I would tend to think of another breed, myself.
But my cousin Perry used to take Burnice (she was a Saint Mutt) trail riding/camping/hunting all the time--literally, every weekend and sometimes he didn't come home for the week if he'd taken enough beer and dog food. But that was in the Sawtooth NF or the River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho, though. There's LOTS of shade and taking plenty of water, including creeks.
He always took his dogs out with him, starting right when he would get them from their mom. He'd let the puppy run with the other dogs as much as it wanted, then put it up in the saddle with him till it wanted down, then put it up in the saddle, and so on. He'd do that until a pup got too big to hold or till the other dogs showed it how to ride on the travois with the gear when it was tired. Burn especially loved to go winter camping, plowing thru the snow--the SINGLE time I went winter camping she was along, and she had a blast and a half. (I did not have a blast--not even a half.) When it would start to snow, she would drag the tent out and pull it to the back of the truck, trying to get Perry to go out in the woods. Not that he needed much of an excuse.
What's the terrain of your 'National Forest' like? Is it real forest, or is it like Joshua Tree?? Is your dog already doing stuff like carting, and so he's in shape to take food and water along? Or are you thinking about getting puppy that you could gradually condition to go out with you? And how often are you thinking about going for these rides?
