The Happy Camper: Perseverance by Stephan Kesting
Author Stephan Kesting has had a rough life. In 1992, his brother, after successfully battling a drug addiction, died in a motorcycle accident. His second brother drowned in 1995 in a canoeing accident in his early twenties. After the death of two of her sons, his mother also passed, ALS slowly paralyzing her respiratory muscles until she asphyxiated.
There was also a divorce and financial ruin. To add to that, Polycystic Kidney Disease had been killing Stephan for years—that is until his third remaining brother gifted him a spare kidney in 2015. All this kept Stephan from going on a far northern sub-arctic canoe trip he had planned 26 years prior from now. Now it was time to make it happen.
For him to recover in both body and mind, he decided to embark on his beloved canoe trip—a 41-day, approximately 1,609-kilometre (1,000 mile) voyage through the Canadian sub-arctic.
The route began in Mississippi and ended on Arviat along Hudson Bay, through the land that authors and explorers like Samuel Hearne, J.B. Tyrel, Oberholtzer-Mage, Dave Pelly, P.G. Downes and Farley Mowat had scribed about.
It ends up being a tough slog—with bad bugs, brutal portages, heavy winds, injuries and numerous bear encounters. He was exhausted through most of it. But he endured it all—alone but never lonely.
The title of the book is fitting—Perseverance. It’s an inspirational and honest read, showing his vulnerable side. Throughout, the author compares lessons from the wilderness he is paddling through that gives us hope in our day-to-day, dark times. Simply put, you can find strength in this book to overcome any obstacle.
It’s a fascinating read. Here’s a few other wilderness travellers that thought so too:
“A fascinating, eloquent account full of wisdom and insight on wilderness travel and life. Kesting’s positive, resolute mindset in facing adversity and tackling daunting challenges is a welcome life lesson,” says Adam Shoalts, Ph.D., bestselling author of Where the Falcon Flies and Beyond the Trees.
“Like a whitewater canoe trip, Perseverance describes physical action so vividly you will feel the urge to itch the mosquito bites. The moments of introspection provide a welcome salve to the physical hardship described,” says Paul Mason, Canadian canoeing royalty, son of Bill Mason, world whitewater freestyle medalist, wilderness guide and author of Thrill of the Paddle.
“Kesting crafts an immersive dive into the wonder and challenge of solo wilderness travel,” says Frank Wolf, author of Two Springs, One Summer and Lines on a Map.
Check out my Whisky Fireside Chat with Stephan Kesting on the KCHappyCamper YouTube channel.
And check out Stephan Kesting’s YouTube channel Essential Wilderness for a video series on the trip.
