Choose a collapsible dog bowl for hiking
A soft-sided, collapsible dog bowl weighing less than two ounces is the best way to feed and hydrate your best friend in the backcountry. Compared to a plastic or silicone hard-sided folding dog bowl for hiking, these models are more packable, and weigh 3-10x less, without sacrificing much, if any, functionality.
Ultra-durable, ultralight, structural waterproof composite fabrics like XPAC and Dyneema are the best tools for the job, but coated nylon/polyesters work too. The best models, such as those featured in our guide, are tough and durable, have a wide diameter opening, pack down small, weigh next to nothing, and are sturdy enough to prevent spills.
For a shortcut, just choose the CTUG Ultra Dog Bowl, as it’s easily the best option. And while you’re here, don’t miss our other hydration and nutrition guides, including the best water bottles, water filters, reusable snack bags, and water bottle holders.
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Collapsible Dog Bowl Quick Picks
- Editor’s Choice: CTUG Ultra
- Best at REI: Ruffwear Quencher
- Best Ultralight: BeenCampin Ultralight
- Ultralight Runner Up: Zpacks Ultralight
Collapsible Dog Bowl Comparison Table
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| Make/Model | Price ($) | Weight (oz) | Opening Diameter (in) | Material |
| CTUG Ultra | 35 | 1.6 | 6.0 | XPAC |
| Ruffwear Quencher | 20 | 1.6 | 5.5 | Poly/Nylon |
| BeenCampin Ultralight | 18 | 0.3 | 6.0 | Dyneema |
| Zpacks Ultralight | 20 | 0.3 | 6.5 | Dyneema |
Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear Ultra
The CTUG Ultra is our editor’s choice collapsible dog bowl thanks to its perfect feature set and materials composition, which combined, yield an exceptional backcountry performance. The burly XPAC VX21 fabric is 100% waterproof with bonded seams at the corners. Its tapered shape sits nicely on any surface and stays open thanks to the structure-enhancing nylon webbing affixed to its top rim. It’s also more packable than the rest. Simply roll it up and buckle it closed, forming a loop that can attached to anything.
- Price: $35
- Weight: 1.6 oz
- Opening Diameter: 6.0″
- Material: XPAC VX21
- Pros: Lightweight. Very durable and nicely structured. Great materials. Fun colors. Buckles closed while packed. Wide opening. 100% waterproof.
- Cons: Heavier than simpler models. Expensive.
Ruffwear Quencher
The Ruffwear Quencher is a reliable, collapsible dog bowl from a renown dog gear brand. It’s highly-rated, trail-tested, doggo-approved, comes in fun prints, and is sold at REI. That being said, it’s less innovative than designs coming out of the cottage Ultralight Industry which are all made with superior composite fabrics (such as Dyneema) that are lighter weight, more intrinsically structural, and more waterproof. This one is also a bit bulkier and doesn’t pack down as well. But all said and done, most users and most dogs find it works perfectly well.
- Weight: 1.6 oz
- Opening Diameter: 5.5″
- Material: Polyester & nylon with waterproof finish
- Pros: Lightweight. Made by a dedicated dog gear brand. Fun pattern. Nice structure. Highly rated. 100% waterproof.
- Cons: Sub-optimal materials composition. Heavier than more minimalist options. Doesn’t collapse as well. Narrower opening.
BeenCampin Ultralight DCF
For a more minimalist approach, we recommend the BeenCampin Ultralight Collapsible Dog Bowl. This models uses an incredibly thick and burly 2.92 oz/sqyd Dyneema fabric, 2-3x thicker than what you’d expect to find in backpacks or tent floors. What’s more, this design has built-in creases that allow the entire bowl to fold down to the size of an envelope. It features a drawcord cinch at the top rim to create a tapering that helps it stay open. It scores amazingly high ratings from user reviews, and lots of folks use it as a backcountry face wash basin instead of a dog bowl.
- Price: $18
- Weight: 0.3 oz
- Opening Diameter: 6″ (estimate)
- Material: 2.92 oz/sqyd Dyneema
- Pros: Ultralight. Best-in-class materials. Fold flat. Top cinch maintains opening. Surprisingly structural. High durability. Fun patterns. 100% waterproof.
- Cons: Less structural than heavier options, sides can flop if dog eats/drinks too aggressively.
Zpacks Ultralight Dog Bowl
Zpacks is a top purveyor of ultralight wears, and their new-to-market collapsible dog bowl is large and ultralight. This model weighs just a third of an ounce, yet maintains a surprisingly high durability and structure thanks to the magic of Dyneema fabric. It’s very similar to the aforementioned BeenCampin design, including the top drawstring cinch to keep the top open, but constructed with a thinner version of Dyneema; it’s less structural and durable, but structural and durable enough. The benefit is that it’s the widest model in our round-up. With 6.5″ of width, your hound will have no issue getting their snoot in to chow down.
- Price: $20
- Weight: 0.3 oz
- Opening Diameter: 6.5″
- Material: 1.6 oz/sqyd Dyneema
- Pros: Ultralight. Packs down small. Cinches closed to maintain opening. Wide opening. 100% waterproof.
- Cons: Less structural than heavier options, sides can flop if dog eats/drinks too aggressively. New and untested.
Collapsible Dog Bowl Conclusion
Thank you for reading this guide where we hope you found your next collapsible dog bowl for hiking and backpacking. These soft-sided models are miles ahead of the competition when it comes to performance relative to low weight and high packability, with little-to-no sacrifice when it comes to performance. Happy trails!
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