From left to right: Hyklyf Pika, Nite Ize Rad Dog, Been Camping DCF, Fozzils Snap, Chicken Tramper Ultra
Below I’ll pass out ribbons for each contestant in the Westminster Dog Bowl.
A note about testing: In addition to using each ultralight dog bowl on a backpacking trip, the pictures taken below are in the laboratory controlled setting of the “Large Hadron Dog Bowl Tester” where string cheese is broken into subatomic particles for the dog to retrieve from the bowl. Seriously though… your dog trying to root out the final bits of kibble from a bowl will tell you a lot about how stable the bowl is going to be in practice.
Some of these bowls do have dual use for those on the human end of the leash, cause maybe you don’t have a dog but are going slightly feral on a hike!
BEST IN SHOW: Chicken Tramper Ultra Dog Bowl
Price: $35
Weight: 1.6oz
Volume: 1.6 liters
Material: VX21
Packability: 7/10
Stability: High
Dual Use: Great for water or food for dogs, but unlikely to be used by human hikers.
Stand Out Features: Easy to pack in your dog's pack or leave clipped to the outside, high volume and easy for dogs to eat out of, very durable material and construction.
RESERVE BEST IN SHOW: Been Campin DCF Dog Bowl
Price: $17.49
Weight: 0.3oz
Volume: 1 liter
Material: DCF Hybrid
Packability: 9/10
Stability: High
Dual Use: Great for food and water for dogs, unlikely to be used by human hikers.
Stand Out Features: Available in varying prints, can be even lighter weight DCF, wide enough for most dogs to eat and drink out of, extremely packable in both dog panniers and human packs.
WORKING GROUP WINNER: Nite Ize Rad Dog Collapsible Bowl
Price: $10.99
Weight: 0.5oz
Volume: 16oz
Material: Nylon
Packability: 9/10
Stability: Medium
Dual Use: Great for food and water for dogs, unlikely to be used by humans.
Stand Out Features: Packs incredibly small.
BEST IN BREED: Pika Bowl by HYKLYF
Price: $6.99
Weight: 0.3oz
Volume: 500ml
Material: Plastic
Packability: 10/10
Stability: Low for large dogs, fine for small dogs
Dual Use: More likely to be used by a person than as a bowl for most dogs! Opening will be too narrow for larger breeds. A good backup bowl in a bind.
Stand Out Features: Measuring lines, works well as a scoop with low flow water sources. Incredibly light. Disappears into a pack.
BEST OPPOSITE: Fozzils Snap Bowl
Weight: 1.3oz
Volume: 500ml
Material: Plastic
Packability: 7/10
Stability: High
Dual Use: Any backpacker that eats in a separate dish than they cook out of will love the snap bowl. It's by far the best for a human to hold and eat out of. The nature of the way it folds down does not lend itself well to packing in dog panniers, but it will slip easily into a human's pack.
Stand Out Features: Measurement markings, easy to hold, sturdy.
A look at each bowl from the top…
And some hilarious footage of chow time …
