Advice: Gf's first longer trip– simple quality of life improvements?

Well, having been married for 42 years, my first advice is to ask her.

Having said that, my wife never complains if I bring along a few extra treats: chocolate, mini liquor bottles, etc for her to enjoy beyond our usual menu.

And I will put in a good word for a nice 8×16 inch piece of blue closed-cell foam to use as a seat, either on the trail or in camp. Weighs almost nothing, and makes a difference.

Take a really comfortable mattress for her, even if it weighs the proverbial tonne. Champagne and fresh strawberries

Big pack of baby wipes.  It’s amazing how much cleaner you feel after just a 5-6 wipe bath. Unless of course there are lots of lakes/ponds and she likes swimming in cold water. :)

Mosquito clothing and bug juice, if appropriate. This last is good to know about in advance. I can’t tolerate Deet, for example, except a spritz on my sun gloves. How about your GF?

I personally find that not having adequate mosquito clothing and a netted tent in season makes for a miserable trip. And that includes gloves for the backs of my hands.

And well thought out blister treatment! That includes Leucotape and mole foam with a center diamond cut out, and that sticky iron colored stuff that helps toughen the blister. And the expertise to apply all of this correctly. She’ll love that!

I second the baby wipes and bug net/protection. Also…..no eating out of a ziplock bag.

Paul: I accepted that my shoulders are going to be sore, so I went with an REI collapsable chair that I picked up at the last garage sale. Packs pretty small, but certainly not light. oh well.

Edward: I do need to get her a more comfy mattress, primarily due to insulation needs. She used a prolite+ that I had in the overflow box on our last few trips, but I think I’m going to see if I can find her an insulated air core (or similar) on gearswap

we took baby wipes on our last trip, and it made a huge difference (even with a water source nearby) so on the list they go:

• blister treatment
• bug spray
• (a lot of) baby wipes

I hate baby wipes as they are not biodegradable etc. I actually prefer a cotton washcloth and a cheap cologne diluted with extra water, think 4711 etc Chinese cafe style but I usually carry a proper extra large bandanna anyway

If it is going to be hot put a couple in the freezer, insulate them well and pull out when needed as a kiss and cuddle earning extra treat

Ditto a small spritz bottle with some lightly perfumed rubbing alcohol in it

… a cotton washcloth and a cheap cologne diluted with extra water, … Ditto a small spritz bottle with some lightly perfumed rubbing alcohol in it

Just don’t tell her till she’s out there that she has to be hung with the bear bag at night. :)

As a woman myself, I only started to really like backpacking once I had a sleeping bag that was really warm. Being cold all night is the worst thing, but being warm and toasty as I am at home makes even a 3/8 inch foam pad worth it. These days I bring two sleeping bags so I never have to be cold ever. If you can bring a second bag (or even one of those costco down quilts if you have one) for her to drape over her like a blanket, that will make all the difference.

Other than that, I backpack with a sort of cranky princess (at times) of a man and one trip that we did that turned out really well was one where we had no plans. We just set out to see where we would go. We had no real mileage goals. We stopped at a nice lake to go skinny-dipping. Well, I went in, he did not. When he started having his health issues that always ruin things, we stopped. No big deal because we had no plans. I brought something to keep myself occupied while he retired early to the tent, not feeling well. That way he didn’t feel bad for stopping so early. He didn’t have to feel like he was disappointing me. We made a sort of loop out of things, but we could have gone there and back if we needed to. We did double-back to visit the skinny-dipping lake a second time. It was really pleasant to have no plans and not hike very many miles each day, stop early, examine everything around our campsite, feel the spongy alpine grass on my bare feet, sit and watch the alpenglow for hours.

I’m going to +1 and +2 the following:

– mosquito head net (a whole suit?  maybe not, but) a head net makes a huge difference when needed and weighs almost nothing if not.

– wet wipes.  There are septic-system compatible ones which are fine to bury in the same way and places you (should!) be digging a cat hole to go poop in.  You can dry them out to save most of the weight and wet them as needed.

– more padding / warmth in a sleeping pad.  I’d suggest one or two rolls of 1/8″ CCF because it adds warmth and padding to a inflatable sleeping pad AND also protects that sleeping pad from punctures.

– little luxury items whether that’s a cocktail before dinner, some chocolates, or a few fancier dinner items.  I met my wife on a gourmet backpacking trip.  (It was only 6 miles in but) I brought ice cream sundaes and a portable hot tub.

With little kids and newbies, less is more.  If they’d enjoy 10-mile days, they’ll enjoy 5 miles per day even more.  Get a star-viewing app on your smart phone.  Bring an edible plant guide.  Bring a smart-phone macro lens and both play around with that.

You don’t have to be expert about everything.  Is there something she’s really good at (a particular meal or activity)?  then include that.  Try to avoid mansplaining everything all the time.

hi Joseph I hope you guys have a wonderful time out there! I do eish my wife shared my passion for long distance hiking and backcountry camping, but tbh it’s a great time for me (and sometimes trek mates) to recalibrate , decompress from daily life and return refreshed with renewed vigor…

Cleanliness- Maybe have her practice her backcountry clean up routine a few times at home so she’ll feel confident attaining the level of cleanliness she’s comfortable with out there.   I use dr bronners and cherish baby wipes. For general around the body, feet and face but also with tiny bit of hand sanitizer for armpits, underside, and between toes… Pack out typical baby wipes with trash instead of burying in cat hole fer sure. I use Natracare Organic Cotton Baby Wipes they are 100% biodegradable and compostable, there are others. While most conventional baby wipes do contain polypropylene fibers they will break down to tiny bits after 100 years unlike say, ziplock bags that take 500-forever years… unfortunately Lots of things we use backpacking are non biodegradable, ziplocks, plastic buckles/ components, the gas and the plastic in the vehicles we use to drive there, food/ meal packaging, hydration bladders, Silicone impregnated nylon fabric…

Cuisine/chocolate – Have her choose a variety of snacks and meals, favorite  breakfasts,etc… staying satisfied and well nourished is key for me happiness wise

Caffeine- if she cherishes the ritual of coffee brewed in a particular style (I prefer pour over) don’t skimp and use instant, try to replicate what she’s used to doing so the caffeine levels are in check!

Like Jeffery said blister care and also blister prevention. If she feels a hot spot developing , investigate, try to cover that area (leukotape, KT Tape) Before the blister actually starts.  Some use Body Glide or other anti chafing stick on known trouble spots before heading out for the day. Thankfully I’ve found a trail shoe and sock system that has made long distance hiking/running blister free for me, Injiji thin liner toe socks underneath  1/4 length darn tough lightweight running. It makes for way less direct friction, the layers able to slide over each other. it also keeps in between my toes much cleaner than when I used to use a single sock…

Sleep- pillow? Maybe she could try sleeping with her intended set up (and new inflatable) a few times beforehand to acclimate and dial in a good nights rest…

Offer foot and shoulder massages! ;-)

I do an annual trip with my wife who’s a swimmer not a hiker. And absolutely second the motion having set plans. You can’t fail without a plan. Stop to look at things. First trip we planned was A to B. Second changed to base camp with loops walked. This year’s is looking suspiciously like car camping! But if she has fun we are both happy, perhaps thru hiking way of doing things is not for her, which is fair enough. Xtherm and 0 degree bag in July has worked so far, but just bought her a quilt to try as she prefers to be less constricted.

Wet wipes are perfumed so would they not also attract bears? Otherwise plain old fashioned 50/50 alcohol /isocol and what’s appropriate for the female of the species might go double for the male. My wife is always complaining that my fee t smell bad

Dale I really like the idea of the portable hot tub

^Unscented is available.

Wet wipes are perfumed so would they not also attract bears?

Wet Wipes of any type/style/composition/compostability/etc exist. Take your pick.

If my wife gets to wash her hair every three days, she is happy.  I also bake her brownies on the trail.  My 2 cents.

P.S. – it will also make her happy if you clean up as well

P.S. – it will also make her happy if you clean up as well

Uh…yeah :)  Luckily you packed lots of wipes!

Lots of good advice here, I will just make a couple suggestions that are not gear but practices. First, and I think you mentioned it sort of, is altitude. If she has no experience at altitude then I would suggest taking it easy, and discussing before the trip the usual extra water routine that is always helpful. I think it will be much better to review this ahead of time so that it does not become a nagging thing on the trail – “honey, are you drinking?” will get older faster if it comes as a surprise.

Be really prepared to deal with bugs – as in, comfortably sized bug-proof shelter to escape into. Very hard to have a good time if you are swatting skeeters and scratching bites.

Sun protection – it’s so easy to get sunburned at altitude, and once you are it can be a real drag. So bring plenty of sunscreen, use it often, and dress accordingly.

And I agree on the low-key plans or no plans at all to make for a fun first experience.

I’ll second the insect net idea.

Ibuprofen for altitude headaches.  Gatorade mix for altitude nausea.

If she does not have long hair, fleece neck warmers deliver a lot of warmth per ounce.