What to put in a day bag for a long walk

A walk past two hours asks different questions of a bag than the loop around the block.

Distance is not the measure. Weather and terrain decide how much a dog needs, and the bag decides how much you are willing to carry.

Water, and how much

A dog drinks roughly fifty millilitres per kilogram a day, and more in heat or on hills. A 550 ml bottle covers a medium dog's afternoon and leaves something for the way home.

Food, kept apart

A portion of dry food belongs in its own compartment, not loose beside the keys. Loose kibble finds the seam of every bag it travels in.

The short list

• Water and a collapsible bowl.

• One portion of food in a dry compartment.

• Bags, more than the walk should need.

• A towel, folded small.

• The lead's traffic handle, not a second lead.

Everything else is weight. A dog who carried nothing for the first mile does not need a bag that rattles for the last one.