How to CONVINCE your wife to go hammock camping!

[ShadowAlpha]

I wonder if you can convince her if you had another couple along, so she can relate better with another woman there. Might seem less intimidating if she sees more of us out there...

+1 on that!

[turtlelady]

+1 for Oldgringo's solution: accept the differences.

Beyond that, courageously be happy and celebrate your differences!

Can you design any level of camping your wife would consider?

Would she consider camping in a small camper of any type? Campers, IMHO, are better even than cabins for some women, because they can take their own carefully prepared comfort zone along. It can be a controllable, known haven. Get one of those folding lightweight rugs that the RVers use under their canopies to create a larger relatively bug free transition zone. If she is scared of bugs for herself, she is probably overwhelmed with how to keep her babies safe from them.

My oldest son, got a bargain on a used pop up camper at the end of last year. His lady friend has three daughters. They enjoy the outdoors and traveling, but not camping. The first campout in the camper was planned for in the two car garage before the camper went into storage for the winter. If it doesn't work out, he will sell the camper, like we would sell a hammock that didn't work for us.

Make peace with the necessary level of separateness and celebrate the ways you are united in sharing life's joys and challenges.

Finding what makes a soul deeply joyful in life is not easy. We are so lucky to be joyful in camping, and in a specific way of camping. Finding folks who do share and understand our specific joy -- that's the blessing of the hammock forum family.

Share with your wife, as expressively as you are able, the specifics of what it is about hammock camping that gives you joy at the level she enjoys hearing of it. Do this as intimate communication, not as manipulation. Already IMHO, she has passed lots of levels of likelihood that she is a keeper ( After all, you ARE married and are still hammock camping, right?) So, ideally, seeing you happy, and understanding what makes you tick because you share what you can of your joy with her, will make her want to support what you want to do as fully as she is able. Be open to doing it her way--listen very carefully to her.

How old is your daughter? Maybe it will be your daughter that will lead the way for your wife to want to be more in the outdoors and camping, as she wants to support her daughter's joy.

[oldgringo]

I wonder if you can convince her if you had another couple along, so she can relate better with another woman there. Might seem less intimidating if she sees more of us out there...

A Judas chick! Brilliant!

[mountain_man_mike]

I need some advice on this as well.

I have got my wife to tent camp now... Man did that take work.

She thinks Hammock camping is craziness. She actually thinks I lost my mind the last few month since I started this hobby.

Breakfast in bed becomes breakfast in hammock, ie. lemon crepes & coffee on a tray for Mothers Day?

Treat her to a mani-pedi in the hammock?

Toss in a copy of "50 shades" and you may have to pry her out of the hammock.

[MAD777]

There are some things that I will never understand, or enjoy, and my wife has her list as well. I will not go to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim, and she will not go to Labrador to hunt Woodland Caribou. We accept that.

My wife took me to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim last year. I have yet to get her to camp in a hammock. I'm so ashamed

[mountain_man_mike]

My wife took me to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim last year. I have yet to get her to camp in a hammock. I'm so ashamed

You have a new entry on your bucket list.

[perdidochas]

The idea of camping for many wives is the unexciting prospect of having to do everything at home - but without appliances, indoor plumbing, or running water.

While I may never get her out backpacking, Mrs. McRat looks forward to car camping trips knowing that all the cooking, cleaning, and kid herding is my job for that weekend.

It's a small gesture and I prefer camp chores to home chores any day.

That is a major key to getting wives to going camping.

[grannypat]

She may just not want to give up her quiet time alone without husband and kids. I used to have to call in sick to work to get any time alone.

[FLRider]

This is something that I've struggled with for the past year or so.

On the one hand, I, fortunately, have a woman in my life who chooses to let me disappear for a weekend at a time without issue. She's even willing to drive me to the trail and pick me up when I'm done. Wonderful person, very caring, never has issue with asking questions and listening to my asinine stories about wildlife, heat, and dehydration.

On the other hand, she vehemently avoids going out on backpacking trips. On top of that, she is not a fan of the hammock in general. When we go camping, it's with a 4-person tent to the two of us, a queen-sized air mattress, two electric fans, a cooler stocked with food and (sometimes) adult beverages, a pop-up netted enclosure for the picnic table, a dual-burner propane stove, and we go someplace with running water and hot showers. It's as close to pop-up camping as our salaries allow.

We've done the dance around the issue of backpacking for a year now. I like to find ways around issues that might come up. Our typical conversation would go something like:

"Well, honey, what if I was to get you a portable air mattress?"

"I don't know...I don't really want to carry it on my back."

"Well, I can do that. Heck, I'll carry all of our gear but for a couple of snacks and a water bottle for you."

"Yeah, I think it might be too hot out."

"That's okay, we can go during the winter."

"When? My schedule during the school year is crazy, you know that."

"We'll make time somehow."

"I don't know...I don't really want to be too cold, either."

"Well, we can go during the spring, then."

"Well, I don't want to eat dehydrated food."

"That's okay; we'll just go for an overnight. There's no reason to need dehydrated stuff on an overnight."

"Well, maybe. But I don't want to walk very far. And I want somewhere to wash up at the end of the day."

"What if we hiked into an established campground? I know of a couple places where we could do a three or four mile hike to one."

"Well, I don't know..."


And around it goes. It's gotten to the point where she told me the other morning that she's just not going to do it. Was an interesting conversation; if she'd told me at the outset that she just wasn't going to do it instead of listing the obstacles, it would have saved us a year of (infrequent) conversations like the one above.

Bottom line: if she doesn't want to go, don't try to force the issue. Be glad that she's willing to let you go without too much noise. There are too many couples who aren't willing to give each other space; I've been in a few relationships like that--they never worked out for me.

I hope that it goes well for you.

[weegie]

I will agree heavily that you doing the planning portion for food and everything else will make it easier to get her to go along. Make it clear from the outset. My wife likes camping, but really doesnt like when we just expect her to come up with all the ideas for meals (even if I am doing everything else.) Last trip, I did everything (and aside fromt he kids getting strep throat before we left) it went really smoothly and was enjoyable. I did all the cooking, and everything, and she finally got a chance to unplug and relax.

As far as "bug spray" I would suggest looking at Avon Skin-so-soft. Its a girly smell, but it will keep the bugs away even in a swamp. Other than that, a good bugnet that is easy to use will make the trip a whole lot better.

Good luck. Im really trying to get my wife to hike in someplace with me as well. Just finally got her into my hammock for the first time, and she ended up really, really liking it. As in, I could not get her out of it so I could work on my straps. I was told to "do it later, I'm not getting up."