Introducing your partner to the trails
Much like relationships, moments spent outdoors creates intimate connections and cycles. Like a wildflower blooming at the same time as some tree leafs out, water that cools the forest air and covering the ground in smooth moss, or how time can create closer and deeper relationships.
People define hiking as putting two feet down in rhythm, but it’s much more than that. There is not a better way to spend the weekend with your partner than to set off on a little adventure in the wild.
The only thing better than backpacking is backpacking with someone you love! Introducing your partner to the wonderful world of backpacking can be a daunting task.
You want to make sure their first trip is a 12 out of 10, so they will be inspired to go again. Check out these five tips to get your partner hooked on the outdoor lifestyle!
Help Your Partner Prepare
To improve the trip, there are a lot of things you can do with your partner before you even leave. If your partner doesn’t regularly exercise, start out with some local hikes or morning runs to train. You want to make sure they are physically ready for the trip before you leave.
Helping your significant other pack is an excellent way to get excited and make sure they are bringing the right stuff. Even though you want their pack to be as light as possible, don’t get too carried away. Backpacking for the first time also means being without household comforts for the first time.
Your partner may not be ready to hit the trails without new clean clothes for each day, and that’s okay! Let some extra items slide if you think they will keep your partner comfortable on the trip.
Plan a Killer Trip
In my opinion, this is the most important part. My first backpacking trip was summiting Cone Peak in two days. This trip still kicks my ass, but because the payoff is so incredible it was a perfect first trip.
You want to get your partner stoked on backpacking, so take them somewhere that will blow their mind! Hot springs, glacier melt lakes, and waterfalls are a great place to start. Try to find the coolest trail you can that is also not too difficult.
Put the Trip on Your Shoulders
To lighten your partner’s load, try to carry as much of the shared items as possible. If you can, carry the tent, cooking supplies, and food in your pack. Doing anything you can to lighten their load will improve their trip. Your partner’s body will not be used to carrying their backpack, so carrying the extra weight will also help them be less sore. Encourage your partner to stretch before bed and at breakfast as well!
Encouraging Words
Always make sure to check in while you are hiking. Encourage your partner to drink water, let him/her set the pace, and stop to take breaks as needed. Ask how their legs, feet, and back are feeling every so often. If you are feeling extra nice, give them a shoulder or foot rub at the end of the day!
Bring Some Surprises
I still like to do this on every trip I plan for my boyfriend and I. Make some homemade cookies or brownies before heading out and surprise your partner! Nothing compares to eating a sweet treat in your sleeping bag at the end of your first 10-mile day. When you are buying food for the trip, swing by the sweets isle for some inspiration. You can also get creative a little outrageous. I have carried mini champagne bottles and orange juice for 15 miles just to drink mimosas at breakfast in a hot spring. No idea is too crazy!
You probably wonder what the reward of all this is? Well, you’ll get a healthy relationship, a partner who will tolerate your hiking stench and a buddy who knows how you like your tent set up. So, pack your bags, go in nature, and take your relationship to another level.
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We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it.
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