Getting Wife's Permission to go to hang

[Trecker8]

Dump her. Life's too short.

[Trecker8]

My wife used to try to mess with me on going hiking, camping and canoeing. When she finally realized she wasn't going to win that battle, she started calling the police to go find me in the wilderness (which the police found hilarious, by the way). Eventually, she gave up on that strategy. She especially got jealous when I would take the kids - she wanted to know why she couldn't go. Well, we usually went places where cell phones didn't work (she loves calling the police so that was a hard thing to digest), she is afraid of most forms of wildlife, and she refuses to sleep in a hammock (I don't own a tent). So she never went on a camping/canoeing or hiking trip with me and the kids.

The kids are all gone now, so it's all about beagle Joey, and whether he can can go camping with me. It's always too hot, or too cold, or too rainy for beagle Joey. It's a freaking beagle, not an invalid! My wife has never initially approved of a hiking/camping trip for Joey - it usually takes a couple of weeks of arguing to convince her. Despite her attempts to thwart our camping trips, beagle Joey has hiked in rain, thunderstorms, even a bit of snow, and overnight lows as high as 70* F, or as low as 13* F. Beagle Joey enjoys the trips, so I'll keep taking him. I just have to factor in that it will take two weeks of arguing to convince her beagle Joey can go.

Not hilarious to use taxpayer money and take police away from real crime to be pawns in your marriage games. Not cool.

[BananaHammock]

I'm single now too. But in the past I always tried to look at the calendar and make it work for everyone. But what I wasn't going to do was have someone make my schedule for me.

In general, when you have one person telling another what they can do, when they can enjoy their hobby, and still give them a hassle for it, it's not good for anyone. That's not living, that's a dictatorship. Of course, it's a compromise. Especially with kids. You need to take turns and make sure everyone has some time to do what they do.

I think using the calendar and the other person agreeing that it’s a good time to go is how I was thinking about “permission”. I never feel like I have to see the “boss”, I just want to make sure I’m not burdening the family too much because of the little ones and work (we are teachers so we are very busy when we do work) and I make sure to save some of those good weekends to spend with the family. Life is a balance and I don’t think it would be fair to just say, “I’m going camping.” Without first considering the input of my partner.

[Five Tango]

I have always had free reign to go and do as I pleased which included lots of other hobbies other than backpacking in the woods.The only stipulation she has now is that I go with others when not camping locally(she will know where to look for my body locally,plus the phone should work).

I purchased a PLB to circumvent the "partner rule" but honestly prefer to go with other people as I find hiking and camping alone to be a boring pursuit which is the same reason I never particularly liked boating and fishing alone,nobody to talk to.

My PLB weighs in under 6 oz. and I would recommend that safety device to anyone.You just never know when you could be "the next person in the news" or you might need to call the calvary for some other hapless person.

[Five Tango]

Dump her. Life's too short.

That could be an incredibly expensive move in both financial and human terms.One thing I do as a general rule is to give the wife a designated "start worrying time".If I am not back by pitch black dark on the day I expect to return and she has not heard from me then she can call the authorities as we could reasonably assume there is an issue and my PLB didn't work.(not very likely though)

Sometimes I wonder how I survived riding a bike and a horse with no helmet as a child,traveling around in a 1950 Buick with NO seatbelt,roller skating without elbow pads,playing tackle football on the school yard with no protective equipment,fishing/camping in the depths of the Everglades before cell phones were on anyone's horizon, flying a single engine plane with no parachute or gps,the list is endless.

Important to note I never did have a skate board.I can see how That could be dangerous.

[deadeye]

I think using the calendar and the other person agreeing that it’s a good time to go is how I was thinking about “permission”. I never feel like I have to see the “boss”, I just want to make sure I’m not burdening the family too much because of the little ones and work (we are teachers so we are very busy when we do work) and I make sure to save some of those good weekends to spend with the family. Life is a balance and I don’t think it would be fair to just say, “I’m going camping.” Without first considering the input of my partner.

I'm with you on this, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard women (or men) say "Your wife LETS you do that?!?!?" or "I'd never let my husband do that." I just don't get the attitude.

[Five Tango]

I'm with you on this, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard women (or men) say "Your wife LETS you do that?!?!?" or "I'd never let my husband do that." I just don't get the attitude.

It could be that they are afraid of becoming a widow.

[TrailBlaser]

In the late winter I plan my trips for the year, put them in a Google calendar that has all the family events, obligations etc and then share the calendar with my wife, 24 year old (married) daughter who lives 5 hours away and my 19 year old son who is also 5 hours away at college. We then reconcile it. Most of the time I end up being able to take the trips I put into the calendar as is; sometimes I have to reschedule and very rarely, cancel. I think them knowing in advance helps.

[skater]

I can go any time she wants!

[ChrisJHC]

My wife has very little interest in coming camping. I always, however, make a point of inviting her along. I think we both heave a sigh of relief when she declines!