For those who know me, this isn’t some lame pun on my boyfriend’s and my daughter’s names. This is a life experience I want to forget and leave behind. As you know, wild camping—as the name suggests—is wild. A little tent pitched in the woods, peeing near a tree, a pot over the fire. Our family gave it a try, only to ultimately fail.
We decided to head to Beauce, into the forest behind my boyfriend’s grandmother’s house. We took an ATV, loaded some luggage onto it, put my daughter in the baby carrier, and headed into the woods. I had these movies in mind where the characters go camping right in the middle of the woods with a little fire. I guess those are just movies!
Once we got there, the only thing that crossed my mind was, “Um… NO!” And my boyfriend? He also said “No!” at the same time as me. There was no way we were sleeping here! Tall grass, an abandoned cabin—we were in a horror movie; *The Blair Witch Project* had nothing on this! Our hearts were racing, and we were so scared—I was sure I was going to die that night if we stayed there.
Finally, after struggling with the ATV, dropping a frying pan we needed for our meals, and having the scare of our lives, we went inside the house and slept in a bed. Pretty wild, huh! The next day, we chose a safe, well-maintained campground.
Wild camping isn’t for us, and believe me, they make it look way better in the movies. Be careful if you decide to try it with your kids, and happy camping!