Integrating my wife.....

[smslavin]

I think she truly enjoys camping now, well not so much the actual camping part. But she loves getting out in isolated areas.

Wise grasshopper, enlighten me. I'm having one hell of an uphill battle getting everyone out. The issue for me isn't being there, it's getting there.

I eased everyone into it. The girls (all 3) slept in the tent in the living room the day I brought it home. Then we had a camp out in the back yard of my dad's place. From there, we did a trip with another family who had kids the same age. That, was a huge hit.

I'm having a hard time getting everyone excited about the road trip aspect of it. The girls are 8, 5 and 2 and when they're in a bad mood, it's hard to pull them out of it. Recommendations for car games? We don't have a DVD system in the truck and probably won't but the girls have iPods. When the girls' mood goes south, so does my wife's. I run out of ideas trying to pull them all back up.

What to do about getting out there? I mean way out there. I'd love for my kids to see some remote areas and realize that not everything is like this giant megalopolis called SoCal. I just feel like they're so out of touch with their natural surroundings.

 

[Accrete]

lots of good tips in the prior posts! my 2 bits is to encourage your significant other
to let her inner "McGirlver" out.
She might come up with something like my beloved-McGirlver did. . .
A potty/changing room on-the-go off the back of our TACO : )

Happy Trails,
Thom

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

I'm having a hard time getting everyone excited about the road trip aspect of it. The girls are 8, 5 and 2 and when they're in a bad mood, it's hard to pull them out of it. Recommendations for car games? We don't have a DVD system in the truck and probably won't but the girls have iPods. When the girls' mood goes south, so does my wife's. I run out of ideas trying to pull them all back up.
.

Ive packed toys from home..games..arts and crafts crap...

the DVD player is going next time..

we will bring it on long drives (more than 4hrs each way) just so our oldest (6 soon to be 7) can watch a bit of a movie..very helpful at night when the scenery is blackness...she will watch it and be SILENT...which is a Godsend after hours of her continuious quizzing and singing and talking and talking and talking (its excessive sometimes)...

a buddy of mine will bring theirs...and with our slide in camper we have the power and a nice couple big beds and a hammock inside for her to relax in and watch a movie...once she gets past tired..she's a terror only her aunts can really appreciate (cus she acts JUST like they did at that age!!)

laborday weekend alot of us got together to go 4wheelin and many brought their kids...

crayons..kid cameras..cotton candy..popcorn..movies..dressup things...sure my friends pop-up camper looked like transvestites were living in it..but the kids had an awsome time all weekend...and their WIFES had an awsome weekend...

Ive taken the advice of all in this thread....
showeres..hot water..sink..potty..changing station..comfy chairs..plenty of food...comfy beds...extra blankets..extra pillows...and benadryl..(fer me!!)

they have kept both grown ups from reducing the family number...but we have a 6yr old with music in her head..(thats up her butt alot!)..and TWINS that are just now 11months old...so its alot of stuff..and alot of work..

 

[Christophe Noel]

It's refreshing to see couples and families getting out into the wilds. I'm always surprised to see how many overlanding men are so quick to ditch the spouse.

I'm super stoked to have a wife that is as comfortable in a Relais et Chateau hotel as she is curled up under a tarp on a backpack trip. It was her idea to live in a tent on the beaches of Hawaii for four months!

That said, there's a seemingly constant evolution to our camping strategies. We go back and forth between very sparse and simplistic to loading the Rover with piles of creature comforts.

One thing that is a constant for us, the less we make our adventures about the toil and monotony of camping the more fun it is.

....and it doesn't hurt I'm the buyer for a premium outdoor store. We know the value of excellent equipment.

 

[7wt]

I have given up trying. My fiance thinks camping is something men do. No amount creature comforts will make her happy short of a trailer with a shower and a bathroom. There is no way you are going to convince her to drop a duece in a PETT, not gonna happen. She thinks the idea is as gross as it comes. I tried the REI angle and it just wound up costing me money, she likes the clothes but doesn't want to use them as they were intended. Oh well, a guy has to have his alone time right?

 

[rusty_tlc]

Wise grasshopper, enlighten me. I'm having one hell of an uphill battle getting everyone out. The issue for me isn't being there, it's getting there.

I eased everyone into it. The girls (all 3) slept in the tent in the living room the day I brought it home. Then we had a camp out in the back yard of my dad's place. From there, we did a trip with another family who had kids the same age. That, was a huge hit.

I'm having a hard time getting everyone excited about the road trip aspect of it. The girls are 8, 5 and 2 and when they're in a bad mood, it's hard to pull them out of it. Recommendations for car games? We don't have a DVD system in the truck and probably won't but the girls have iPods. When the girls' mood goes south, so does my wife's. I run out of ideas trying to pull them all back up.

What to do about getting out there? I mean way out there. I'd love for my kids to see some remote areas and realize that not everything is like this giant megalopolis called SoCal. I just feel like they're so out of touch with their natural surroundings.

Just me, the wife and my 80# standard poodle. (He never complains as long as we take him with us.) Back in the day we only had the one child, a boy who was pretty much self contained from day one. We took a brief break from travel when he was in the stage where he wanted to spend time with his friends and we didn't feel comfortable leaving him home alone.

I guess DVD's and maybe a 3G WIFI hub in your truck might help with girls.

If we had three girls I think I would have found a job that kept me away from home a lot. :sombrero:

 

[rusty_tlc]

I have given up trying. My fiance thinks camping is something men do. No amount creature comforts will make her happy short of a trailer with a shower and a bathroom. There is no way you are going to convince her to drop a duece in a PETT, not gonna happen. She thinks the idea is as gross as it comes. I tried the REI angle and it just wound up costing me money, she likes the clothes but doesn't want to use them as they were intended. Oh well, a guy has to have his alone time right?

She must be pretty special if your willing to give up sharing time together outdoors to stay with her. Maybe a Travel Trailer wouldn't be such a bad idea. Arctic Fox makes a trailer that will stand up to Forest service roads. We had one and did a lot of dry camping* with it. They also make the Desert Fox which is a toy hauler series. Maybe get some ATV's or a side by side?


I don't think I could have married someone who didn't like the outdoors, of course we have only been together 30 years so it still might not work out. :sombrero:

*"Dry camping" is Travel Trailer parlance for camping with no hook ups.

 

[Maude]

Not to infiltrate on you guys - I am "the girlfriend"... (But as of recently, I have my own rig, too.) I was born and bred a City Girl and could probably count on one hand the number of times I had been in the woods prior to the past 2 years. I might also be a slight germaphobe and a little neurotic about keeping the house clean, but who's taking notes, right?

It is so awesome to read all of the kindness and understanding in your posts. As a female constantly requiring patience from my wild man, it means an awful lot to me that he takes the time to teach me things and to remain patient in explaining things that are second nature to him. This helps me "adapt" a lot better, that is for sure! These trips are a whole new world for me, and I think a lot of it has to do with unknown expectations and just being out of my comfort zone. I know my bf has gone above and beyond to ensure that I am as comfortable as possible... and that definitely helps me to get more excited with each and every trip. I am very grateful!

So that being said, my hesitations are much the same as those already mentioned... the "ladies' room" situation, not showering past the 2 day mark, and temps below freezing. I'm learning to be tough but still have my limits... My advice would be just to listen to her hesitations and try to address them as patiently and compassionately as possible.

 

[Rexsname]

"No showers past the two day mark"


I made a shower so that I didn't feel gross on camping trips. I got a hand pump bug sprayer and a kitchen sink sprayer. One coffee pot full of boiling water in a half-full bug sprayer of ambient temp water makes a nice shower. I usually have enough warm water left over to do the dishes when I am done showering.


REX