Travelling With Your Pet Just Got Easier!

I’m going to start this review by saying that this is the greatest pet accessory that I’ve ever owned, and I use it every weekend!

As a pet owner and a blogger, I take my dog with me pretty much everywhere I go. Whether we’re going to Grandma’s house for the weekend, to the cottage for vacation or even just out to a dog-friendly event, we make sure that we have our Solvit HomeAway Travel Organizer Kit with us.

The bag is insulated to keep your dog’s ice water cold on hot days and has removable dividers inside to keep your items organized. The bag features a number of pouches and mesh pockets to store your must have items. The Travel Bag also comes with two 8-cup water-proof collapsible food dishes, a 10 cup Velcro-adjusted food pouch for kibble, a 1-litre crystal polycarbonate (unbreakable) BPA-free water bottle, and poop bags. We find that the food pouch easily holds enough dry dog food for our 18lb dog for a week. If you need more dry food storage, an additional food bag is available for purchase from Solvit.

Solvit really thought of everything, even a handy poop bag dispenser right on the front pouch!

The bag is incredibly spacious and accommodating to bulky items. As you can see, we pack everything we could possibly need into it.

I am very impressed with this bag, and would easily give it five stars. It’s well made from durable fabric. They’ve really thought everything out in terms of storage solutions, keeping food fresh and water cool. It’s an amazing product and I would recommend it in a heartbeat. In fact, I think I found the perfect Christmas present for my dog-loving friends!

Below, I’ve outlined our personal must-have items for a trip away. All of these items easily fit into the Travel Kit and will be useful when you’re away from home.

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On both ends of the bag are mesh pockets. They’re perfect for storing the food bowls, damp cloths or small bottles. In our mesh pockets we store the following:

 

• 2 in 1 Dog Shampoo & Conditioner– Small or sample-sized bottles of natural, biodegradable shampoos and conditioners are perfect. We suggest that you look for a shampoo that’s biodegradable so that you don’t harm nature, especially on camping trips or out on hikes.
• Pet Remedy De-Stress & Calming Spray– If your dog gets nervous when you are away from home, during storms or car rides, or during other anxious situations, you should consider an all natural calming spray. This particular spray is a blend of Valerian, Vetiver, Sweet Basil, Sage and essential oils. We carry the 15ml bottle with us when we travel because you never know when somebody’s going to set off some fireworks! It takes very little spray to have the desired effect on your pet, and starts to work immediately. Best of all, this natural calming spray works on all mammals and birds, and is available in a spray, a plug-in diffuser and an atomiser. We love it! (200ml bottle available here for $26)
• Absolutely Clean Pet Stain & Odor Remover– This stuff works like a charm. The Eco-Friendly formula uses natural enzymes to deep clean on all surfaces. Just add a little water and scrub until there are suds- super easy. I’ve used it on white carpet and coloured carpet with great results. Trust me, at 3am when your pup’s sick you’ll be glad you had this with you! We were lucky to get a sample size, but you can buy the 16oz ($11.99 US) or 1 gallon refill ($44 US) and use your own squirt bottle. It only takes 3-5 squirts, making clean up a breeze!
• Melissa’s Aloe Pet Skin Crème– We wrote a review on this great multi-use skin care product for dogs a little while ago. You can read all about it here. ($5.99)

In the other mesh pocket we keep items like nail clippers and dental care products. If your dog doesn’t like tooth brushes, consider a dental wipe such as Earthbath’s Tooth and Gum Wipes.

Remember that handy poop bag dispenser in the front left pocket? Well, that’s also a great place to store extra poop bag rolls. In the right pocket we keep our business cards (because you never know who you’ll run into!), some individual use BarkLogic Tick & Flea Pet Wash for hiking and wilderness days, and some sunscreen for the humans (because we never remember to pack it otherwise). Store your pesticide-free Tick & Flea Pet Wash in small travel-size bottles- available at your drugstore– for easy storage.

Inside the bag we store the majority of our pet supplies. In addition to the water bottle and food bag that came with the kit we store other items as well. Pictured above:

• Caru Stew- We have a love affair with this human-grade, grain-free, all-natural dog food. It’s a healthy dog food option that dogs love (haven’t met a dog yet that doesn’t like it) that is perfect for travelling because no scissors or can openers are required to open it. Our dog, Bachaesh, becomes a bit of a picky eater when we are away from home, so we rely on Caru to keep him well nourished while we’re on the go. Read our review here.

Courtesy of HDC

• Leanlix– Believe it or not, there are push pop treats for dogs! Leanlix is a great low-cal reward for your dog’s good behaviour. Simply remove the cap and allow your dog to have a few licks of deliciousness. Then, recap it and hang by the cord around your neck while you continue playing, training or walking your dog. They come in 8 mouth-watering, gluten free flavours that dogs love. Bachaesh loves his “Run Away Frank” flavoured Leanlix so much that he tries to nibble at it instead of just licking it. Because your dog is only licking the flavour instead of consuming treat after treat, it keeps the calories consumed at a super low one calorie per 40 licks! They sell for about $10-$12 each.
• Treat Jar– This is a little Thermos from the Dollar Store that we converted into a treat jar. It has two compartments that allow us to separate treats (so they don’t end up tasting the same). This allows us to pack a variety of treat options for our very spoiled well-loved dog, without having to pack full treat bags.

• Doggie Doo All– This handy pouch contains extra poop bags and sanitizing wet wipes on a clip that we can attach to our dog’s leash. You can never have enough poop bags, in my opinion, and wet wipes are an absolute MUST. Read more here

Courtesy of Petnostics

• Petnostics– This is such a cool product. Petnostics allows you to analyze your dog’s urine for common health problems or illnesses from the comfort of your own home. Simply download the app, grab a sample, and screw the lid on tight. Scan the lid of the cup with your smartphone and VOILA! Your phone will tell you whether your pet is healthy or sick. While not a replacement for adequate Veterinarian care, Petnostics really comes in handy if you’re far away from a vet and you are determining whether it’s worthwhile to make a long trip and pay the expensive fees, or whether Fido just ate something questionable off the floor again. Owners of dogs that get frequent UTI’s (Urinary Tract Infections) will love this! (Having spent a week dog sitting a pup with a UTI, trust me when I say this is a Godsend!) ($9.99 US)

Lastly, we always make sure to include lots of toys, and Bachaesh’s Gulpy. A Gulpy is a portable water dispenser that combines a water bottle and a water dish. This is a lifesaver on hot days, for walks and events. We don’t leave home without it.

Well, as you can see, Solvit’s HomeAway Travel Kit really does solve all of your travel conundrums. We fit everything we’ve listed in this review into the bag, and then some. One addition we’d suggest would be a pet first aid kit. If you’re looking to make your own you can view our post here.

I am thoroughly impressed with the HomeAway bag. I would recommend it to every pet owner, and would definitely buy it again. It has made my life so much easier, and has saved me time getting ready to travelallowing me to spend more quality time with my fur kid.  Love, love, love it!