Back Seat Covers & Hammocks

URPOWER Dog Car Seat Cover Review: 8,000 Miles in a Subaru Outback
Dog Travel Gear

URPOWER Dog Car Seat Cover Review: 8,000 Miles in a Subaru Outback

After eight months and 8,000 miles of road trips with a restless 45-pound dog, here is what the URPOWER hammock cover survived and what it did not.

URPOWER Hammock vs a Plain Bench Seat Cover: Which Protects Better?
Dog Travel Gear

URPOWER Hammock vs a Plain Bench Seat Cover: Which Protects Better?

Six months and 4,000 miles with both kinds of cover in the back of our Subaru Outback. Here is what actually protects your upholstery.

10 Reasons a Back Seat Hammock Saves Your Upholstery
Dog Travel

10 Reasons a Back Seat Hammock Saves Your Upholstery

Honest, hands-on notes from a year of road trips with a dog who tracks in mud, fur, and the occasional lake.

The Day My Dog Rode Home Muddy and My Seats Stayed Clean
Dog Travel Gear

The Day My Dog Rode Home Muddy and My Seats Stayed Clean

One rainy hike, one very muddy dog, and a seat cover that did exactly what it promised. Honest notes from the road.

How to Protect Your Car Seats From Dog Hair on Long Road Trips
Dog Travel

How to Protect Your Car Seats From Dog Hair on Long Road Trips

Honest, hands-on notes from a retired librarian who spends four months a year on the road with a shedding Australian Shepherd mix.

URPOWER Seat Cover Honest Review: What Works and What Slips
Dog Travel Gear

URPOWER Seat Cover Honest Review: What Works and What Slips

Nine months, four thousand miles, and one very shed-prone dog. Here is what the URPOWER seat cover does well, what it does not, and what nobody tells you before you buy.

Car Harnesses & Restraints

Kurgo Tru-Fit Harness Review: A Year of Road Trips With One Dog
Dog Travel Gear

Kurgo Tru-Fit Harness Review: A Year of Road Trips With One Dog

A retired librarian, her husband, and a 45-pound Australian Shepherd mix spent a full year testing the Kurgo Tru-Fit on national park trips, lake cabins, and long interstate hauls. Here is what held up, what did not, and what she wishes she had known on day one.

Kurgo Harness vs a Simple Seat Belt Tether: Which Is Safer?
Car Safety

Kurgo Harness vs a Simple Seat Belt Tether: Which Is Safer?

Gail Fenwick drove the same dog with both setups for a month: the Kurgo Tru-Fit harness and a simple seat belt tether. Here is what she learned about crash protection, comfort, and when a tether is enough.

10 Reasons a Dog Car Harness Beats a Collar in the Car
Dog Travel Gear

10 Reasons a Dog Car Harness Beats a Collar in the Car

Honest, hands-on notes from a dog owner who has logged thousands of road miles with a restless Australian Shepherd mix in the back seat.

The Sudden Stop That Made Me Buy a Dog Car Harness
Dog Travel Gear

The Sudden Stop That Made Me Buy a Dog Car Harness

A retired librarian, a 45-pound dog named Maple, and one hard brake on a mountain road. What I learned about car safety for dogs, the slow way.

How to Buckle Your Dog Into the Car Safely With a Harness
Dog Travel Gear

How to Buckle Your Dog Into the Car Safely With a Harness

Gail's step-by-step method for fitting and fastening a crash-tested harness, from kitchen fitting to the first long ride.

Kurgo Tru-Fit Honest Review: Fit, Straps and Real Limits
Dog Travel Gear

Kurgo Tru-Fit Honest Review: Fit, Straps and Real Limits

An honest, hands-on review of the Kurgo Tru-Fit harness after a year and six thousand miles with a restless dog in the back seat.

Travel Water Bottles & Bowls

PupFlask Review: Months of Rest Stop Water Breaks
Dog Travel Gear

PupFlask Review: Months of Rest Stop Water Breaks

A slow, honest look at the Tuff Pupper PupFlask after months of rest stop water breaks with a restless Australian Shepherd mix.

PupFlask vs a Collapsible Silicone Bowl for Travel
Dog Travel Gear

PupFlask vs a Collapsible Silicone Bowl for Travel

Two ways to carry water on the road, and which one earns its space in the Outback.

10 Reasons a Dog Water Bottle Belongs in Your Car
Dog Travel Gear

10 Reasons a Dog Water Bottle Belongs in Your Car

Four months a year on the road with a thirsty dog taught me to keep a PupFlask in the Outback full time. Here is why it earns its spot.

The Hot Afternoon Rest Stop That Sold Me on a Dog Water Bottle
Dog Travel Gear

The Hot Afternoon Rest Stop That Sold Me on a Dog Water Bottle

Honest, hands-on notes for dog owners who travel.

How to Keep Your Dog Hydrated on a Long Road Trip
Dog Travel Gear

How to Keep Your Dog Hydrated on a Long Road Trip

A retired librarian, her husband, and a 45-pound Australian Shepherd mix log about four months a year on the road. Here is the hydration routine that finally stopped the pit stops, the spilled bowls, and the worried looks from the back seat.

PupFlask Honest Review: Leaks, Capacity and Daily Use
Dog Travel Gear

PupFlask Honest Review: Leaks, Capacity and Daily Use

Six months of road trips with the Tuff Pupper PupFlask. The honest part is that it leaks a little, and the honest part is that I still carry it every single mile.

Soft Travel Carriers

Sherpa Original Deluxe Carrier Review: Flights, Hotels and Car Rides
Dog Travel Gear

Sherpa Original Deluxe Carrier Review: Flights, Hotels and Car Rides

Six months of real trips with a 10-pound Shih Tzu named Pip, from airport check-in to motel room floors.

Sherpa Soft Carrier vs a Hard-Sided Travel Crate
Dog Travel Gear

Sherpa Soft Carrier vs a Hard-Sided Travel Crate

I hauled both a Sherpa soft carrier and a hard-sided crate through three months of road trips, motel lobbies, and pet-friendly diners. Here is what I would actually pack next time.

10 Reasons a Soft Pet Carrier Makes Travel Easier
Dog Travel

10 Reasons a Soft Pet Carrier Makes Travel Easier

Honest, hands-on notes from Gail Fenwick on why a soft carrier beats a hard crate for small dogs on the road.

The Hotel Check-In Where My Little Dog Stayed Calm in Her Carrier
Dog Travel Gear

The Hotel Check-In Where My Little Dog Stayed Calm in Her Carrier

A quiet story about a 10-pound Shih Tzu, a busy hotel lobby, and the Sherpa carrier that made the whole thing boring. Which is exactly what you want.

How to Get Your Dog Comfortable in a Travel Carrier
Dog Travel Gear

How to Get Your Dog Comfortable in a Travel Carrier

A gentle five-step plan to help a small dog feel at home in a soft travel carrier, tested on my sister Joan's 10-pound Shih Tzu.

Sherpa Original Deluxe Honest Review: Size, Comfort and Fit
Dog Travel

Sherpa Original Deluxe Honest Review: Size, Comfort and Fit

After a year of trips with my sister's 10-pound Shih Tzu, here is what the listings do not show you about the Sherpa Original Deluxe.

Dog Travel Bags & Organizers

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Review: One Bag for Every Road Trip
Dog Travel Gear

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Review: One Bag for Every Road Trip

Six months, four national parks, and one very opinionated Australian Shepherd mix later, here is what I actually think of the PetAmi Dog Travel Bag.

PetAmi Travel Tote vs a Dog Gear Backpack
Dog Travel Gear

PetAmi Travel Tote vs a Dog Gear Backpack

Which bag should carry your dog's road trip kit? I put the PetAmi travel tote against a dog gear backpack for six weeks, and the answer surprised me.

10 Reasons a Dog Travel Bag Keeps Your Trips Organized
Dog Travel Gear

10 Reasons a Dog Travel Bag Keeps Your Trips Organized

Honest, hands-on notes from a dog owner who has packed the back of a Subaru Outback more times than she can count.

The Packing Mess I Fixed With One Dog Travel Bag
Dog Travel Gear

The Packing Mess I Fixed With One Dog Travel Bag

How a retired librarian and her anxious Australian Shepherd finally stopped living out of a jumble of plastic grocery bags.

How to Pack a Dog Travel Bag for a Weekend Trip
Dog Travel

How to Pack a Dog Travel Bag for a Weekend Trip

A retired librarian's slow, tested method for packing everything your dog needs for a weekend away, without the trunk full of loose stuff.

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Honest Review: Pockets, Zippers and Space
Dog Travel Gear

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Honest Review: Pockets, Zippers and Space

Six months of road trips with the PetAmi dog travel bag, and the honest notes on what worked, what did not, and what I would tell a friend before she buys one.

All Reviews

URPOWER Dog Car Seat Cover Review: 8,000 Miles in a Subaru Outback
Dog Travel Gear

URPOWER Dog Car Seat Cover Review: 8,000 Miles in a Subaru Outback

After eight months and 8,000 miles of road trips with a restless 45-pound dog, here is what the URPOWER hammock cover survived and what it did not.

URPOWER Seat Cover Honest Review: What Works and What Slips
Dog Travel Gear

URPOWER Seat Cover Honest Review: What Works and What Slips

Nine months, four thousand miles, and one very shed-prone dog. Here is what the URPOWER seat cover does well, what it does not, and what nobody tells you before you buy.

Kurgo Tru-Fit Harness Review: A Year of Road Trips With One Dog
Dog Travel Gear

Kurgo Tru-Fit Harness Review: A Year of Road Trips With One Dog

A retired librarian, her husband, and a 45-pound Australian Shepherd mix spent a full year testing the Kurgo Tru-Fit on national park trips, lake cabins, and long interstate hauls. Here is what held up, what did not, and what she wishes she had known on day one.

Kurgo Tru-Fit Honest Review: Fit, Straps and Real Limits
Dog Travel Gear

Kurgo Tru-Fit Honest Review: Fit, Straps and Real Limits

An honest, hands-on review of the Kurgo Tru-Fit harness after a year and six thousand miles with a restless dog in the back seat.

PupFlask Review: Months of Rest Stop Water Breaks
Dog Travel Gear

PupFlask Review: Months of Rest Stop Water Breaks

A slow, honest look at the Tuff Pupper PupFlask after months of rest stop water breaks with a restless Australian Shepherd mix.

PupFlask Honest Review: Leaks, Capacity and Daily Use
Dog Travel Gear

PupFlask Honest Review: Leaks, Capacity and Daily Use

Six months of road trips with the Tuff Pupper PupFlask. The honest part is that it leaks a little, and the honest part is that I still carry it every single mile.

Sherpa Original Deluxe Carrier Review: Flights, Hotels and Car Rides
Dog Travel Gear

Sherpa Original Deluxe Carrier Review: Flights, Hotels and Car Rides

Six months of real trips with a 10-pound Shih Tzu named Pip, from airport check-in to motel room floors.

Sherpa Original Deluxe Honest Review: Size, Comfort and Fit
Dog Travel

Sherpa Original Deluxe Honest Review: Size, Comfort and Fit

After a year of trips with my sister's 10-pound Shih Tzu, here is what the listings do not show you about the Sherpa Original Deluxe.

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Review: One Bag for Every Road Trip
Dog Travel Gear

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Review: One Bag for Every Road Trip

Six months, four national parks, and one very opinionated Australian Shepherd mix later, here is what I actually think of the PetAmi Dog Travel Bag.

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Honest Review: Pockets, Zippers and Space
Dog Travel Gear

PetAmi Dog Travel Bag Honest Review: Pockets, Zippers and Space

Six months of road trips with the PetAmi dog travel bag, and the honest notes on what worked, what did not, and what I would tell a friend before she buys one.

Notes from the road, in your inbox

One short email a month: the gear that held up, the stops worth making with a dog, and what we stopped packing.