Backpacking with your other half can be a rewarding experience. The experience can potentially strengthen the relationship but it can also make it worse or even destroy it. One of the keys to happiness when backpacking as a couple is to be in agreement with each other most of the time but that is not the subject of this.

The kind of tent you need depends on what both of you as a couple want. If you can make do with a tarp tent and your half needs a tent, go for the tent. Even though a tarp saves you a lot of weight it won't do you any good if your partner is complaining about mosquitoes and about getting wet when it rains.

If you like to cuddle when you sleep, avoid tents with a center pole . There are many 2-person tents to choose from. Double wall tents are warmer than single wall tents and we recommend it for the colder weather. They're also more durable but because there are two walls which results in more parts, the double-wall tent packs bigger and weigh more in general than single-wall tents.

If weight is a concern, use a single-wall tent. If you want an even lighter tent, you might want to consider a floorless tent or a tarp tent. A lightweight floorless 2-person tent should weigh at most 2 pounds. Tarp tents also weigh about the same.

For a lightweight 2-person tent, I recommend using something like the Laser by Tera Nova . It's a double-wall tent which weighs in at just 2 pounds 14 ounces and has a vestibule with a side entry.

As for tarp tents, Henry Shire's Squall Tarp Tent comes highly recommended. At 1.5 pounds, this shelter has enough room your packs and can adequately keep you dry in a downpour.

The Hubba-Hubba is also a good 2 person backpacking tent to go with. Winning the hearts of the editors at Backpackers magazine and the coveted Editor's Choice Award, the Hubba-Hubba remains to be one of the best selling tents in the world. It's quick to set up and does well in varying weather.

You might also want to consider a three-person tent if you want to want more space in exchange for more weight.

Couples should individually choose the lightest camping mattress they can comfortably sleep on. If a quarter inch foam pad is the lightest pad you can comfortably sleep on then choose that.

When you put two camping mats together so that you can sleep together as a couple, it is bound to move apart as you sleep through the night and either one of you or both might end up having at least of your body on the cold ground.

If you're using Therm-a-rest pads, you're in luck because their Therm-a-rest couplers provide a solution for separating pads. It works for most other 20-inch pads you can find. There are of course other ways to keep your pads together.

You might also consider groundsheets to protect your sleeping pad and keep it clean. It also adds some insulation to your pad.

As for sleeping bags, you could use individual bags but if you're in good terms with your other half it's not as much fun or as much more comfortable than using a quilt. You can share your body heat or even do whatever else that couples like to do together.

You could also a sleeping bag as a quilt. For this you need to make sure that the sleeping bag can be unzipped to the bottom and can be laid out like a quilt.

Sharing a meal could be such a bonding experience. You can have a good conversation with your other half while cooking or even during a meal. You can only cook using a campfire in some places today .

Using a camp stove removes the need to find fuel for building a fire for cooking. It's also a faster and more reliable way to cook. You only need one stove between the two of you. A 1.5 litre pot serves two well enough. It's also nice to have a hot drink at camp in the early morning and after dinner so take the mugs with you if you like.

You typically need about 3 to 4 pounds of food per day for two people.  The only way for you know how much food you need per day is through experience. You might also consider having variety in your meals unless you're fine with eating the same food daily.

Having snacks like chocolates or power bars can give you a boost of energy and help you go further and faster.

You also need water for cooking and for drinking. The amount of water that is needed for each individual varies. It depends on your unique biochemistry, height, body mass, the temperature, altitude and how much you exert yourself.

It's safer to have too much water than not enough. The average guy needs about a litre for every hour of hiking in cool weather. You need more if you're unfit, overweight or if the weather is hot. Take something to treat the water like a water filter and chlorine dioxide.

People who like to go ultralight usually go for ultralight packs without a frame but sometimes a frame and a proper suspension system is necessary for load distribution to the hips so that the pack would 'feel' lighter.

Some like to use their foam pads as a  pack frame for their ultralight packs but if you carry more than 20 pounds I recommend that you use internal frame backpacks because they're more comfortable. If you choose to use an internal frame backpack make sure it is of the correct torso length so maximum comfort.

Backpacking gear that you would normally need for backpacking solo also applies to backpacking as a couple. The difference is that some things you can share like a map and compass or other navigation system, tent, cooking system, lights, camera and more.