We had a great time backpacking and can’t wait for the next adventure! Cali could have kept on going.
Looking back, one thing I would have done is put the Hi & Dry covers over the Palisades packs. While it did not rain, there were muddy spots and puddles the dogs liked jumping in, and the packs got wet. Lesson learned.
I did not use a bed or insulated jacket for the dogs because they just slept on or in my sleeping bag on my sleeping pad. Their jackets were packed just in case it would be needed.
The bear bells were handy. We never ran into any bears. There was apparently a momma and cub but I think the bells may have helped move them away.
When we arrived at camp, I took the packs off the dogs and put on their collars with lights.
I always pack more than enough food and did the same for the dogs. I feed them more than normal for camping or backpacking because they are burning off more energy than they typically would. All food was kept in a zip block bag that I then kept in the food cache near camp.