FAQ

FAQ

About Feral!

About Feral!

Camp Feral! is a bunch of things, but it’s best described as a furry summer camp. Feral! is essentially a camping con with cabins, traditional and new camp activities, communal meals, events and furry-related workshops for furries ages 19+!

Feral typically runs during the last weekend in August. Our dates for 2023 are Aug 24 Aug 28
Feral! takes place in beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. Our site is rustic Camp Arowhon, where the first Camp Feral! was held and have visited every summer since 2004! Fun Fact: the father of one of our Feral staffers was a counselour at camp.
The first Camp Feral! took place in 1998, and we have run annually ever since...not that we’re counting, but that means we’re currently the 3rd oldest and longest-running furry convention in the world! If we have our facts wrong, please let us know! So far no one has been able to confirm otherwise.

Registration

Registration Requirements

For insurance reasons Camp Feral is a 19+ event.

Any government-issued ID with a recent photo. If you are concerned or have questions, please email us.

Prices

Prices are subject to change

Camper: $575
Sponsor: $625
Patron: $700

Transportation provided by the Feral! bus will be $85 round trip.

For the curious, we have written a little bloggy article thing to explain Feral! costs! Please click here to check it out!

You get our undying love and devotion...the joy of knowing that you helped Feral! run for another year...oh, and some pretty cool stuff! Both sponsors and patrons get to attend a swank Sponsors Event celebrating your additional help...there are drinks (official Feral! wine bottled by Feral! staff, beer, and Italian sodas), cheese and crackers (selected annually by Dralen, our resident expert!), a champagne toast, music, socializing with Feral and Arowhon staff, and the Guests of Honour! Sponsors and Patrons also get free tickets to enter into our annual raffle for prizes like commissions, special goodies, and one of a kind items! Sponsors get this year’s art T-Shirt! Patrons get this year’s Feral! Hoodie, the T-shirt, and a special gift. Previously, patrons were drawn into the conbook, given rayguns, adopted 'Green Blob Plushies,' gifted special staves that had magical camp-related names, and handed Jason Furhees hockey masks painted to match their fursona.

Payment

You can choose to put down a deposit of $50 to secure your spot when you register. The full amount will need to be paid by the deposit cut off date. You can find more information here

If you paid for your registration with a deposit you must have the remaining balance for your registration paid for in full by the deposit cut off date, end of day. Our registration system will automatically bill you the remaining balance of your registration on the deposit cut off date if you have not already paid or cancelled.

10 weeks before camp. This year the deposit cut off date is on June 11 2023.

Refunds

If you cancel before the deposit cut off date you'll get a full refund.

After the deposit cut off date the amount you can get back as a refund depends on how close to camp you cancel. You can find all the details in our refund policy.

Refunds are not guaranteed if you cancel after the refund cut off date: 6 weeks or less before camp

This is the date at which we can no longer guarantee a refund if you cancel. The amount that we can refund you will be based on our post-camp financial standing and, as such, any refund that we can offer you will be provided after camp has concluded.

Six weeks before camp. The date for this year is July 9 2023.

The refund policy only applies to when a camper cancels their registration. If camp is cancelled we will provide refunds. Check out the details here.

Waitlist

Send a message to registration@campferal.org and we will be happy to check

Cabins

Cabins

We assign everyone a cabin. You will have the opportunity to let us know your preferences and make any requests before camp.

Cabin requests open 6 weeks before camp. This year cabin requests will open July 9 2023

Campers registered for Feral! will get an email containing a link to a google form to collect your info including any campers you wish to room with, how late you want to stay up, and any other accommodations we should be made aware of.

If you have a group of campers who all want to be in the same cabin please only fill out the form once for that cabin. If you are new or are not sure who to bunk with we will place you in a suitable cabin according to your preferences.

If you need to change/update your info you can send a message to cabins@campferal.org.

You can ask for a specific cabin if you know the cabin number, however it's not guaranteed we can/will accommodate.

Cabin assignments are like match-making: one part spreadsheets, another part witchcraft.

We take into account all the preferences campers have submitted through the request form, such as:

  • What time you go to sleep
  • How light/deeply you sleep
  • How much you do/do not snore
  • Party vibes vs chill vibes
  • Medical/accessibility accommodations
  • etc

Cabin assignments close the week before camp.

This year, cabin requests will close on Mon Aug 14.

We post the cabin assignments after our dinner time announcements on the first night.

You can send a message to cabins@campferal.org.

Before Feral!

What to bring

We've got suggestions for you over in our What to Bring page
Fursuits are welcome and there will be a headless lounge for the dance. Keep them safe, they are your responsibility.
Camp Arowhon does not allow any pets on site.

We would never say no. Artists may want it for arting, or writers for writing. We strongly recommend against bringing electronics due to the nature (heh heh) of the camp. Also, Feral! is not responsible for any damages that may happen to it if...say...it starts raining, or a squirrel decides to chew your power cable. Keep in mind you’re coming to one of the most unique events in the world, and it’s in the wilderness. We have plenty for you to do without your laptop!

That is a loaded question. Is there accessible internet for campers? The answer is no. There is internet on site, but it is the equivalent of dial-up and intended for camp owners to check email...if they go over their bandwidth allotment they get cut off for the rest of the month. Some cell phones get reception at Arowhon (most don’t). Please, remember you can play around on the interdweebs anytime you want at home...the point of Feral! is to enjoy the company and the surroundings!
Extra money is not needed, however, you may wish to bring some in order to purchase items from Feral!’s Tuck Shop, to buy art from the Trading Post or you may wish to partake in the Feral! raffle. For some basic costs: Feral Shirts:
  • New designs are $30
  • The previous year's design are $20
  • Vintage designs are $10
Feral Hoodies:
  • New designs are $50
  • The previous year's design are $30
  • Vintage designs are $30
Art Commissions: Artist's set their own rates...contact an artist you'd like to commission to be sure, however average cost for a conbadge is around $20-30 (again, we don't set the prices!) Pop: We charge 50 cents for ice cold pop, available at con-ops. Workshops: Some workshops may have additional material fees ranging from $5-$20.

Getting to Camp

Getting to Camp

Check out our Getting To Camp page for details on getting to Feral! If you’re driving, we highly recommend that you tank up in Toronto and Huntsville, or make sure you have enough gas to drive 150 kms. Every year, a camper nearly runs out of fuel driving into the camp...meaning that there’s a nervous trip trying to reach the nearest station, which isn’t close.

If you aren’t driving, you can take the Feral! bus for an extra fee. We have maps and directions and detailed instructions for our bus riders on our Bus Pick-Up And Drop-Off page.

Also a reminder: the campsite is not open until after 5:00 PM on the first day of camp so if you are driving, please try to time your arrival for this time. We will have staff in the parking lot from around noon on to keep you entertained!

Funny you should ask! The nearest ‘town’ is Dwight but there’s not much there aside from AMAZING coffee and pastries (we LOVE Erika's!) and a gas station (which...in 2010...saved the skins of three carloads of furs!...TANK UP!). The nearest town with grocery, department stores, and the like is Huntsville which is about 55 km from the turnoff to Arowhon. It is approximately 60 minutes away.

Taking the Bus

The Feral! bus leaves at 1:00 PM SHARP (we recommend trying to get to the location by 11:30 AM just to be safe) on Aug 24. It returns to Toronto around 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM on Aug 28. You can find out more in the Getting to Camp - Bus Pick-Up And Drop-Off page!

You can send a message to registration and if there is still room they will add you to the bus.

Yes, just send a message to registration and they will take you off the bus list. The bus fee is fully refundable.

It's better to request to be on the bus and then cancel it if you no longer need it.

The number of busses we rent depends on how many people request bus transportation during registration. We do not typically run out of seats, but you do run that risk if you wait to request at the last minute.

If you do cancel your spot on the bus the fee is fully refundable.

At Camp

Trading Post

We hold a Trading Post on the second day on site (first full day of Feral!) for any artist to set up shop. No preregistration is required. We will find space for anyone in need. Feral! is also not responsible for any items you bring to the camp. If you would like to appear in our list of artists, artisans, musicians and other dealer's attending Feral here on our site, contact us!
In 2006, we tried running a second Trading Post, and very few people attended. We tried this in 2011 as well, but campers had either spent all their money at the first Trading Post or were busy. Both of these experiments led to some very sad artists.
However, there's good news!! Artists can sell commissions and their wares in the Main Lodge when it is a hangout between meals, or really at any time on site. Scheduling a second dedicated Trading Post would take time away from all our other events and activities, so we can only maintain one Trading Post each Feral!
Feral isn't really a 'dealers' con. Dealers tend to do well at the Trading Post, but we aren't designed to have stand alone, unconflicted Dealer's Room time...there's just not enough time in the day! If dealers and artists are concerned about not making enough money, please contact Potoroo and discuss possible ways to increase your exposure so campers know you're there!

Drinking/Smoking

As a 19+ event drinking is allowed. Aside from the no glass bottles rule, we ask that everyone drink responsibly on site.

Camp Arowhon rules state that you cannot have a drink before 5 pm, and we ask that everyone adhere to that. They also state that if you have a drink, you cannot go near the water after that drink.

Just as important...being drunk is not an excuse for bad behaviour or any activity that interferes with the well-being of other campers. If at any point Camp Feral! staff are put in the position that they must keep an eye on you because you have had too much to drink, then we have one too many people doing so, and we'll ask you to go to your cabin to cool off.

If you are intoxicated and harassing any camper, you are subject to our rules regarding harassment, which 'can' lead to being sent home (by taxi at your expense if need be). These rules are in place to ensure that the (hypothetical) one camper who can't handle their alcohol doesn't ruin the camp for everyone else. We encourage responsible partying at Feral!

There is no smoking, vaping or e-cigarette use in any buildings or walkways between buildings, especially inside the cabins or on cabin porches. Smoking is permitted only in designated areas, including firepits. Please dispose of any ashes and butts in the receptacles provided.

In Ontario, recreational cannabis is legal for people 18+ to consume. Since Feral! is a 19+ event, cannabis is allowed. However, we ask that if you are consuming it for non-medical reasons, that you follow the same rules outlined for alcohol in the "Drinking at Feral! is there anything I should know?" section above.

If you are consuming cannabis by smoking/vaping, you are also required to follow the same rules outlined for smoking in the "Smoking at Feral! is there anything I should know?" section above.

The camp doesn’t want bottles getting broken out in the woods, in cabins, or anywhere that someone playing next summer could find with their hand or foot. Please respect their wishes and bring your beer or coolers in cans. Wine and spirits...since they are not generally carried around...are permitted with specific requests: keep bottles in your cabin (transfer the booze to a plastic container), try to keep them in a safe place (like a soft sack), and if you accidentally break a bottle INFORM STAFF! We’ll take it from there! In 2012, there were some slipups with bottles (Feral! staff included...don't worry...there was a paddlin'). In 2013, and all future years, PLEASE don't bring glass bottles to camp. Let's break the habit!

First Aid

The water from your designated cabin, at Main Lodge, and any major building (Rustic Lounge, Tee Pee Heights, etc) is safe to drink. If you don't know if someone is staying a cabin, even if you see stuff a cabin but aren't 100% sure campers are sleeping there, do NOT drink the water. Arowhon staff prepare camp by running water in occupied cabins and make sure the lines are flushed. They don't do this in uninhabited cabins as they are preparing them to shut down camp (often we are the last campers on site). This means water from uninhabited cabins 'may' not be safe. So please don't drink it!

VERY good question. In a group of a hundred furs, it’s very likely one or two might get a little sick or injured. First off...talk to Feral! staff IMMEDIATELY. We need to know the extent of the situation as soon as you get hurt, or feel sick. If it’s something first aid can fix (scrapes, cuts, twisted ankle...) we have staff who can help you. Camp Arowhon provides an onsite nurse. They will be able to diagnose and triage injuries. They'll help you make a decision if a hospital trip is called for. If hospital attention is needed, the nurse will accompany you to the hospital. Please bear in mind that if the nurse is offsite, that means the medical professional is no longer able to tend to the rest of the campers. Please be considerate and DO NOT ask for a hospital trip unless absolutely necessary and listen to any recommendations from the nurse! If you are concerned for your health, please let Feral! Staff know immediately. It can be easy for mixed messages to hide the fact that you are very sick!!!

It can be easy to get dehydrated at Feral...there’s a lot of activity, often out in the sun. There are a couple of things you can do to safeguard yourself against getting or feeling sick at Feral. The most important are drink lots of water and eat at every meal. Also, remember to wash your hands after doin’ stuff in the dirt, and take a shower after jumping in the lake!

Supply Runs

Of course you can...though we recommend against it. It will take you away from camp for hours. A Huntsville trip with a stop for buying stuff is going to be a minimum of two and a half hours...that's about how long workshops and activities run!

If you have forgotten anything or need anything, talk to Feral! staff. We have a tuck shop with drinks/freezies at con-ops, plus a backup supply of hygiene products and camp supplies.

If you absolutely feel the need to run into town, let Feral! Safety Pawtrol staff know (at con ops).

No glass bottles are allowed on site!

Wildlife

Yes, Arowhon has a designated dock where you can catch and release. There are no places to buy equipment/bait nor acquire licensing on site, so make sure you have everything you need before arriving.
...the bear was a moose. Moose (...meese if you're a geeky Canadian...) are, like other wildlife, best left on their own. It is rare (twice in ten years) that a moose wanders into camp but where there's a moose there might be a moose calf, and parents are very protective of their young. Do not approach any wildlife!

Furries should be treated like wildlife until you are certain they have had their morning coffee.

No...t yet. Why would anyone ask this? I'll tell you why. One year we ran a scavenger hunt and one of the items campers had to bring us was an acorn. What we didn't know is that there are literally no Oak trees at Camp Arowhon. Chaos ensued. People running around, frantic, trying to find non-existant acorns... asking us where the acorns were... we still have nightmares. In 2019 we planted a commemorative OAK SAPLING. Now we bide our time... CONGRATS! YOU MADE IT TO THE END OF THE FAQ!

Do you still have a question? Feel free to contact us!