How to CONVINCE your wife to go hammock camping!

**Scotchbonnet** · 05-11-2012, 08:15

I asked mine, she said to hang it between two palm trees in Hawaii.

**sunshower** · 05-12-2012, 15:30

buy her an Incubator like mine did

**Silverpalm2x** · 06-28-2013, 09:38

my wife told me last night when we set up her Warbonnet Ridge runner that she totally gets it why I enjoy laying in the hammock to camp. She had a grand trunk double but the bug net and the ridge runner make her excited to go hammock camping.

she is ready to figure out something to do with our 3yo son to go camping.

and she said to get me a Blackbird!

plus we have to find a site that can let us set up 4 hammocks

**sliver** · 06-28-2013, 11:10

There are several facets here that you're going to have to tackle. One, Pavlov conditioning (famous experiment where ringing a bell causes the dog to salivate) is essential. You are going to have to directly address her concerns and needs. For example...

bugs - use a mosquito coil and/or several citronella candles scattered around your camp
preparing to go - you do most of the work, at least until you have "set the hook"
being dirty/uncomfortable - go to a campground that has showers, flush toilets, and preferably a pool or rent a cabin. Is that the way you like to camp? No. But, it's a great way to ease HER into camping.

If she comes back thinking, "Wow - that was fun and easy.", you're on your way to winning that battle. If she comes back thinking, "That was uncomfortable and a lot of work.", the battle is pretty much over and you have lost.

Second, think "boiling a frog". If you go full rustic, she's probably going to hate it. So, go car camping first. Take good food, wine, ... everything she likes and make it for her. My wife loved me cooking her a really nice tasty meal. Later, you can also show that just going somewhere for a day and spending the night doesn't take a lot of prep.

Your first battle is to get her to love it. Then, gradually wean her off of the amenities. My wife loved sitting around the fire after the kids had gone to sleep, drinking wine, looking at the stars, and talking to each other.

If you have kids, they are going to get bored unless they have things to do. Take slingshots, bow/arrows, books, BB guns, whatever. I showed my kids how to make a small fire. Then, I told them they had 10 minutes to collect their fire-making material and get it prepared. Then, I would strike a spark to it and we'd see whose fire started. Of course, they failed. I told them how to change it so it would work and sent them off for round 2. I think I got 3 or 4 rounds out of them before they started getting bored. They loved that one. Take board and/or card games with you.

The bottom line is you're going to have to a lot of work yourself and it's probably not going to be the style of camping you like, at first. Pay attention to the reasons she's giving for not going camping and resolve them.

Then again, you may also discover that one of the reasons why you like camping is because she's not there. She might enjoy a vacation every now and then from you too. Nothing wrong with that.

HTH

**Nift** · 06-29-2013, 20:26

Good luck! My spouse will not join me and the kids no matter what I try. More than willing to buy us the gear needed at least.

**Spartan** · 06-29-2013, 21:55

The Wife will have her hammock by the end of next week, and shes excited. If it's packaged as family time/time alone together she'd fight a bear to do it.

**gunner76** · 06-29-2013, 21:59

My wife does not like for me to go to hangs by myself because according to her I have too much fun, so she tries to go with me.

**SkyPainter** · 06-30-2013, 00:29

===> A $200 gift card to Sephora usually works for me. She gets me doing odd things with a card from Sur La Table.

~ SkyPainter

**Battboy** · 07-01-2013, 04:20

I made my girlfriend her own hammock and underquilt as my first DIY projects.that way the next time we went camping she had to sleep in them just out of guilt since I spent so much time making them for her

now she loves it.