DARYL PHILLIPS

In the fall of 2013, a friend and I set out to canoe the lakes of Killarney Provincial Park, for the first time during the cooler months of the year.  We had only been in the park during the summer months.  I also had a vision of creating a short film on the essence of wilderness camping.  I know that many people have never heard of this type of vacation, let alone ever participated in it.  One of my goals was to show what wilderness camping is all about.

I wanted to break down the experience in all it’s fundamental parts, illustrating what goes on and the possibilities that can be found in a wilderness experience.  We were ready for frost in the mornings and rain during the day, but what we got were sunny days and warm evenings for late September weather in the park.  Those are not stunt men swimming in the lakes that time of year – that is indeed us testing the waters.  The only disappointment of the trip was that it was too short.  Usually we spend close to a week, with our respective families, and this trip was only 2 nights away.  We did experience a typical canoe trip though: lots of paddling – on five lakes, a few portages – short and long, a bit of swimming, reading, resting, hiking, plenty of good food (thanks Sharon!) and two extremely peaceful sleeps.  Wilderness camping is not as simple as I portray in the film.  I didn’t show all the preparation that goes into packing, trip planning and making reservations, dehydrating and meal prep as well as travel plans.  During the trip and long after, all the planning and preparation are always worth the effort.  The memories are priceless, unique and very rewarding.  What are some of your favourite wilderness camping memories?