What To Bring (with Tips & Tricks!)

What you should bring:

    • Canadian citizens should bring their provincial health card. U.S. and other foreign citizens should bring their own health insurance coverage, whether it be national, or private.
      We will be checking for neither. It is illegal to request a provincial health card unless you are a medical practitioner.  But let's be frank for a moment. You should always travel with some form of personal insurance on hand. For U.S and other foreign citizens, AAA offers travellers insurance that can be obtained entirely from the comfort of your home, coffee shop or wolf den. You're free to provide any insurance from any provider you wish, but if this option is more convenient for you, it will work fine for us: http://travel.aaa.com/travel-insurance.htm
    • Photo ID, whether a passport or a driver's license (note: to travel over the border, a passport is now required)
    • If you are on any medications, be absolutely sure to bring enough for the duration of Feral!
    • A sleeping bag, sleeping roll, or blankets; and a pillow. (Camp Arowhon has cabins which have bunks and mattresses.)
    • Insect repellent
    • A flashlight (this is an absolute must, as the terrain around Camp Arowhon is densely treed and somewhat rocky, and very dark at night)
    • Sunscreen (SPF 30 or more!)
    • A bath towel
    • Soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shaving cream, etc. (colognes and perfumes are discouraged, as they tend to attract mosquitoes and black flies!)
    • Warm clothes for the evening - it can drop to low temperatures at night (prepare for chilly nights!)
    • Day clothes that you don't mind getting dirty
    • Long pants, and hiking boots (for the Predator-Prey game, as there are thorns and prickly bushes around the play area)
    • Money to help cover materials workshops, off-site activities, and purchases you wish to make. (There is a trading post where our talented artists sell their wares and take commissions)

The following items are suggested but not required:

    • Umbrella or poncho
    • Snacks/soft drinks, if you wish (please note that Arowhon is nut and seed free, as many children who attend during the summer are allergic!) Please bring drinks in cans or plastic bottles - glass is prohibited.
    • A reusable water bottle such as a "nalgene" bottle, to carry beverages in (Arowhon prefers to avoid potential littering situations as much as possible)
    • A swimsuit
    • Art supplies
    • Art to show or sell at the Art Trading Post
    • A musical instrument, hand drums, percussion instruments, and/or sheet music for the campfire sing-a-long and Musician's Circle
    • Your original poetry or favourite piece to read, if you wish to participate in the Poetry Corner
    • A song to sing acapella for Voices in the Dark.
    • Board games, or card games
    • Tennis racket/racquet, if you want to play tennis!

What we discourage you from bringing:

    • Candles, incense, etc. - anything that could accidentally start a fire is strongly discouraged!
    • Beer or alcohol in GLASS BOTTLES.  Spirits or wine are fine so long as you keep them in your cabin, take VERY good care with them when pouring, and report immediately if anything breaks.
    • Valuables
    • Computers (you can if you want, but remember that Feral! is in the wilderness, and as such, there are no internet hookups)
    • Cell phones and pagers - most will not work as there are no cell towers nearby!

What you may not bring:

    • Firearms, Crossbows and Airguns (Per Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act)
    • Fireworks (They are banned in provincial parks)
    • Any knife other than pocket utility knives and small folding-style camping knives
    • Any hazardous substance, including anything highly combustible, explosive, or toxic

What you must ask for permission to bring:

    • Anything that looks like a firearm or other deadly weapon
    • Anything that launches or fires a projectile, other than a standard watergun or Nerf-style foam gun (though we discourage Nerf...it's possible to lose the darts and that's the same as littering!)
    • Any other weapon, including martial-arts type weapons

Please note that outdoor tobacco use is allowed on the Arowhon grounds in designated smoking areas, provided that all cigarette butts are placed in the provided receptacles.

If you're not sure whether you should bring something, please ask us about it.

We have, in the past, allowed campers to bring certain items such as staffs for purposes such as martial arts demonstrations. If you want to do something similar, please be aware that you must ask for permission to bring anything weapon-like before you arrive, and you will be required to have it peace bonded and/or held by Arowhon staff outside of any time you are making a demonstration that's been approved in writing by Feral staffers in charge.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Over the year we are going to ask Feral! staff and veterans for tips, tricks and thoughts on how to better enjoy Feral!  We will let you know when we update this section! If you have tips, tricks, or suggestions for this section - maybe even from past experience - please contact us and let us know so we can include it!

TIP 1:  Bring a change of shoes, even if it's just sandals or flip flops.  This way if you get a soaker you're not risking wrecking your feet by walking around in wet shoes. (Ask Potoroo about this one.) A pair of dedicated shower shoes can go a long way too!

TIP 2: A reusable water bottle is your friend...it carries water in the daytime, and carries your 'beverages' in the night time!

TIP 3: Warm clothes (and bedding) don't seem necessary now, but at 1 am you'll wish you'd brought them!  The temperature drop is astounding sometimes and although you'll become acclimatized, it's nice to have a hoodie and long pants for the transition! (or...get a hoodie from the Trading Post!)

TIP 4: Remember there are no ATMs.  Feral is designed so you can attend without having to bring more than ten or twenty bucks for food stops (Webers and Timmys! Yum!) on the way up to Camp and on the way back and workshop materials, but if you want to buy anything at the Trading Post you'll wish you had the cash!

TIP 5: One meal each day try to sit with with people you don't know, or who aren't your normal "crew". Feral brings in all sorts of interesting folk and you never know what stories you'll hear or what friends you could make!

TIP 6: Take your shoes off before entering your cabin. Even if we get sunny weather you'll still be surprised how much dirt can make it's way into the cabin. Taking off your shoes can help keep things clean.

TIP 7: Beware of bug spray near your con badge, It'll strip the colour right off.