It’s easy to spoil a good dog. Especially one that enters your life at the right time. Our 3-year-old golden retriever Banjo (yes, that’s really his name-o) helped my family heal from a tragedy. In 2022, our daughter Brooke was in an overseas car accident that killed her boyfriend and left her in the hospital. Our tight-knit community of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, raised enough “Banjo Bucks” to buy her a puppy.
Though she eventually moved back to Southern California, she can only keep Banjo there for a few months out of the year. That’s a boon for an active dog, who must now split time between a beach cabana in Encinitas, Calif., and our ski chalet in the Colorado high country. Fortunately, he has good energy levels to match regular outdoor adventures, happily veering off-trail (until he realizes how long the hike might be). A shiny golden coat reflects overall health — not to mention a likable, happy-go-lucky temperament (rolling over for any dog he meets), and a curious yet regal nose that evokes “whudda-good-looking dog” comments. Weighing 62 lbs., he gets a cup and a half of dry food twice per day, for a total of about 1,450 calories.
About that food: Though my wife meticulously splits his kibble with fresh, perishable food, Banjo’s diet is not entirely consistent — especially in the summer when he goes from outing to outing. So it was easy to convince her to try the new Instant Fresh line from The Farmer’s Dog. It’s shelf-stable, human-grade food that comes dry in the bag, and transforms into a freshly made meal when you add water. She bought into the real, minimally processed ingredients, and so did Banjo — with all four of their eyes widening when it miraculously morphed from dry food into fresh.
For a couple of summer weeks of peak mountain-town fun, we converted to the ever-packable, just-add-water formula, whose beauty is that it’s dry food that doesn’t stay dry.
Here’s how the shelf-stable, human-grade food fueled Banjo’s unplugged summer adventures well beyond refrigeration, from backpacking and rafting to standup paddling and swimming in the Yampa River. We monitored energy levels, digestion, sleep, temperament, anxiety, and more to test the impacts of switching to Instant Fresh.
Chompability: On the input side, how did Banjo like the food? First, we had to do the obligatory (and recommended) transition: Start with 25 percent Instant Fresh before gradually upping it. Banjo was all in, licking the bowl so clean it clanked against the wall.
Two more tail-wagging testimonials: when he tried old and new options, side-by-side, Banjo gave each a quick sniff before immediately choosing Instant Fresh; when we tried to go back to his old food, he gave my wife the golden stare-down. He especially loved the just-add-water meals on our overnight adventure outings.
Conversion: The way that Instant Fresh transforms was a main selling point for us, for good reason. It comes dry, but doesn’t stay that way. You just mix it with equal parts water, and it turns as moist as your mutt’s nose. That makes it easy to pack along for overnight adventures, like our backpack-and-packraft trip to an island in Jonah Lake, high in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area. I simply measured and put the appropriate amount in a Zip-loc (and gave Banjo the beers to carry).
Come mealtime, I mixed it one-to-one with water in my camp bowl, and he was ecstatic. He truly seemed happy about eating it, flashing a wry smile as if we were sharing a secret. Later, on an overnight raft trip on the Colorado River, weight wasn’t the issue, but space was. No problem: The powder is as compact as dog food comes, creating a three-to-one weight ratio once you mix and serve. Take 2 pounds of dry food, and get 6 pounds of freshly made meals. You pack it dry, he eats it wet.
Energy Level: As for energy levels, Banjo seemed pretty perky whenever we served it, zipping this way and that, nose down and tail-a-wagging, like a dog unleashed (which he was). Whether that was because he loved it so much or the nutrients packed into its healthy, human-grade formula, I wasn’t sure. But his energy level was Great Dane high the whole time, from chasing mergansers and fish to swimming after sticks until he plopped down in the tent and probably dreamed about squirrels.
Constitution: As for his poops? (I knew you’d ask.) As much as I try to make that my wife or daughter’s department, they sure looked great to me; at least the ones I squished into those annoying little plastic bags. But she concurred, much impressed. And our “Dog Poop” bin that I haul down to the curb every weekend was the same weight and consistency as always (and Banjo is to blame-o).
Conclusion: We plan to pack and integrate Instant Fresh into Banjo’s ever-active life, from California to Colorado, especially with any overnight trips planned. What he knows sees as his reward for another full dog-day afternoon.
This article is sponsored by The Farmer’s Dog.
