Tips on backpacking with boyfriends

A really fun travel site is The Lost Girls, a blog by three twenty-somethings from New York who quit their jobs to make a yearlong, round-the-world jaunt. Besides cataloging their own trip, they sometimes invite others to blog, and this one comes from Hannah Dorland who offers these tips on trips with a Significant Other of the Mars persuasion:

1. Two people equals two mouths. A few granola bars, jiffy pop, grapes, and turkey jerky just don't cut it. Besides, men seem to get ravinous towards evening... I think the bear that snuck into our campsite in the middle of the night was in a better mood than my guy.

2. Extra body heat in the tent does NOT mean that two sleeping bags aren't necessary. It's Minnesota. Even in the summer the nights get chilly, and as nice as cuddling may be it's no substitute for proper sleeping bags and/or blankets!

3. Being comfortable is key. When I backpack alone, I wear high-waisted baggy pants with tightly cinched belts, hiking boots, a bandana, and a sleeveless mens tee-shirt. This time, I wanted to look pretty and instead ended up chafing after 12 miles because my low-waisted jeans conflicted with my backpack waist strap.

4. Just because he offers to carry things, it doesn't mean he actually should. Chivalry is nice and all, but the heavy pack was mine, specifically purchased to fit my tiny 5'3" frame, and his upper back was SORE the next morning.

5. Three person rafts are meant for three people, not two people and two giant backpacks. Remember that packs can often weight as much as a small child, so count them as one! I ended up sitting on top of the two packs and paddling at an awkward angle... guess we should have rented a canoe!

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