Oh man, the swift-kick-and-exit-demand roust had me laughing out loud.
My spouse-to-be gamely tried backpacking with me on a couple of trips, but it's just not to be. If I can't dial in a destination that's a maximum of one hour from the car, boredom triumphs and it becomes like walking with an extremely smart nine-year-old. That, and her paperlike skin leads to the worst cases of burgerfoot I've ever witnessed.
However, the sterling flatware she packed in made for the finest al fresco dining experience, evah!
Cheers,
Originally Posted By Glenn
I also took my wife on two trips before she decided never to go again. They both happened the same weekend: her first and last trip.
It was a mixed group I was leading, with (I suspected) more than one hidden agenda. Her friend, who had never backpacked, told her to go - "we'll have a great time." I told her I didn't think the trip was for her. Naturally, she listened to her friend. To make a long story short, I ended happily sleeping under a tarp with a buddy (she and the friend used the tent I had packed in) listening to a gentle rain in the early morning - to be fully awakened by a boot in my shoulder and the endearing words, "Get me the h*** out of here." I did.
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
My wife will day hike, car camp, canoe camp, and houseboat, but she doesn't do backpacking and I don't think she's ever had a pack on her back. But she loves being outdoors and gets out with me often.
When I was young and dating I took a few hairsprayed girls on camping dates. They all seemed real excited when we planned it but most never spoke to me again afterwards. The downhill spiral usually started with them saying something like "What do you mean there are no hot showers?" or "Oh my god, I saw a bug!" and I knew it'd be a short trip.
Itcherling The windstopper balaclava is too stiff to be comfortable and the screened mouth piece causes the water vapor from my breath to fog my glasses - definitely a problem if its so bad that I feel the need to wear it.
Self arrest poles are like - wow cool, then um when will I actually use these things? Like do you ski 60 degree slopes in the backcountry? There is always a way around thats not life threatening AND if you know how to use an ice axe, you can figure out how to self arrest with ski poles WITHOUT self arrest grips.
The dromedary bag is hard to get to while hiking, weighs more than an evian bottle, and doesn't hold enough water to make it worthwhile and its impossible to insulate it.
The whisperlite doesn't put out enough heat for winter, has lousy stability on those crummy folding legs, clogs easily and the heat output goes way down if it isn't cleaned as often as a gun.
Heck I read these posts to my wife and she said "I love to camp, I'm just not carrying a backpack ever again." So I actually took her to a great spot a mile in and hiked back for her pack, then did the same when we left, but when I go alone I can go much lighter, much higher, and climb rocks - she flips when I climb but to her credit, I have other friends who simply will not go if I throw in climbing shoes.
Jim YMMV
Edited by Jimshaw (11/24/0911:02 PM)
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
I still have two down sleeping bags, even though I've used nothing but my down quilts for six years.
Haiwee, if either of those down sleeping bags are longs, in the 0-15 degree range, and in good shape, I'd be willing to negotiate for them. Still working out how the private message feature of this forum works, but I'd want to try to take the conversation there if I could.
Bill, rgr on the salt and willingness to carry. My problem is that I am the guy with the big pack, and am planning to take my young kids, or am leading groups, so I get to be the mule. On the flip side, I'm buying gear as light/cheap as I can, so when that day comes that I have teenagers I can be the guy carrying 15lbs, and they will be the ones carrying the first aid kit, cooking gear, etc.
I use light sticks. I give each kid a stick on Halloween. And I take two camping with the scouts to play capture the flag. The light sticks are the flag. Other than that, I guess I don't use them.
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I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.
Registered: 08/21/03
Posts: 330
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By Andy
Originally Posted By Glenn
That's because you never married them!
LOL
My wife says and I quote, "My idea of roughing it is not enough towels in the hotel room", end quote.
My experience was completely opposite. I met my future wife on a backpacking trip; her friend and her had done several trips before I met her. We hit it off immediately and went on several trips afterward. She really seemed to enjoy it, and the only time she complained was a trip shortly after she became pregnant and was suffering from morning sickness (can't say I blamed her).
As soon as we got married, however, she stopped going. Then she began to resent that I wanted to go by myself if she didn't want to join me. That was the beginning of the end.
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My blog on politics, the environment and the outdoors: Haiwee.blogspot.com
After several years, my wife finally agreed to go backpacking with me. I picked one of the most beautiful places to hike that I know of. We hit the trail and I noticed she was swatting at mosquitoes almost instantly. We arrived at our destination and I looked at the beauty of the lakes and trees. My wife was looking at all of her mosquito bites and giving me dirty looks. She asked if I had any repellant and well, yes I did in fact have repellant. I gave it to her and after she had put gobs of it on her body, the mosquitos continued their feast. Looking at the repellent tube she noticed that it was ten years old. More dirty looks. Needless to say, we hiked back out and went to the nearest town and got a motel room -- with a jacuzzi. We counted over 100 bites on her. I had none. After going thru chemo, the bugs don't like me. She didn't either. I don't even ask her to go hiking with me anymore.
I was talking to my wife about these posts we got a good laugh. But when I do take her, I take really good food, extra warm clothes (maybe even my TNF baltoro jacket), her zero degree sleeping bag even if its gonna be +40 out, a real tent and real rain gear. I am right next to her at all times, she sleeps on my Stevensons down air mattress and I let her use my ancient down booties. I may put her in front of a fire in her 0 degree bag with a hot cuppa sitting in a crazy creek chair in the evening. If she gets cold, I do this: unzip my sleeping bag and slip some of it under her to hold it in plce, then unzip her bag (zippers facing together)and mine. Then I pull her next to me and pull the top part of her sleeping bag over me, we each may have one leg in each bag at this time, and then pull the top of my bag over her. Two people in doubled mummy bags is warm in any conditions, and it makes her happy to actually be able to cuddle till shes warm. Teh when I do get up, she stays in her bag, perhaps with mine over her, while I get some tea brewing for her.
I'm lucky to have such a sweet, if totally clueless wife, to take care of. No BISS here. Jim
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These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
Actually, we have done some car camping using mostly backpacking technique (same tents, sleeping bags, food, stoves, etc.) with a couple of comfort factors added (collapsible canvas chair, forks, and a heavy 4-inch self-inflating pad for her.) No BISS there, either.
Her first and last trip was simply ill-chosen, against my advice, and involved more up-and-down and stress, and not as much pretty scenery, as I would have chosen for her first trip. In retrospect, I probably should have been more insistent that she not go, or pulled out of the trip myself (in which case she wouldn't have gone for sure.)
Makes a great story, though. Now, if she'd just stop referring to me as "...my first husband, Glenn..."
Registered: 08/21/03
Posts: 330
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By JWE
I'd have to say for the married guys it's because 50% of the junk that belongs in the dumpster was because she had to have it.
You hit the nail on the head here. I finally stopped taking her to REI because we invariably came home with some new piece of gear I knew would only end up in storage.
Edited by Haiwee (11/27/0909:50 AM)
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My blog on politics, the environment and the outdoors: Haiwee.blogspot.com
My wife is perfectly safe in REI. I'm the one who brings home the (occasionally) useless junk!
My wife is usually safe in MEC (canadian REI) however the one time we went in there and I suggested buying a windshirt like mine for ireland - which costs 30 bucks. I ended up coming out with matching 200 dollar fancy jackets because she wasn't going to be seen with me looking like a dishrag like I do when I am backpacking
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