Typically, I'd take a couple of trips to escape the Vegas summer heat. However, this year has been quite the whirlwind, and after photographing two back-to-back out-of-state events back in May and early June, I opted to forgo my usual summer getaway. Instead, I chose to hunker down at home, tackling work and preparing for the upcoming triple-header of trips.
Personally, I'm all about road trips. There's something liberating about cruising on my own terms with my dogs by my side. Audiobooks and podcasts keep me entertained during the stretches of driving, and I relish the opportunity to stumble upon new places along the way. On the flip side, the mere thought of flying crushes my soul a little. Rushing around only to wait, being at the mercy of flight schedules, enduring more waiting, and my socks have to touch the airport floor. It's a whole ordeal that I could do without.
But, often flying becomes the necessary evil. Case in point: I'm gearing up for an extraordinary dog photography workshop in Iceland, with 3 drool-worthy talented instructors and of course, I get to meet other photographers in person for the first time. I'm thrilled, don't get me wrong. But the dread of the flights, the separation from my dogs, adds a bit of anxiety. Before you roll your eyes about me complaining over a trip to Iceland, hear me out. No direct flights. Plus, a flight home that's now canceled, leaving me with a 12-hour layover from 7 pm to 7 am on my way home. The trip home always feels so long, but this will be painfully long, when all I want is to reach home sweet home.
Once I touch down from Iceland, I'll have a solitary day to recoup before I'm behind the wheel, journeying to Missouri to capture an event. I get it, it might sound a wee bit crazy. But I'm not about to step foot in another airport any time soon. Plus, I'm not leaving my dogs behind, even if I'll be working for 3 of those days. So, it's road trip time – four days on the road for a three-day event.
From there, I'm back home for a mere four days before it's time to hit the road again – this time to Lake Tahoe. Finally, a genuine vacation, my first this year! Seven full days of pure relaxation await. I'm super excited, but also worried I'll be too exhausted to move by the time I get to Tahoe. So, I'm making a mental note to stay on top of my vitamins and also to get enough sleep every night. Hey, I'm no spring chicken, after all!
Now, why am I rambling on about these three drastically different trips? Well, they each call for a distinct packing list, especially when it comes to essentials for my furry companions. Allow me to share my dog necessities for each leg of this adventure-filled journey.
My first tip is to determine how you want your checklist. I need mine to be digital, and since I've been using the same lists for 15 or 20 years, I use Microsoft To-Do because it's browser-based and an app. I know, Microsoft, gross. But it was formerly Wunderlist, and then Microsoft bought them out. Since my lists transferred over, it seemed easy to just stick with it. One thing that I like about it is I have a dog icon for all of my dog items, and a camera icon for all my camera gear, then everything else is just my stuff, making it easy to sort my list into categories. I still have trouble remembering the name. It's so basic, I just can't. I'm sure there are plenty of alternatives now, but my lists are all alive and I'm not moving. So, choose what works for you, whether that's paper or an app.
Trip 1 - Iceland:
For this trip, I'll sadly be leaving my dogs behind. So here's my prep for that trip:
- Make sure all prescriptions are filled and will last the week.
- Pet sitter instructions - download my free printable checklist here.
- Have my dogs scanned to confirm chips are all reading.
- I'll be gone a while, so I'll trim their nails before I leave.
Here's what I'll deliver with them to my pet sitter:
- Completed checklist with all the emergency info and feeding instructions.
- Enough food and meds for my trip time, plus 4 additional days, just in case.
- Bowls.
- Collars and leashes, just in case they need to go to the vet.
- Kongs with some kong filler and maybe some antlers. I don't send any chews that require supervision.
- Crates and crate bedding.
It's a pretty short list. I don't want to complicate things, since my priority is that my dogs are safe while I'm away.
Trip 2 - Missouri road trip:
Before I head out for this trip, I'll need to make sure I have enough meds to get me through, and depending on the weather, I may need to have my dogs tested for heartworm and do heartworm meds. I'm hoping it's cold enough that I don't have to do that. I'm not crazy about giving my dogs meds like that if I don't need to. So that will be a last-minute decision based on the temperatures at the time.
I also have all of my vet records on Google Drive, so I can access them if necessary.
Packing list:
- Food, and meds with extra in case I'm delayed getting home for some reason.
- Bowls.
- Water. I always bring my own water for my dogs when I travel.
- Back on Track coats (they wear them overnight).
- Leashes, collars, tags.
- Headlamp for picking up poop in the dark.
- Poop bags.
- Shampoo - just in case.
- PowerFlex - also just in case.
- Soft crates to use wherever I stay.
- Towels.
- X-pen so they can have more space while I'm shooting during the day.
- beds and shade cloth for the xpen.
- Various chews.
- Dremel (or whatever nail trimmer you use)
Trip 3 - Lake Tahoe:
Not much changes for this trip. I'll need all of the above, except for the X-pen. In addition, I'll pack harnesses and canicross gear for hiking.
Of course, your list may vary, but hopefully, these lists will help with your planning. Remember to keep it simple, stay safe, and enjoy your adventures, whether by road or air!
To continue through the pet photographer blog circle, click the link at the bottom of each page starting with Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography in Spokane, Washington, who goes coast to coast for dog photography.
4 Comments
Sep 15, 2023, 12:40:59 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - OMG! That is exactly why flying causes me so much anxiety - being late has serious consequences!
Sep 15, 2023, 12:39:56 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Elaine!
Sep 15, 2023, 11:35:42 AM
Angela Schneider - Iceland! What an awesome trip that's going to be. I love your prep levels for each trip. You're still going to show up late for a few things, though, right?
Sep 15, 2023, 11:09:36 AM
Elaine - What a wonderful blog. Great packing tips and checklists. Enjoy Iceland!