Camping With a Dog: What to Feed Them

What should you feed a dog while camping?

The same food they eat at home. A campsite is already a lot of new smells and sounds, and a settled stomach is one less thing to think about. The only real question is whether their food can handle a weekend without a fridge. Kibble can. Fresh and frozen raw cannot. Freeze-dried raw can, and it is still whole meat and produce when it hits the bowl.

Our roots are in this exact trip, with our friends at Camping With Dogs. Here is how we feed at camp.

Why freeze-dried raw suits a campsite

• No cooler. The bag stays sealed in the car, the bear box, or the pack. No ice, no thawing, no soggy bag at the bottom of the cooler.
• Warm water is the only prep. The same kettle that makes your coffee makes your dog's dinner.
• It is a full meal. Whole meat, organ, and produce, freeze-dried raw. Not a snack or a topper unless you want it to be.
• Firmer stools. In a 2024 study, dogs fed freeze-dried raw had firmer stools and less of it than dogs fed kibble (Geary et al., 2024). At a campsite, that is a real kindness.

The campsite routine

Add warm water. It is the one step new buyers miss, and it turns a bag of dry crumbles into the meal your dog is waiting for.

1. Measure the amount from the bag's chart. A 19 to 25 lb dog eats about 1½ cups a day as a full meal.
2. Warm some water on the stove, or pour from an insulated bottle. Add up to an equal amount to the food and stir.
3. Wait 30 to 60 seconds. Feed.
4. After rehydrating, remove and discard any leftovers after 2 hours. Bag them and pack them out.
5. Wash the bowl and your hands. Put the bowl away where you keep your own food.

Feed the big meal in the evening, once the day is done and your dog has had water and a rest. Keep fresh water out all day.

Storing food around wildlife

Dog food is food, and every animal within a mile agrees. Keep the bag sealed and store it the way the campground tells you to store your own: a bear box, a locked car, or a bear canister in the backcountry. Never keep food, or the used bowl, in the tent. Freeze-dried raw makes this easier because the bag is small and dry, but the rules are the same for every food.

Freeze-drying does not cook the food, so treat it like raw at home: wash hands and bowls, seal the bag, and toss rehydrated leftovers after two hours. The full outdoor safety routine is in keeping raw food safe outdoors.

Keep the campfire food to yourself

Hot dog ends, marshmallows, and foil-pack scraps are a lot for a dog's stomach, and the grease and bones are the part they want most. Keep the campfire plate out of reach and let dinner be dinner. A dog who eats their normal meal at the normal time sleeps better in the tent, and so do you. Their own bed with a waterproof bottom helps with that part.

Before you go

Never switch foods for the first time at a campsite. If you want to try AlphaPak for the trip, start at home a week or two ahead, mixing it in slowly. The transition guide has the day-by-day plan. For the rest of the packing list, our 8 tips for camping with your dog covers water, paws, and first aid.

AlphaPak is a food, not a medicine, and nothing here replaces your vet's advice. Want a starting amount for your dog before the trip? Find your recipe takes about a minute, and we are glad to help.