Do you require vaccination against COVID-19?
Covid vaccination is encouraged but no longer required or verified. Covid testing is also not required to attend camp. (Documented case of Covid within 2 weeks of camp start qualifies as a “serious, documented illness” eligible to have your registration rolled forward to the next year.)
When is it?
Camp is scheduled for August 9th-13th 2023.
Where is it held?
Camp Birch Hill in New Durham, NH
Where are the nearest airports?
1hr drive from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)
1hr 45min drive from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
We frequently have people driving up from the Boston area for camp, if you are flying in you may be able to hitch a ride with another camper. We recommend that you post in the PolyCampNE Facebook group with your flight info in the hopes that another camper could give you a ride. It’s a great way to make friends before even arriving!
How much does it cost per person?
The cost per person for PolyCamp Northeast is
$400 – For anyone who registers and pays their $100 deposit by March 31, 2023
$425 – registrations between April 1, 2023 – April 30, 2023
$450 – registrations between May 1, 2023 – July 1st, 2023
Final payment due July 1st 2023
Which includes a single bed in a shared cabin (or you can choose to stay in your own tent or RV), all your food throughout the weekend and all activities. Beds can be pushed together and/or reconfigured as desired.
You can reserve your spot at camp with a $100 deposit per person. All meals will be prepared by camp staff.
When is the registration deadline?
Registration deadline is July 1st, 2023. Which is also the payment deadline.
What is the cancellation policy?
Upon registration, a nonrefundable $100 deposit is required. The balance is due by July 1. If you cancel prior to July 1, you will be refunded minus your $100 deposit and any payment processing fees incurred by Paypal/Venmo. If you cancel after July 1, there will be no refund. If your cancellation after July 1 is due to a serious, documented illness or unforeseeable family emergency, your registration payment will be rolled forward to the next camp year, one time.
What is the photography policy?
See the PolyCampNE Media Policy
Is WiFi available at camp?
WiFi access is available only in common buildings like the Rec Hall and the Cafe. The access information is posted on the doors to these buildings.
Can a CPAP machine be accommodated?
Yes, the cabins have electricity.
Is there a Facebook group?
Yes we have a secret Facebook group where past and future attendees can discuss camp. You can indicate that you would like to be added to the group during registration and we will send you an invite. If you do not receive an invite within a few days of registering then please contact the organizers at polycampne@gmail.com.
What about kids?
We debated long and hard about whether to make this event adults-only or family-friendly. Ultimately, after polling the people who expressed interest in attending, we decided there was not enough interest in having kids here to justify the programming we would need to create to make this a fun experience for them and their families. Plus, there really needs to be a critical-mass of kids for it to be fun. We are contemplating family-friendly events in the future if there is enough interest.
What about pets?
PolyCamp is a human-only event. Please leave nonhuman animals at home. If you must bring a service animal, please contact the organizers to arrange this.
Where can I find the schedule of events?
This is a participant-driven event so the schedule will be built from the skills and ideas that are offered by the attendees each year. For this reason, a firm schedule will be created after registration closes and emailed to registered participants. All activities, except orientation, are optional. If you just want to eat and swim and lay in the sun, you can do that! Check out the Activities and Events page for a list of past year activities and events to get an idea of the kinds of things that are typically offered. Or better yet take a look at last year’s schedule by clicking on this link:
PolyCampNE 2022 Schedule Details
What are the arrival and departure times?
Check in is between 10am and 12pm on Wednesday. All campers must arrive by noon on Wednesday in order to attend the mandatory orientation. Departure is by 2pm on Sunday and we encourage people to stay through Sunday morning as we do a closing exercise before lunch. Of course if your personal schedule makes it so that you need to depart early, we understand, but there is no discount for a partial weekend. If you will arrive late or leave early please let us know that during registration or through a direct email.
What is the bathroom/shower situation?
Each cabin has a full bathroom, with shower, sink and toilet. The bathroom is shared with cabin mates and tenters are assigned a cabin for bathroom use. Tenters are encouraged to use the outside showers, weather permitting, but we do assign them to a cabin to be sure they have access to facilities. There are also bathrooms in the common buildings for use by anyone at anytime.
Do I have to lead an activity or event?
Everyone is encouraged to share their interests and talents, but no one is required to lead an activity or event. There are many other ways to contribute to camp culture that are not directly leading an activity. We’ll be updating this year’s registration form to capture those. For example, setup/breakdown of the play space etc.
What kind of activity can I offer?
Activities at camp are a blend of classes and workshops related to relationships, polyamory, and sexuality as well as traditional camp activities and community-building events – all created and driven by the unique blend of campers attending each year. Please take a look at our Activities and Events page to get a sense of the range we aim for and a listing of past activities from previous years. Some events, such as the Talent Show, happen every year.
What can I expect if I volunteer to teach or facilitate an activity, event, or class?
So that everyone gets an opportunity to share their time and talents, we ask campers to keep their offerings to one activity that lasts 50 minutes. Exceptions can be made if necessary. Please provide us with a catchy title for your activity, a detailed description, and any specific accommodations you need to make the activity a success – i.e., location needs, limits to the number of participants, scheduling requests, or materials required. Once registration closes, we look at all of the offerings and put together a schedule. If we have more activities offered than time slots available, we may run a quick survey to gauge our campers’ interest in various activities. We aim to complete the schedule 1-2 weeks before camp starts.
What if more than one person offers a similar or identical activity?
If we have multiple activities that are very similar or identical then we contact the campers involved and they can work it out, either by working together, one of them choosing a different interest to share, or any other arrangement that works for all parties.
What if my activity has costs involved due to materials?
Most teachers donate the materials needed to make their activities a success. In some cases you can ask attendees to bring needed materials, for example, yarn and needles for a knitting class. If the costs make it prohibitive then please talk to us to see if a solution can be found.
Is camp a place to find new partners/dates?
The primary focus of camp is to build community and just have fun with like-minded folks. Like any social gathering, inevitably people find themselves attracted to others and there are no restrictions on what consenting people choose to do. We are strict about consent and have adopted Planned Parenthood’s FRIES as a guideline. We strongly recommend that you discuss boundaries and expectations with existing partners before camp begins.
Are day visits permitted?
No, we’ve contemplated allowing people to show up for just one day of the event, but we feel it would be jarring to have new people appear throughout the event. Some of these sessions can be quite intimate and the bonds formed over the event sometimes make the difference between opening up or not, particularly for people who struggle with that.
What is ethical non-monogamy?
Check out this informative link
Why isn’t my question answered here?
This is because we are not omniscient. Please email additional questions to us at polycampne@gmail.com.