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Kammar Kinnarath was empty-handed and without all his gadgets for a month. (PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAVEL+ESCAPE)

A technology-obsessed Winnipegger switched-off and surrendered his gadgets for a month to appear in a new documentary-adventure series on the subject.

Kammar Kinnarath, 27, spent last August filming Operation Unplugged which features eight auditioned cast members stripped of their electronic devices as they embark on a personal journey through Canada’s national parks and historic sites.

Hosted by Alan Bishop, the second episode of the show — produced by HLP + Partners in association with GlassBOX Television — will air on Travel+Escape at 9 p.m. ET/PT on March 6 and run until the season finale on April 3, when the winner will be revealed.

In each episode, cast members learn how to live, interact and communicate as people did a century ago — in person.

Organizers say chat rooms and tweets are traded for face-to-face contact and personal journals to prevent participants from using technology to hide their emotions, as they confront the camera — and each other — with their true feelings.

Kinnarath, a self-confessed "nerd" who lives in Osborne Village and studies anthropology at the University of Manitoba, applied for the show after seeing a post on Kijiji and submitting a video to producers.

Kinnarath said he was terrified to be parted from his beloved iPhone 4s and his other gadgets at first. The show — which was filmed on location at Parks Canada locations across Canada — turned out to be a life-changing experience.

"When they first took my phone away, that was the hardest part. It was incredibly tough," he said, noting how one of the main themes of the series is about "getting unplugged and seeing what happened when eight people get disconnected."

"At first, without my phone, a sense of validation was lost. But it also made me look introspectively and it was an incredible experience. Having technology taken away made me more philosophical and appreciate my family more," Kinnarath said.

"I also learned an appreciation for nature and being physical."

And since his return from nature, has Kinnarath gone gadget-free within city limits?

"I could do it for a month in Winnipeg, but it would be difficult, because I have no landline or cable," he said.

Marcia Martin, SVP of creative context at GlassBOX, said the show aims to strike a balance.

"Nobody’s going to give up their technology, because we’re so advanced. But there are times to use it and times to get out of the house," Martin said.

"You need to find a balance in life," Martin added, noting the show’s partnership with Parks Canada gave producers the chance to "show off the country at the same time."  

For more information, visit glassbox.tv.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com