well, my wife wants to try backpacking.

[vash]

it came outta nowhere.

she wants to do an overnighter to see what the fuss was all about. i dont even own a two man tent. i can haul a fairly heavy load these days, so i know i can carry most of the essential gear for the two of us.

she is a Taipei city girl..this is gonna be interesting. planning for an early summer trip, since she hates the cold.

any husband stories involving first time wife backcountry horror..no happy stories?

[id10t]

Relatively short hike or camp close to vehicle. Assuming the actual hiking won't be a problem - comfort and style.

Nice big 4 man tent, good food, camping treats like smores or banana boats, etc. A nice comfortable toilet station is a MUST. Build a sitting bar out of sufficient local stuff or tote in one of the folding seat thingies.

[Dantilla]

I've turned my wife into a hiking/backpacking freak.

I'm loving it!

First backpacking trip:
My wife and a friend (Both are very fit- Wife is a swimmer, her friend runs marathons) decided to hike the entire Wonderland Trail- 93 miles all the way around Mt. Rainier.
Neither had backpacked before. They used my tent and some other stuff, used the experience as a good excuse to go shopping for more gear (gotta look cute in new hiking outfits) and spent nine (9!) days, completing the circuit. Two girls, both novices, and off they go....

Both came off the mountain feeling incredibly empowered, like there is nothing they can't accomplish. I'm proud of both of them!

[fanaudical]

My recommendation is to start with a couple all-day hikes to test gear and build endurance. Hike in somewhere picturesque, cook her a great lunch over an open fire with your camp gear, hike back. May do a geocache or two on the way. Get familiarity with the outdoors and then start spending the night out there.

[look 171]

Well, way back in college, I introduced my girlfriend to a three day back packing trip. I brought along a shovel. You know damn well what that was for. I never told her about the bathroom situation. She did it, and made little noise about it. I had to be there to stand guard. Bathing or dunking ourselves in the stream was not a issue. Now, not a fooking chance. The same girl, well, I mean not the same girl. Chinese girl, from here, played high school volleyball and a few other sports, back then. Camping we still do and she has no problem with that but dislike packing and unpacking. She now needs those camp sites that have pay showers.

Edit: I kinda do too, especially in the summer

[look 171]

Oh, work here on the trail and starve here then make her some chili over simple rice. Ramen or soup is the second best.

[unclebilly]

You may be able to rent gear at a local university or maybe REI. This way you can get your feet wet before you buy a $250 pack, $300 tent, $150 stove, $150 sleeping bag, etc.

Get good boots and break them in before you go. I used to like Raccle boots but only up to the Kootney 3 which are long out if production. Walking poles which I thought were poserish came in pretty handy on my last kite up to the Burgess Shale.

Ive done the West Coast Trail numerous times, The Klondike Trail, The Athabaska Trail, and many others in the Canadian Rockies. I'd like to do The Grand Canyon one spring.

[Evans, Marv]

Cliff. Considering you said your wife is a city girl, I'd say you should both build up to it. One of the worst experiences for some people is to strap on a pack with weight in it, put on new hiking boots, and take off on an uphill trail for five miles. I have limited recommendations for overnight trips like that, but the better shape you both are in for traveling a mountain trail the more you will both enjoy it. I would do it in increments. Start with day hikes to places and having lunch. Get her a nice day pack and put your food and drinks in it. Get into the habit of doing that for the fun, exploration, scenery & outdoor enjoyment. After that works out, consider an overnighter someplace where there aren't any bears. If it's during summer, I'd suggest using a tarp unless she insists on a tent (I loved using a tarp even in fairly inclement weather). It gives shelter, it's light, can be strung up lots of ways, and lets you see out 360 degrees. There are places like San Jacinto where you can pair the experience with a tram ride, or like Bear Paw Meadow in Sequoia N.P. where you can rent a tent cabin over night. If she's small don't give her more than twenty to thirty pounds max. Carrying a pack all day requires your shoulders to get used to it beforehand or they will feel sore.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Get good boots .....

I usually just use tennis shoes. Light and comfortable.

Important to keep feet dry, however. Some insist on waterproof footwear, I just hop around any wet areas of the trail.

- Keep snacks that require no prep handy, along with plenty of water.
- Plan meals. Careful not to carry too much weight. and Prep time is critical! When it's time to eat after a long stretch, you don't want to prepare and cook for an hour. Plan meals that can be ready to eat within a few minutes.

I usually do not ever bring out a stove for lunch. The stove (or fire, depending on where the hike is) is used only at the end of the day, and, of course, early morning. Breakfast is usually instant oatmeal and coffee. Both just need boiling water. Simple, quick, easy to clean up.

[LWJ]

Some scouts in my son's troop ran up the PCT with ultralight gear. They had days over 25 miles and carried little food as they moved so fast. I think that might be a great way to go.

I like this 90ish mile loop around Mt Rainier idea! May check it out.

[RKDinOKC]

Back in Boy Sprouts we always had tenderfoots go on day hikes before overnight camping and overnight camping at a campsite that did not require hiking to before weekend backpacking. Only then did you graduate to week long or longer backpacking adventures.

i.e. Be Prepared

The troop I was in was a little over half special needs or handicapped kids.
The first thing you did in our troop was to get your First Aid merit badges.

Pretty big sense of accomplishment helping a kid in a wheelchair get a 50 mile hike badge all mountain trails.
You couldn't believe how proud he was of that accomplishment.

[craigster59]

Get a bigger backpack. Trust me.

[quicksix]

Get on bushcraft usa, go camp in the backyard, learn some skills like fire starting, shelter construction learn how to use an axe, some plant id, she's a nurse so she has a grasp of emergency medicine... Then hike into the sierras for an overnighter.

[RKDinOKC]

Yep in Scouts we also had the Totin' Chip Card. You learned the proper way to handle and sharpen knives, saws, and axes. It also included the use of only dead and pre-fallen wood. You couldn't even have a pocket knife if you didn't earn a Totin' Chip Card to show you knew the proper way to handle it. And if you were caught using it wrong or breaking the rules, you lost your card and sharp object privileges.

There were also badges for plants, both poisonous and edible.

If it was helpful there was a badge for it. AND there was typically someone in your group that had the badge you didn't so all the bases were covered.

If you saw the gear we had back in the mid 70's you wouldn't believe the hiking we did with it. My backpack was canvas with a huge aluminum ladder frame that wasn't even part of the pack! We carried rolls of plastic garbage bags to keep things dry. Even the stuff in the pack. Yep and wore just tennis shoes. Didn't have packable tents either. Just carried a canvas tarp and some rope to make a shelter with. There was also no such thing as those pads you put under your sleeping bag. You made a pad moving rocks and using leaves and grass. And the sleeping bags, they were terrible. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Sure had fun though.

We were actually very lucky. Only had one incident. One of the kids had an epileptic fit as we were crossing the top of a small waterfall. He went over the falls. We immediately sent our fastest runner to go get a vehicle 7 miles from our location. Four of us jump off the falls to help the kid. We got a stick in his mouth before he bit his tongue and kept him from drowning or hurting himself until the fit subsided. Then we treated the gash in he head and carried him about 2 miles before the truck met us and took him to the nearest hospital. Luckily he was just bruised up except for the 10 stitches in his head. The doctor complimented us on the bandage and stopping the bleeding.

[look 171]

I advise against an axe. Useless, imo. I know you are an axe guy Cliff. Listen to Merv. Go easy and build up to it if backpacking is her ultimate goal. Shoe, I can't stress enough on footwear. Get them way broken in before you go our on those 2 mile or longer hikes. Blister, the weight of the pack and still have to get to your destination or going back to the car will be a real btich. May I suggest car camping in some areas a few hours nearby and hike out a few miles from there to get her feet wet. This will be a good time to get her used to carrying her own siht, and break in those boots. She will learn real quick to not bring the blow dryer or make up box. I always bring a shovel. Hell you can even sharpen one edge to protect if you ever get attack by a giant Potato big. Backpacking means one must learn to pack light and bring all essential items. There are these two person tents for backpacking. They are extremely small. So small that you can only crawl into them. Good one are not cheap, but make sure she understands that. Being cramp and dirty after a long day's work on the trail then setting up in the dark and cold is not always fun. I am sure you know about that.

WE never bring a stove. Up in the Sierra, there are plenty of down wood you can use. I brought along a small pot that I always attached to the outside of my pack. We dig a little ditch and stack small stone under there and stick small pieces of wood to for cooking. On the pot is blacker then black at the end of the trip.

I will trade you my kids (2 boys) for your wife. I can't seem to get them interested in going on a short backpacking trip. They watch too many movies and are scared of God only know what.

Oh a shovel can be used to put out small fires before they get outta control, hack up some dry wood and use as a walking stick. Tarps, man. Tarps. I with Merv on this one, but I know my girlfriend was having none of that when I mentioned that to her. They make a great clean place to sleep and keep the moisture out. Those tarps keep my fat ass dry in some of the nastiest rain storms in the back of Mammoth.

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

I've turned my wife into a hiking/backpacking freak.

I'm loving it!

First backpacking trip:
My wife and a friend (Both are very fit- Wife is a swimmer, her friend runs marathons) decided to hike the entire Wonderland Trail- 93 miles all the way around Mt. Rainier.
Neither had backpacked before. They used my tent and some other stuff, used the experience as a good excuse to go shopping for more gear (gotta look cute in new hiking outfits) and spent nine (9!) days, completing the circuit. Two girls, both novices, and off they go....

Both came off the mountain feeling incredibly empowered, like there is nothing they can't accomplish. I'm proud of both of them!

Dear Penthouse.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally, I was going to say- "Do the day hikes first. Keep it simple.
buy nothing, except some baguettes and water, trailmix", but then the thread got me thinking about what was available on craigslist, and what kind of discounts were out there.

A quick search later, and I modified my response:

for example, you will need a knife. Not just any knife, a custom knife, such as this :

https://charlottesville.craigslist.org/spo/5984920280.html

And you need a turbo fire place:

https://charlottesville.craigslist.org/sgd/5993405146.html

It looks VERY light. She can carry that.

Once you are lost, this spot light will help you get rescued. At $10, you can't go wrong.

https://roanoke.craigslist.org/spo/5976972724.html

For tents, bigger is always better. Weight is never a factor. As with the stove, she can carry it.

https://richmond.craigslist.org/spo/5987214950.html


Also, 100 quart coolers are essential for beer. This one looks bear proof. She can carry it.

https://roanoke.craigslist.org/spo/5964426783.html

Good luck, and let me know if you need me to find more essential things for you to take on your journey!

[recycled sixtie]

As the above says start off doing day hikes with a light backpack. What is the killer for overnight hikes is a too heavy backpack. Weigh the backpack before you leave the house.
Hiking a long distance can be challenging even without a backpack for beginners. Add the backpack and hear the whining.

Dried foods weigh less. Add water and boil. Get a white gas stove or gas stove. Think what you have to bring. Make a checklist. And if you do an overnighter start off with a short distance hike. If you dayhike consider packing a lightweight tent(around 4 lbs) for emergencies. Get yourself a gps and know how to use it.You will have fun.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by vash

any husband stories involving first time wife backcountry horror..no happy stories?

Lots of city friends friends and girlfriend stories.

Great advice so far, especially footwear and easing into the experience.

I basically spent my summers in the Sierras during college as a rafting guide. I usually had Monday and Tuesday off during the week. Whenever a friend or girlfriend wanted to come up and do an over night out and in, the first few times were destination hikes: Trail head, couple of hours on the trail, lunch, couple more hours on the trail camp at a lake or overlook. Nothing overly strenuous.

There are a million of those in the Sierras and we never had a bad time.

What I found interesting is that even those that liked the one niter out and in absolutely hated two or more nights on the trail. Which is unfortunate because the real fun begins beyond the destination hikes.

Oh, one last thing: Mosquito, No-see'um netting. If your wife is like me, apparently a destination fly-in for everything with wings, those goofy hats with the netting were essential.

[flatbutt]

I met my wife in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks. She was extraordinary. But she had a friend who wanted to get into "serious packing". We wisely started her off with long"ish" day hikes that included easy climbs, meal prep and proper toileting. We'd spend the night in a motel. Then graduating up to over nighters near the trailhead. Her first wake up after a first night time thunderstorm did her in. Wet tent, damp bag, damp shoes, cold breakfast yeah she was done.