when it's cooler.

A Quick Word on Safety and Wildlife

• Ticks and fleas love the woods. Use prevention, and check your pet over (especially ears, neck, and between toes) after time outdoors.

• Wildlife is not a chew toy. Keep your pet leashed and don't let them go investigating critters — for their safety and the critters'.

• Water safety — not every dog is a strong swimmer, and rivers have currents. Keep an eye on them around water.

• Have a lost-pet plan. Know where the nearest emergency vet is before you go, and keep that current photo handy just in case.

Squatch Tips: My Go-To Moves for Camping with Pets

After seeing plenty of folks roll through with their four-legged co-pilots, here's what I'd tell any new camper:

• First trip: short and close to home. Just like with kids, get a one-nighter under your belt before the big adventure. You'll learn your pet's camping quirks somewhere you can easily bail if you need to.

• A tired pet is a good pet. Exercise before you expect them to settle. Nobody relaxes with a full tank of energy.

• Be the camper everybody wants next door. Clean up every time, keep the barking in check, and never let your buddy roam into someone else's site. Good pet owners keep campgrounds pet-friendly for the rest of us.

• Bring a piece of home. Their bed, their blanket, their favorite toy — the familiar smell does more to calm a nervous pet than anything you can buy.

• Don't forget THEY'RE new at this too. Your pet doesn't know what camping is yet. Be patient the first time. By trip two or three, most of them turn into total naturals who lose their minds with joy when they see the camper come out.

That's really the whole spirit of Camping with Squatch — a little prep up front means the whole family, paws included, has a blast out there.

Print This: Camping with Pets Checklist

Tape it inside a cabinet right next to the kids' list.

Before You Go

• [ ] Vet check + current vaccinations and flea/tick prevention

• [ ] Update collar tags and microchip info

• [ ] Confirm the campground's pet rules and fees

• [ ] Take a fresh photo of your pet

• [ ] Do a short practice run in the car or parked RV

Pack for Your Pet

• [ ] Food + water + regular bowls (bring extra)

• [ ] Leash + long lead or tie-out

• [ ] Bed or familiar blanket

• [ ] Plenty of waste bags

• [ ] Medications + pet first-aid kit

• [ ] Towels for muddy paws

• [ ] Favorite toy

• [ ] Vaccination records + recent photo

At Camp

• [ ] Keep feeding/walking routine consistent

• [ ] Shade + fresh water always available

• [ ] Exercise before downtime

• [ ] Pet secured on leash/tie-out

• [ ] NEVER leave alone in a hot vehicle or RV

Safety

• [ ] Tick/flea check after time outdoors

• [ ] Watch for overheating + hot pavement on paws

• [ ] Keep clear of wildlife and watch around water

• [ ] Know the nearest emergency vet

Get Out There (Leash in Hand)

Camping with your pet is one of life's great joys — there's nothing like watching your buddy discover a whole new world of smells and stick around the campfire like they were born to it. A little planning is all it takes to keep them safe and make sure you're both welcome back.

And if you're thinking about how to make your rig more pet-friendly — easy-clean floors, layouts with room for the crew, all that — come find me at A&L RV Sales in Christiana, just outside Murfreesboro. Give me a call or text at 615-653-7561, or follow along with Camping with Squatch for more straight talk on getting the whole family (furry ones included) outdoors. No pressure, ever — I just want all of you camping happy.

New to family camping in general? Check out my guide on [camping with kids] too — same idea, fewer chew toys.