I read this and rolled my eyes at your SD. Like, you have so much crap to deal with already and now this? I think I would start watching documentaries about religious cults.

Also, as far as your trip. If she doesn't dress common sense for activities, make her sit them out. A long skirt kayaking and hiking is going to slow everyone down.

does not have your back, and will Disney his DD.  Just tell her to go. To BM.  You are just not going to play her games.  Not going to let her screw up your fun weekend 

I am going to start by saying I dont think the skirt thing necessarily means SD is in a cult. Lots of religions preach modesty. I'd take the skirt for modesty issue over the opposite end of the spectrum.  But I just wanted to give you a little insight into the whole idea that she can't do certain activities in a skirt. My neighbor wears a skirt or dress everyday. She is a much older lady and is very conservative. She used to live on a farm and she'd work in the fields in a skirt. She'd milk cows, go hiking, and work on her tractors in a skirt.  She still gardens and changes her oil in a skirt now.

So I definitely think that wearing a skirt doesnt necessarily mean that your SD wont be able to do certain activities. And I am not sure that it is a good idea to force her to abandon a belief that she seems to be adhering too. Is your DH going on the trip? Can you make it clear to him that it is his problem if the skirt causes issues? Or if he is not going, compromise with her and let her wear the skirt but bring back up pants. She has to change if she can't keep up.

I only suggest this because I think you should allow SD to explore her beliefs, even if you don't agree with them.  At the end of the day, this is probably a phase and its not a dangerous one so I dont see the point in fighting her on it. I think this is part of her trying to find her own way. And if she is just doing it to impress a boy, she will eventually get tired of it. I guess it just depends on if you really want this to turn into a battle. 

Benign behaviors such as these are annoying when the child has been disrespectful. SD’s behaviors annoy me too.

So let her father worry about his kid. As long as he is going and going to be present the entire time, I'd not give SD's comfort nor clothing disability worry me one bit. You know SD is going to 'win' this battle over you with her father.... remember they are BFF and he has always given her adult status decision making power.

What else isn't new? 

She's fourteen? Well of course, she knows what's best for her (*snark*)

Hey, at least she won't get a body full of insect bites ( they can't find her skin), nor sunburn. Bright side. 

Go have fun with your kids. If she and her father end up miserable or in the ER, Daddy has no one to blame but himself. Don't let SD ruin your weekend with your kids. Take two vehicles if you think it may be necessary. 

If you think you can't handle all the planned activities by yourself without DH possibly not being there to join in and help (because he's tending to his mini adult), think about switching plans for you and your kids and still go, do, have a wonderful weekend. 

SD's choices shouldn't impact you nor your children in going about your busy fun weekend. Don't let it. 

This is when the "not your kid" mantra applies. Let the girl be overly hot and uncomfortable during camping, embrace the fact that her only way out of those "modest skirts" and back to her 21st century style will only be once she is inconvienced by it. 

As long as her father is going and will deal with her, I'd let it be her and his problem. My only comment to them would be that the plan to wash the skirt every night is not practical. (Same comment I'd give if she were planning to wash pants every night.)  She can wear her skirt, but needs to bring another along. 

in skirt (dress) and leggings - mostly. I would even camp in them. But that's me. Not for religious reasons - or modesty reasons - let's face it skirts aren't that modest. It's just what I like to wear. Women tamed the West in skirts. It's not a big deal. Don't die on that hill. The only thing I don't wear a dress for is coaching rugby or going to gym or swim. TBH, I wouldn't canoe or kayak in a skirt though. 

However, you have every right to be concerned about cult-y churches. 

Fabrics are pretty fire resistant. And she doesn't need to wash the skirt out every single day. Just let her be dirty. What do you care? 

I wouldn’t take her camping.  While plenty of religions preach modesty, that doesn’t make it right.  In most, modesty only applies to women.  It is offensive and dangerous. I wouldn’t take her camping in a skirt, but I also wouldn’t take her camping because you should minimize the amount of time she spends with your children.  They need you actively counter messaging anything they might be picking up from SD. 

The church thing will likely fall by the wayside when the boy falls by the wayside. Hopefully, she won't be hooked before then.

I've done time in a burqa on trips to a country where it is mandatory. To be honest, it had some real perks, although staying cool was not one of them, especially because they taper the sleeves to the wrists so my amazingly sexy exposed forearms wouldn't drive the men wild if I lifted them high. On the other hand, no matter how much you eat, there's no need to loosen your belt!