It wasn't hard to get my wife into hammocking. We've done a couple long weekends car camping. We'd like to get into backpacking but I think that will have to wait till I'm done with grad school and go back to having a pay check.
It wasn't hard to get my wife into hammocking. We've done a couple long weekends car camping. We'd like to get into backpacking but I think that will have to wait till I'm done with grad school and go back to having a pay check.
Congratulations bluediver and orange peel! That's awesome news!
I'm an old married guy (20 years this March) who got into camping originally because of my (now) wife. When dating, I found out that she liked camping...needed a birthday gift for her, so I went out and bought a tent. I had never been in a tent before. So, we started doing some camping.
Unfortunately, it's really hard for her to camp now. Mrs. Bdaabat has sleep apnea that requires a CPAP. Without the machine, she doesn't do well. Total bummer, because I'm now camping every month with Scouts! we make it work, but it would be more better gooder if Mrs. could go along as well.
Enjoy it and treat this as the terrific opportunity that it is. Have fun with your new hiking buddy!
Bruce
I took the proactive approach and just bought her a hammock.
Congratulations, my only suggestion is: Be aware that two in a hammock trying to sleep is not very comfortable. Snuggle time great, a night of rest to so great. Especially if she is shorter than you. Try sleeping two in a hammock at home first. It might make the whole difference in your wife being receptive to hanging in the future.
Look under the Second Oregon Hang, for a image of two people in one hammock.
Andy...
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"We have met the enemy, and he is us!" Pogo (1970)
"...if Shug didn't make you do it, then it's Dutch's fault!"
Here is my setup for me and the misses. Keep the ladies close and their happier. Two hammocks are definitely the way to go! Congrats on getting your wife out there.
My wife and I do nearly all our outdoor experiences together. I think the most important thing to keeping her happy is keeping her warm. I go all out in doing so, and since we paddle mostly, I take extras to ensure such. Warm and dry are two critical things for her. I also don't overpromise what can be done. This fall we did a canoe trip and we had torrential rain, high winds, and when we got to camp I told her I would have her warm, dry and fed in 3 hours. It took that, actually a little less. She appreciated that because the first thing we did was get our hang going so if she needed to get warm she could just crawl into bed. We laughed at the three hour mark because we had a roaring fire, we had dried out and were well fed. Good times, we make our memories together every trip.
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
My wife and I took up backpacking during the spring and started buying the equipment that we needed. We did a week on the AT this summer in Mass. She was carrying about 25 lbs in her pack and I had a little over 30 lbs. I initially talked about getting us hammocks but she showed no interest so we bought a Big Agnes FlyCreek3 tent.
It was somewhat frustrating for me because I am an early riser and like to get up and start hiking early. She sleeps later than I do, had to have coffee in the morning and still wants her creature comforts. We normally did not get hiking till around 10:00.
We did enjoy ourselves but I did find her to be too high maintenance on the trail. Needless to say she will not be doing a thru hike with me on the AT next year.
Just like living at home, on the trail (and under the water) with a significant other has its compromises to make things work... lol
Brandon
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