Partners who aren't "into" camping ....

[Chippy76]

Hey Swaggers!

With the long weekend coming up we (or more the boys and I ) have decided to go camping down Brooms Head way. I discussions with the better half it came to light that she doesn't really like camping. Now don't get the wrong idea, my wife isn't a "princess" or too "girly" for camping. In fact she isn't the sort of girl who needs a hair straightener or dryer at all. She does request that we have a toilet and shower - although porta-potti and camping shower are acceptable. Her objections to camping are that it is just like being at home, but "rougher". That is to say we do the same things as at home (cook, clean wash etc) but with inferior products. She also hates the fact that we have to drag all our gear 200kms from home for the privilege. I understand her point in part, however I LOVE my camping. I've tried to make allowances to keep everyone happy (hence the slightly overweight camper trailer), sometimes thought the best answer is just to take the boys camping and leave the wife at home. Before we met the only camping she had ever done was at school camp.

Has any one else had this sort of trouble with their partner ??

Cheers Chippy

ps 99% of the time she still comes .... if somewhat begrudgingly :p

[speewa158]

Right O this is the solution  " Trust Me "
 Sit her down take her by the hand & tell her this . l love you & want to share life with you . Your my woman & that's that . Get packed , Get in the truck , & Get ready to Enjoy . We are going camping  ,,,,, l have spoken   .
 That's it take command of the situation , you will be amazed at the reaction . l will guarantee the next thing you will hear is " lf you can hear me squeeze my hand , theres been an accident & you in lCU , l am DR Whoever 
            l do hope this advise works for you all that works for me now it my typing finger every thing else seems to be broken   Sent lowers to brighten my room  .                     

[Liege]

My brother went through this with his wife. Never camped before she met him. He took her away to the prettiest spot he could think of for her first time, Think waterfalls and rainforests. Make it worth the effort of going. Not just to the same Caravan Park on the beach, I know so many people who always go to the same spot.
My Wife and I never go the same place more than twice, too much to see and do! When it comes to doing the jobs and tools you use, I let her pick everything. our kitchen is full of collapsible silicon, easy to wash and stacks down to save space. Our camper is always packed so we only have to grab our clothes and food and away we go to minimise the ardous task of packing.
Make the trips away about activities, hiking, sightseeing. make it about campfires and Music. Make it fun for her.

[Liege]

.. and don't just cook the same BBQ over and over.

Take a camp oven and cook sunday roasts. Cook a nice curry or pasta. Get a weber and make lasagna or pizza.

[Memem284]

I love camping (and I'm a woman), but I see your wife's point. Years ago, we used to camp regularly with 2 adults and 5 children.
Although I was always happy to go, the jobs of packing/unpacking clothes and food for 7 people always seemed to end up with me. I also did all the tidying up around the campsite - or nagged the kids to do it and also did most of the cooking.
The older kids were supposed to do the washing up, but apprently they were on holidays, so didn't feel the need to do it straight after a meal, hence leaving dirty dishes around. Not much support from their father either.
As you can imagine, this gets pretty tiresome for a mother and frustrating.
Maybe if you and the kids took over certain chores (and actually did them at the right times), your wife might be able to relax and have a holiday too. Too many times, I see people just having to do the same stuff, just in a smaller (albeit nicer) place.
Sorry if this sounds like a rant.
New relationship now, youngest kid is 20, and we have a full size caravan. I still cook, but partner does all the washing up - straight away. Happy :-)

[Graham99]

My wife is usually more than happy to come camping with me, her only line in the sand is taking the shovel for a walk. If she can use a toilet with a seat on it then she is ok. I think the biggest challenge is taking that all into account.

[chester ver2.0]

Yeah i had this problem

The goldstream soon sorted that one out and now she is usually the first one in the car

[Mik01]

I love camping (and I'm a woman), but I see your wife's point. Years ago, we used to camp regularly with 2 adults and 5 children.
Although I was always happy to go, the jobs of packing/unpacking clothes and food for 7 people always seemed to end up with me. I also did all the tidying up around the campsite - or nagged the kids to do it and also did most of the cooking.
The older kids were supposed to do the washing up, but apprently they were on holidays, so didn't feel the need to do it straight after a meal, hence leaving dirty dishes around. Not much support from their father either.
As you can imagine, this gets pretty tiresome for a mother and frustrating.
Maybe if you and the kids took over certain chores (and actually did them at the right times), your wife might be able to relax and have a holiday too. Too many times, I see people just having to do the same stuff, just in a smaller (albeit nicer) place.
Sorry if this sounds like a rant.
New relationship now, youngest kid is 20, and we have a full size caravan. I still cook, but partner does all the washing up - straight away. Happy :-)

good points.
I admit that my wife and I fall into the same routine at camp when at home mostly - however I actually do some cooking, shower the kids, wash up/tidy up.
I make an effort to help out (probably not as much as I could/should I guess), as its easy for the wife to have to shoulder the load with our 3 small kids while I enjoy a beer or 4wding with mates.
then she complains that she might as well be at home.

so, perhaps give her a 'day off' each trip - where you let her just relax and soak up the surrounds, have a wine (not a whine!), and do whatever - perhaps she will really appreciate what it all means.  you may already help out with washing/cooking/cleaning - but if you don't, this could be the reason she isn't keen to rough it if she's struggling to do all the chores.

p.s. - ignore Speewa's post entirely!!!!!!! if you want to live!

[scarps]

Swmbo likes camping but with good creature comforts so she bought a Trackabout complete with hot water service. I tow it to where she wants to go and help her set it up and pack ut up.
She also selected her portable Dometic toilet that she maintains, empties and cleans.
On these trips (up to 6 per year), I play the role of the dutiful 'yes dear' husband.

I then budget for 2 weekends per year and take her to 5star accom - City night out or Yarra Valley weekend.

For this, I now go boys camping trips also up to 6 per year without her.

Everyone happy.

[macca]

My wife is not that fussed anymore, agree with Scarps, need to do a couple of her camping trips a year (five star) , then I get to do what I like best, solo camping. Lucky she loves photography that encourages her to come some times and I always do all the cooking and most of the dishes. We still do family camping / water skiing trips every year
But these days she tends to think the medium strip is bush enough for her

macca

[Beachman]

My Wife likes camping and she does at least 2 x 7 days trips every year, but seeing I like camping more I often take the kids away by myself on weekend camping trips.

That way I get to enjoy time away with my kids plus being outdoors, plus it also means she has no problem/comeback when I go on weekends away camping/fishing with mates.

[Bird]

Mechanic who used to work on my race bikes, him and his missus prior to kids were swags, and tarps camping..

Once she fired out a kid, she turned PURE 5 star motels only.. So he packed the kids, swags, usual gear went without her just drove off and left her standing in the driveway 
Divorce is heck.

[austastar]

Hi,
   I guess I'm one lucky fella.


We had our honeymoon traveling on a 250cc motor bike, Melb - Snowy Mtns - Canberra and back down the coast in 1971.
Home made canvas panniers and a cardboard suitcase on the back.
A small hike tent, lilos and zip together sleeping bags along with a small petrol stove and a pair of billies were our main concession to creature comfort.


Her mother was horrified!


Our camping is more about the travelling and exploring rather than establishing a long term camp.  With kids, the longer term camps were the easier option for a while, but as soon as they were independent we became nomadic again.
Some times we meet up with them and camp for a while, which is nice. We have their company but not the chores.


SWMBO is happy with hot showers (bush or purchased), a hole in the ground with privacy, a cheery fire or gas stove, water in the tank, gas in the bottle and warm and dry sleeping.
The air-con/heater in the truck is very popular now though. I doubt if she would do the motor bike caper again.


This LWE is a boy's weekend up the Lakes, I'll meet up with the kids and a few of their friends and no-doubt mayhem will be in abundance. It pays to release the inner bogan occasionally.


She has a sewing weekend with a bunch of friends at a beach side establishment on the East coast, and has been looking forward to it for weeks.


Variety is the spice of life.


cheers

[Mallory Black]

Mrs B never really camped till she met me but as long as the basic comforts were there and more importantly the right company to share with she was great, never a complaint even when half of Fraser Island was in the sleeping bag once (only the once!)

maybe it's in the blood.
My parents got married in the early 1950's and for the honeymoon bushwalked the Grampians for 2 weeks with their Paddy Pallin gear. Pretty game stuff in the days before phones and epirbs.
After having all us brats, my earliest camping memory was about 6 years old, at the Scarness van park at hervey bay around 1967 or so. We had a heavy canvas lean-to tent that had no floor, slept on ex army bunks. dad cooked on some hotplate thing that you put over a bowl of sand doused in metho while the rich folk had their Chesneys.

We had a ball. still got the photos and cherish them greatly.

now my own kids (girls) have done more camps over the past year than me.
So I reckon once they settle on a BF/Partner, he'd better be a camper or he's out quick smart!

[lino6]

My SWMBO would live at the river camping if she could keep the horses there! But I think we both think we take too much cr@p with us when we go. This weekends experiment with the new swag (her birthday present this year) will be a good test. I enjoy camping and would love to get out more, as does SWMBO.

[Chippy76]

Some very interesting points and views here .... Please be assured we are NO WHERE near getting a divorce!
For the record, I do 50 % of the cooking ,cleaning etc etc at home and about 90% of it out camping. My boys are well trained and set the table and wash up, when required. I think the wife just finds it less than fun trying to cook on a portable gas stove, and wash up in a basin. Im working on improving my camping setup, which is the whole reason we own the Cub.

Ill let you know how this camping trip goes on the weekend, as Im planning on taking several bottles of wine (for her not me) and giving her some quality relaxing time!

Cheers Chippy

[AKB]

I love camping, and we do several trip types each year.  ie Caravan Park where 10 year old boy gets to make new friends and play, to bush camping and taking the quads, water and shovel.

I actually prefer camping more now that we are back in a soft floor especially after bush camping, previously when using the Jayco we would pull into a caravan park 1/2 way home and use their showers, washing machines etc and I would clean out the vinyl floor and get all of the dirt out of the Jayco......I don't feel so precious about the soft floor.

The last day of camp is always sad, not because we are leaving camp but because I think of all the cleaning that has to happen when we get home (especially if we have packed up whilst wet). 

PS Wine always helps

[baldheadedgit]

Mine hates it, wont go, full stop.! no amount of coaxing from me, the kids, the Grankids or anyone will get her to change her mind.!
There's time's it pees me of, but then i get to do what i want, when i want, Snore as much as i like, fart like there's no tomorrow and do a Speewa.................... get pissed and fall down.   

BHG

[noel_w]

Ill let you know how this camping trip goes on the weekend, as Im planning on taking several bottles of wine (for her not me) and giving her some quality relaxing time!

Cheers Chippy

Hey Chippy hope this weekend works out. How's the young fella take to camping?
Also we need to visit The Springs again one day.


My SWMBO used to like camping when we were younger in fact we had our honeymoon tracking all over the NT in our trusty old 86 Suby. Also spent 6 weeks on the back of my GS1100G with trailer around NSW, Vic & SA and numerous weekends in the old 3 man tent. Then kids came along and age hit us, she now prefers 5 star rather than a million stars.
That's life though, I still get out with the young fella though not as much as we like.

[Jeepers Creepers]

Hey BHG, its not the camping she hates ol mate..... 

[Chippy76]

Hey Chippy hope this weekend works out. How's the young fella take to camping?
Also we need to visit The Springs again one day.

Hey Noel

All the boys love camping and Fin (now 14 months ) made the trip to Nymboida for the meet last year. The older 3 (aged 14,9 and 6) all sleep in swags) and the smallest has a kinder kot that goes in the Cub with us.

We will def have to make a trip to the Springs again, esp now that we have a Pootrol ... Im yet to do some decent 4WDing in it!

Cheers Chippy

[Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback]

As said previously a couple of nights away in a hotel here and there helps balance the ledger. I've found letting SWMBO choosing the location and organising the trip away gets her more excited. We're heading away this long weekend and she's convinced her best friend (who's never camped) and her husband to join us. Now she's the one who's counting down the days instead of me.

[Chippy76]

Funnily enough , Mrs Chippy has no interest in staying in a 5 star hotel either. Im sure she wouldn't object to a romantic cabin somewhere though. (but then she may appreciate anywhere "sans-kids"  lol )

Cheers Chippy

[Lesa4969]

The reason I LOVE camping is because I get to say "but we're camping... it's YOUR job!"  Well I try anyway!!!
I'd never been camping before I met the hubby and the thought was just plain horrible (specially the lack of flushing toilets!  ) but as it turned out I loved it. I think the best thing is that we skip so much of the hard stuff we do at home.. no heavy cleaning, dishes given a quick clean (usually the next day) and everything is sooo simple! Plus we Do stuff, either full on lying in a creek relaxing or out seeing things. What's not to like!

[oldmate]

Hey Noel

All the boys love camping and Fin (now 14 months ) made the trip to Nymboida for the meet last year. The older 3 (aged 14,9 and 6) all sleep in swags) and the smallest has a kinder kot that goes in the Cub with us.

We will def have to make a trip to the Springs again, esp now that we have a Pootrol ... Im yet to do some decent 4WDing in it!

Cheers Chippy

I'll be in for a trip to the springs. 

As far as Lyndall goes, she lives camping, cause I do all the cooking and organising, she just turns up. But I love all of that as well, so it just works. Like others of the female variety, she like her own toilet and shower, which she looks after, and the dogs love camping more than all of us, in fact they are now at my heals cause they saw me throwing some things in it tonight.