Founded by mother and daughter duo Joanne and Kaley, Yilam entered Australia’s camping industry market offering a range of ethically and sustainably sourced camping equipment and bespoke on Country experiences for Mob and socially conscious campers.
“Pronounced ‘yil-um’ this word directly translates to ‘camp,’ told Kaley. “However, for our people the meaning is much deeper than that. Yilam means ‘home’, which of course, speaks to our brand ethos. We want to teach people to connect with and value nature – to treat Country as if it were their home – because ultimately it is.”
As keen campers Joanne and Kaley noticed the lack of representation of Aboriginal People and culture in the camping industry, “Aboriginal systems of knowledge and philosophies of connecting with and caring for Country have largely been ignored.” Kaley said. “[I found this] strange because who knows more about safely being on Country camping than us?”
Recognising this gap in the market, the idea of Yilam was born and they set about creating their new ‘On Country’ range, which offers all the basics you need to get out on Country and features ethically and sustainably sourced products, made from quality durable materials.
“We don’t want to contribute to waste so, our ‘On Country’ range of camping equipment is created with high quality, durable camping equipment made from sustainably sourced materials,” said Joanne.
On top of the camping range, Yilam also offer ‘Connecting to Country’ packages, offering intimate on Country experiences, which aim to empower all people, no matter their background to head out bush whilst also teaching participants the philosophies of caring for and connecting to Country.
One experience, called the Beginner’s Guide, offers an overnight night trip is specifically designed to teach participants how to cultivate their connection to Country and empower beginner campers head out bush.
This experience is specifically designed to empower beginner campers to feel confident and safe out bush. Once the basics are covered, you’ll then participate in specially selected activities designed to teach you how to cultivate your own connection to Country. You’ll also gain an increased awareness of Aboriginal People and culture and come away feeling welcome and safe on Country, connected to the land and empowered to take their friends and family camping.
What better way to enrich your knowledge and understanding than heading onto country and learning from the communities who have called Australia home for over 65,000 years.
To learn more about Yilam, be sure to head over to their website.
