Oh dear...I don't think she liked it...

**Mustardman** · 07-26-2010, 11:37

None of those complaints really sounds specific to hammocks, IMHO. Is she an experienced tent camper, or is the whole outdoors life new to her?

**wirerat123** · 07-26-2010, 11:43

Grab a Canoe, Pack up the vehicle with a weekends worth of gear, find a local River to take a weekender on. Get a buddy to help you drop off a shuttle vehicle to a take out. When she gets home Friday night, slip a rufie in her tea, pile her in the car, when she wakes up in a campsite far down river from civilization, she has no choice but to get over it. Or kill you in your sleep.

Now, with that said, a lot of women are just too sheltered from the elements most of their lives to ever adapt to life in the woods. Even for a weekend. To be honest I could have never gotten along with a woman that never goes camping, kayaking, and backpacking. I like to spend every waking minute possible in the woods or river side during the right temperatures. Between 50 and 80 degrees (Actually quite a large hiking season twice a year here in Alabama.) me and MissJessy are in the woods. Not as much since we had our little girl, but she's almost 16 months, and fall will be a pretty good time to start introducing her to the great outdoors.

You may have screwed up by doing this the wrong time of year. Pick early spring or fall (Fall colors have a way of helping a woman appreciate the great outdoors.) when the temps are getting cool enough at night to keep the bugs in check, take her on the best reward for the effort trail you can find, and see how that changes her. If there is no reward in site for her efforts she will not appreciate it. Maybe a moderate trail with a great vista at the top, or a nice river side trail with some nice waterfalls on the way down, maybe a cool canyon with great scenery.

I have a buddy who has be working on his lady for the last 3 years. Started off doing the Cabins in State Parks, then as the frugal saver of the family she started taking a shine to cheaper weekends on the lake. It over time graduated to cabin tent in the campground, then on to smaller tent on a developed trail and weekend canoe trips on the Sipsey. Next stop week long trips through the Smokies. Now she doesn't say "Hell NO!" when we talk about one day maybe attempting an AT thru hike.

**oldgringo** · 07-26-2010, 12:08

Take me camping in this heat, I'll be grumpy, and won't voice my displeasure with such good humor. What were you thinking?

**Shug** · 07-26-2010, 12:14

Hey .... did she do the cartoon? ....... really good artist.

**NCPatrick** · 07-26-2010, 12:18

Originally Posted by Shug

Hey .... did she do the cartoon? ....... really good artist.

I agree! Very creative. I wouldn't even mind my kids complaining if they would draw me cartoons to do it.

Ok, well maybe.

**wirerat123** · 07-26-2010, 12:20

Originally Posted by oldgringo

Take me camping in this heat, I'll be grumpy, and won't voice my displeasure with such good humor. What were you thinking?

Ditto, it's WAY too hot to be out camping. Call me a wuss, but this is just not good camping weather unless it's near water I can get in and cool off.

**Riverpirate** · 07-26-2010, 12:22

Oh well...it was time to look for a new girlfriend anyway.

**Barefoot Child** · 07-26-2010, 12:32

Wrong time of the year...high heat, high temperatures, high popupulation of cicada, and now that one experience just might have put the kabash on other dual trips in the future.

Just not the time to introduce a newb to the delights of camping...in anything.

Then again maybe you sealed the deal on being able to go "Solo"" and that is a good thing.

If she can be persuaded to give it another go, then do it in the Autumn, lovely time to go, and until then work on perfecting the skills and supply list it will take to deal with the things that has so gently pointed out to you.

I always said that a *ithching troop, was a happy troop (you always knew what they needed, and where they were). HYOH

**wirerat123** · 07-26-2010, 12:34

Originally Posted by Riverpirate

Oh well...it was time to look for a new girlfriend anyway.

Ha ha, I would likely be questioning my choice in woman about now too. While I would greatly appreciate her humor about it, I would also not like having a choice of giving up my love of the outdoors, or a lot of family time with my girl. That's not a relationship healthy compramise lol.

You never know though, she may have just made an exaggerated cartoon for the grins of it. She may have enjoyed herself, or not been so miserable as to given up ever trying that again. Talk to her lol.