The first year, we had to deal with the rain. The second year, my tent collapsed under the snow. This year, I don’t need to tell you, has been different for so many reasons. The pandemic has been challenging at the best of times and we weren’t sure if our annual #5DadsGoWild camping trip was going to happen at all. Well, it did, and I documented the whole thing for the vlog. Yes, there was social distancing. And yes, we had to battle with mosquitoes. How did we fare? Well, let’s just say we went full 2020 on this one.

As I discussed a few weeks ago, we knew that this third iteration of 5 Dads Go Wild was going to be unique. We’re down to four dads for this trip, for starters, and we’re camping at individual sites rather than one big group site. But, the core philosophy behind this trip still held true. It’s about dads getting together, away from the stresses of everyday life, to deal with the stresses of being hounded by mosquitoes. Oh wait, that’s not quite right, is it?

Life is about overcoming challenges and exploring brave new worlds. That’s exactly what we did with 5 Dads Go Wild. Camping at Ross Lake in Skagit Valley Provincial Park offered new areas to wonder and new challenges to face. This was the first time in a long time that I’ve been so far away from cell phone coverage, for starters. We knew we had nowhere to run if we ran out of supplies. The omnipresent threat of bloodsucking mosquitoes was an ongoing theme for this trip too.

But, we survived to tell the tale. Just like how I survived being buried under the snow last year. Ah, the memories.

For another perspective from our #5DadsGoWild camping trip this year, check out this video diary from SocialDad James R.C. Smith. He’s our fearless leader and the whole concept of 5 Dads Go Wild is his brainchild.

UPDATE (September 2, 2020):
Oh look, “And You Just Start Chopping” Stacey Robinsmith of A Dad in the Burbs has his vlog too.
 

https://youtu.be/Mtw7XaKfLI4