On our first trips, I packed food, treats and training kibble in separate Ziploc bags, and put them in Chloe’s suitcase along with a couple of collapsible travel bowls. They sloshed around in the suitcase with her toys and blankets and grooming supplies and everything else on her checklist and on at least one occasion, the Ziploc bags suffered. Not a crisis, but when I saw a tidy-looking food kit in one of my favorite catalogues, I considered buying it. The parts I liked: a super-sturdy bag into which all food-related items went, 2 stainless steel bowls (collapsible travel bowls are great in a pinch, but I like the stability of metal), and a folded-up spill mat (no more borrowing a placemat from our hosts). The parts I didn’t need: a flying disc toy, a plastic water bottle, and a nylon food bag that only cinched closed.

So I assembled a food kit of my own, with 2 small stainless steel bowls from Petco, a measuring cup, a spill mat made from a piece of oilcloth (sold at larger fabric stores, oilcloth is waterproof and does not require hemming), and a sturdy waterproof 8 liter sack from West Marine. I still use Ziploc bags for kibble, treats and chews, but in the sack the plastic is protected from snags. And in a hotel room or guest room, where our belongings quickly become jumbled, I appreciate having everything to do with food in one designated place.