And, just like that, another #5DadsGoWild camping trip is in the books. We look forward to our little outdoor adventure every year. The date quickly sneaks up on us, like everything else in life, and then it’s over before we know it. Given everything else that is going on in the world (and in both our personal and professional lives), I think I can speak for the other five dads when I say we needed our little escape into the woods.

So, how did it go?

Setting Up at Lone Duck Two

The last two times we went camping at E.C. Manning Provincial Park — in 2018 and then again in 2019 (when my tent collapsed under the snow) — we stayed at the Lone Duck One group campsite. It’s just isolated enough to give us that sense of reprieve, but not so removed in case somewhere were to go sideways on us. There’s no electricity, no Wi-Fi, no cell phone coverage, and no heat. But, we had running water, flush toilets and a warming hut with a wood-burning fireplace/stove.

Since we were not able to book Lone Duck One for this year’s adventure, we figured Lone Duck Two at Manning Park would be just as good. And, broadly speaking, it was. The Lone Duck Two group campsite is right next to Lightning Lake and it’s got the same amenities as Lone Duck One. Except we didn’t factor in at least one big change for when they switch over to winter camping season.

One thing that I liked about Lone Duck Two is that it has distinct, flat patches where we can set up our tents. Lone Duck One has a larger parking lot for RVs, but less obvious places to set up tents on a reasonably level surface. For our purposes, I think Lone Duck Two is a better fit, though several lookie-loos unexpectedly visited our campsite over the course of our four days there.

Meet the Five Dads (Again)

Getting away from the city for a few days is one thing. It is literally a breath of fresh air. But, what makes #5DadsGoWild so special is the time I get to spend with my fellow dad blogger types. We come from different walks of life, we have different tastes in all sorts of things, but we share a lot in common too. All five of us are really active, engaged parents. And we all live our lives, or least a good part of it, on the internet.

I encourage you to follow, watch, and read what these dads are up to, both relating to and outside of Five Dads Go Wild. They’re a great group of guys and I’m proud to call them my friends, online and off.

An Escape to Meaningful Conversation

As someone who hasn’t worked in a conventional office for over 15 years at this point, I’ve never really missed watercooler banter or in-person camaraderie. I’m more than comfortable with digital communication and have made many terrific connections over the years.

But, even though we have an ongoing chat group among us, getting together in person just hits different. For starters, we’re not distracted by responsibility and everything else we might have going on in our lives. We can just be our authentic selves and chat about the topics that mean the most to us. Like, how much bacon do we really need for breakfast?

It’s true. We had bacon for almost every meal. Over those four days, we “talked shop” as it relates to online content creation. What are some best practices for Instagram and Reels? Are blogs dead? Why is it still so important to own a place on the web that’s independent of a social media platform? The geeks and nerds that we are, we discussed tools of the trade and why the best camera is the one you have with you.

Three Falls Hike at Manning Park BC

That’s all good stuff. At the same time, this is Five Dads Go Wild, so we also spent some time discussing our lives as parents, how to handle the logistics of everything, and what it’s like involving our children in our social media adventures. It’s with these unstructured, untimed, ongoing conversations that we forge real bonds and connections with one another. Truly, it’s the most invaluable aspect of #5DadsGoWild each year.

Thank You to Our #5DadsGoWild Sponsors

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to our brand partners for supporting our humble excursion. Companies come through every year, aligning with who we are and what we’re all about, providing us with gear to have the best time possible in the middle of the forest.

We do our best to keep things reasonably local and to shine a light on these brands that can be of benefit to our fans and followers. And so, I’d like to extend my gratitude to Finnley, Shopper Plus Canada, House of Knives, Meatsmith, Blue Moose Coffee House and Mountainview Brewing Co. Thank you!

Who’s Ready for Next Year?

We didn’t get the snowy adventure we had hoped for. Thankfully, we didn’t have to fight off an endless swarm of mosquitoes either. Aside from one side quest that involved premium cabins, our #5DadsGoWild trip has always been about “roughing it” and getting off the grid. Given all this, I expect more of the same for #5DadsGoWild 2022, which is 100 percent alright by me.

Less than a year to go until next time?