Camping With Whippets in the Lake District
Camping With Whippets in the Lake District
Last month, we headed up in a very packed car to go camping in the Lake District. It was a trip that we’d planned for months so excitement was running high as well as a little bit of apprehension as it was our first time camping as well as the first camping trip with Josie and Edie. Our trip was such a success that we’re heading back in just a few weeks so, it felt like the perfect time to write this post on how we found camping with two sighthounds and a little packing list you might find it useful incase you've got any adventures planned!
Where we stayed & what we did
We stayed at a campsite called Noble Wood Camping which is in south Cumbria and very close to the Lake District, as we knew we’d be driving to varying walk locations and activities we didn’t concern ourselves too much with the location of our campsite and more what it had to offer us. There were 3 things we knew we needed for this trip which was dog friendly, campfires allowed, electrical hook-up and it was an added bonus that the campsite itself was absolutely beautiful. We were camped in landscaped woodland and our pitch felt extremely private which was something we loved as it meant the dogs weren’t constantly on edge and could settle relatively easily. If you’re heading up to the Lake District I couldn’t recommend this campsite more, it was extremely clean and quiet.
We kept our days relatively easy with loose plans, especially as we were with my best friend and her almost 11-month-old golden retriever Goose so no long hikes were on the cards on this trip. On the day we arrived, as all the dogs had been walked before we embarked on the 3-hour drive we made setting up camp a priority rather than getting out and exploring. As all dogs needed to be kept on lead at the campsite we used ground stakes to keep all the dogs secure and give them a little bit of space to roam. Ours was just from Aldi but it worked perfectly well and both dogs quickly got used to where they could and couldn't wander to.
Buttermere Lake
Day one we headed to Buttermere, it was quite the drive from our campsite, and at one point we wondered if we’d made a mistake as the last part of the drive was quite something but the views made it all worth it. Parking was the real nightmare though and we ended up parking up on the hill just before the pubs and cafes which seemed to be the only option available to us and many more so I’d advise getting there as early as possible to try and park. We did a circular walk around the lake and that was just over 5 miles and it was pretty flat the entire way so a good walk if you just want to take in the views and not have to worry about climbing any serious hills. After our walk, we stopped at the Skye Farm Tea Room for lunch and the best ice cream I think I’ve ever had, which of course, was shared with two little pointy snoots.
coniston lake
One of the activities we’d planned for our trip was renting a boat on Coniston Water, which surprisingly is something you can do with your dogs. We were all a little nervous about how three dogs and four humans would cope in a boat but, it was such an amazing thing to do. We got extremely lucky with the weather and it was beautifully sunny for our hour spent out in the water. All the dogs seemed to love being out there smelling all the smells and basking in the sun. There were a few different activities to do at Coniston Water and there plenty of dogs splashing around in the shallows, naturally Josie and Edie dipped their toes in and that was more than enough.
rydal water
On our final morning, we headed to Rydal Water where we’d had a brief walk the day before when it was too busy to go into Ambleside and we were so glad we stumbled across such a beautiful spot. We went quite early on in the morning before the car park got really full and walked through the woodland up to the water and set up a little spot for a few hours where we could have lunch and try to encourage Josie to get in the water with us. We utilised the ground stakes that we’d been using at the campsite and that was the perfect way for us to enjoy being able to go in and out of the water and know they were safe, although one of the humans was with them just incase. It was the perfect end to our little break before we headed home, we were incredibly lucky with the weather as five days of beautiful sunshine in the Lake District is pretty unheard of.
camping essentials
It was our first time camping so, we were cautious about overpacking as our car was already pretty full to the brim so we didn’t have room for error. The best things we found for both dogs were;
Ground stake: I’ve already mentioned this but it is an absolute essential for campsites, we also took their longlines to give them a little bit more room which worked quite well and the tangles weren’t too bad.
Beds: To save space when packing we put Josie and Edie’s beds in the backseat of the car and it worked out perfectly, we took their old beds as we didn’t want to have to worry about anything getting ruined. Since we got back I’ve bought two more practical beds for our next trip as I know we probably won’t be so lucky with the weather next time and something that is waterproof will be a lot better on a campsite.
Double camping chair: Technically, this is more for the humans but you know when you’ve got sighthounds they prefer an elevated surface to lay on over anything else. Ours was another Aldi find and a real hit on the trip for hounds and humans.
Occam Judd Onsie: Whilst we did get extremely lucky with the weather at night we wanted to make sure that there was no shivering stick legs in sight so we took their onsies so when the sun was going down they would be warm enough outside and they were. They were really happy hanging around the campfire and going to bed we had absolutely no issues of them being cold in their beds or on the air bed with us.
Forthglade wet food: Josie is normally fed raw but as we didn’t want to risk taking that we decided to take a wet food instead and Forthglade is the food we’ve had the most experience with, it’s perfect as it doesn’t need to be chilled so it was fine kept it a cool spot in the tent.
Blankets: For when we were out and about we took our Redhound medium fleece blanket which fits into a backpack comfortably and at the campsite we used it for in the girls bed to keep them really snug. For our next trip, we’ve bought the Voited Pet Blanket which is waterproof on one side which will be absolutely perfect for being out for us and the hounds to sit on.
what we’ll make sure to pack
Redhound For Dogs T-shirt for warm days
Redhound For Dogs Fleece for cool days
Treats
Vet wrap, Tick Twisters and Leucillin
Extra Adios Plastic poo bags
