Gearhead: A better water bottle for Fido

If you're thirsty on a hike, you simply pause for a moment to sip from your water bottle or hydration pack.

But if you bring your dog along, water breaks get a lot more complicated, because it's difficult to keep dogs hydrated away from home.

Some people try the hit-or-miss solution of pouring from a water bottle into their dog's mouth, while others allow pets to lap potentially unsafe water from streams.

Some hikers carry along a water bowl in a backpack; when Fido gets warm, the bowl goes down on the ground, where it's filled with water. That works, but requires carting extra weight and bulk.

Water Rover provides an easy way to give your dog water when you're on the trail, at the beach, enjoying a picnic, and elsewhere.

Compact in shape and light in weight, it's a water bottle and attached bowl.

Unplug the bottle, lay it flat on the ground, and the water flows into the bowl.

When your dog is finished, tipping the bottle allows the remaining water to flow back into the bottle.

Pooches wearing a dog backpack can even carry their own water.

Water Rover clips to a belt/waistband, or can be carried in a pack.

A wide mouth makes it easy to fill (and also add ice in hot weather). It comes in four sizes to 'fit' all dogs, from Smaller (holds 8 ounces of water, has a 3' bowl, for dogs up to about 12 pounds) to Even Bigger (holds 26 ounces of water, has a 5-1/4' bowl, suitable for large dogs).

Comes in four colors: Dark Blue, Red, Purple, Hot Pink. $14.99-$21.99, depending on size. waterrover.com