Dog hiking gear for Lurcher & Dalmatian

A backcountry overnight with a Lurcher and a Dalmatian — that's a proper adventure, and both breeds are well-suited to it if they're conditioned for distance. The essentials for hiking with dogs are a well-fitting harness, a collapsible water bowl (one per dog is worth it overnight), and depending on your terrain, boots — paw protection on rocky or rough ground matters more than most people realise, especially for a rescue dog whose history you may not fully know. To point you in the right direction: what are your two dogs' weights, what terrain are you covering, and roughly how many miles are you expecting each day?

Good distances for both breeds — Dalmatians were bred to run and Lurchers have the stamina to match once they're warmed up. The Brecon Beacons mixed terrain is worth taking seriously though. The grassy ridges are fine, but the rocky sections can tear up paws over two consecutive days, especially with overnight camping in between when there's no recovery time. Have either of them done multi-day hiking before, or is this a first?

That's the key detail. The Lurcher being a rescue with limited long-distance history means you want a harness that distributes load well and won't rub on a second consecutive day — once a harness starts chafing on day one, day two is miserable for the dog. My clear recommendation for both dogs is the Ruffwear Front Range Harness. It comes in sizes that will fit a 28kg Lurcher and a 25kg Dalmatian comfortably, has four points of adjustment so you can get a genuine fit rather than approximating it, and the padded chest and belly panels make a real difference over 12+ miles. It's not cheap, but it's the one harness I'd trust for two days back-to-back on mixed Brecon terrain. Get one in each dog's size, measure their girth carefully before ordering, and pair it with the Ruffwear Quencher collapsible bowl — one each, clip them to your pack and they weigh almost nothing.

Honestly, for the Dalmatian — probably not essential, he's conditioned and his paws will be toughened up from regular hiking. For the Lurcher I'd at least bring a set as insurance. Lurchers have finer skin than working breeds and eight months of hikes doesn't build the same pad toughness as years of it. If you hit a rough scramble section on day two and he's already covering ground on tired paws, having Ruffwear Grip Trex boots in your pack costs you almost nothing in weight. You may not use them, but you'll be glad you have them if you need them. That's the practical call for an overnight where you can't just turn around easily.

Two things people consistently underestimate on overnight dog hikes: water and sleep. Dogs need roughly 30ml of water per kg of body weight per day at rest — double that with heavy exercise, so plan for 1.5–2 litres each across a full hiking day. On the Beacons you can usually top up from streams but carry enough to bridge gaps. For sleep, both dogs will likely want to pile into your shelter — factor that into your tent footprint, a 28kg Lurcher takes up more space than expected. A lightweight dog sleeping mat or a cut-down closed-cell foam pad under each dog stops them losing heat to the ground overnight and means they start day two in better shape.