5 Reasons Why I Hike With My Spouse – Arizona Hikers Guide
Back in January I completed my first solo backpacking trip of the year. It was a short overnight trip in the snow dusted Superstition Mountains and was simply a beautiful experience. Although the trip was a huge success with great memories and some much needed solitude, in the end I had only myself to reminisce with. Now don’t get me wrong here, solo adventures are a necessary part of every person’s life and I am a huge proponent of hiking and backpacking independently. However, I find equal, if not greater satisfaction in hiking with my spouse and here’s why.
1. Someone To Hang Out With
My wife and I pretty much do everything together. We work at the same school and teach right across the hall from each other. I plant and weed and water the garden and she enjoys the harvest. We cook and clean and do yard work together. We both coach fall and spring sports together. Now that I think about it, we might be a little weird!? I genuinely like hanging out with my wife and there is no better place to spend time together than in the great outdoors. And at least for me, hikes can get long and the trail can become daunting and it’s nice to have someone there to have a good conversation with.
2. Outdoor Therapy
Although my wife and I spend so much time around each other, we don’t always spend time with each other. Days get busy and life happens. When we get out on the trail however, we have all day, sometimes many days, of 24 hour undivided attention to give. There are no emails to respond to, no social media to waste time on, and no meetings to attend. Being outdoors allows us to talk about things that really matter in our lives and express important feelings and opinions. We call this time “outdoor therapy”. Some of our most impactful decisions have come from long conversations on the trail and it saves us a ton of money by not having to go to real therapy sessions :).
3. Help Carry The Load
When you hike with a partner there are certain pieces of equipment that can be distributed to both backpacks. For example, if you are backpacking you will most likely be sharing a tent which can be divvyed up between the two of you. We also share our cooking system; she carries the fuel and I carry the food. This helps distribute weight and can help lighten both packs. Also, there are many chores on a hike that are better suited for two people. Some activities include setting up a tent, collecting firewood, cooking food, filtering water, and taking photos.
4. Safety In Numbers
Just like we learned in elementary school we should always take a buddy with us wherever we go. This is true in the outdoors as well. If one person gets hurt the other can help attend to the injury. If one person has to pee the other can be the lookout. Another person also creates a sense of security and comfort in serious or dangerous situations. When I lived in Idaho I remember reading somewhere that nearly all bear attacks on solo hikers. Although extremely unlikely, a bear, mountain lion, or other large predatory animal is less likely to attack a group of hikers than a solo hiker.
5. Share The Experience
Some of my greatest and cherished memories are hiking with my wife. One memory in particular includes sneaking up on a Bull Elk in rut stomping, peeing, and screaming about 20 yards from us. To make the experience even cooler, my wife had never seen an elk before let alone this magnificent beast desperately looking for a mate. We were so close that we could see the steam coming from his nose and mouth when he breathed. It was a moment that only we have and that makes it special.