Despite questioning looks from friends and family about our sanity, Michael and I decided to order a full contingent of gear for our puppy, Veli. We’re on our way to Yosemite for a backpacking trip and, naturally, she needed a backpack. First we looked at inexpensive ones. Then we decided that for a little bit extra we could get her an expedition backpack. It’s waterproof, has all kinds of compression straps and pockets, and reflector strips. We deemed this necessary for our pup.
We call this Standard Issue Adventure Dog:
Then we went a little further out of bounds; we got her booties.
They make her run funny.
We call this Special Issue Adventure Dog:
The booties are even called Adventure Dog.
Then we got waaaay out of bounds. We got her Doggles:
The Doggels caused her to scrunch up her face and flap her ears.
We call this Deluxe Issue Adventure Dog:
Now, I know there are dogs who need nothing at all to be comfortable, even in bad conditions. And our dog is probably one of them. But we couldn’t resist. Plus, Micheal has a special thing for eye protection. Don’t get him started about eye protection.
She’s our baby and she just might be in conditions that require booties and Doggles – like the jagged rocks and burning sand in Death Valley we had to turn around on because they were cutting her feet, or the blinding snow of Yosemite.
So: we’re obsessed parents.
And as much as she doesn’t really want the Doggles or the booties on, she’d swim with them on anyway: if we’d let her.














































