Author Archives: davidhulton

Last Minute Info!

ToorCamp is only a week away, so here’s some last minute info to help you make the most out of this year’s event! We apologize in advance for the ridiculous amount of info in this email, hopefully you’ll be done reading it before you have to head out to camp!

ToorCamp Map Online!
We’ve finally posted our preliminary camp map! One thing to note is that when arriving to Doe Bay, you’ll want to immediately check in at the Registration Gate located right at the entrance to the Doe Bay Resort.

Check-In Process & Parking
Please make sure to bring your printed out tickets with 2D barcodes to speed along the check-in process. After checking in at the Registration Gate and receiving your badges, if you have booked a Cabin or Premium Campsite you’ll need to proceed down to the Doe Bay Main Office and check-in with the front desk. Most Cabins and drive-in Premium Campsites will have a single dedicated parking spot that you’ll be able to use.

Otherwise since parking on-site is limited you will either be directed to an on-site parking spot or to a unloading area and then to off-site parking down the street. We’ll be operating a shuttle between the off-site parking and the resort all day Wednesday and Sunday. In and out from the off-site parking is highly discouraged so please decide with your group ahead of time which vehicles should be parked on-site and let the check-in staff know your preferences when you arrive. We’ll do our best to help make sure everyone is accommodated.

ToorCamp Kids!
This is our first year putting together a program for kids and we’re excited to be offering a number of workshops and a small daycare for the younger ones so their parents can catch some of the talks. If you are bringing any little ones, you must at the very least buy a free ticket for them. If they’re interested in taking part in the workshops or daycare, please also make sure tosign them up so we can have an accurate count.

Register for Workshops!
Workshops are now available to register for! To do so you need to buy a free ticket through universe. Some of the workshops require a small fee (listed in the description) which you can pay with cash in person at the event. To guarantee yourself a spot in the workshops, sign up today!

Google Calendar Schedule
We now have all of the talks and workshops up on Google Calendar so you can import them to your devices and keep track of what’s going on at the camp.

Telephone Service!
ShadyTel is back this year! They’ll again be providing their (sub)standard level of telephone service to whoever stumbles across some twisted pair running through the woods or is able to bribe a technician to run a line to their tent. Make sure to bring your best landline telephones, acoustic couplers, modems, BBS software, lineman’s handsets, vampire clips, captain crunch whistles, and other equipment that’s probably been gathering dust in your parent’s attic. Unfortunately, there will be no GSM service provided this year so no need to bring your unlocked phones.

Implantation Station
As a ToorCamp special offer Amal Graafstra from Dangerous Things will be giving free xNT implants (NFC compliant implants) for anyone who wants one. He’ll be setup at the Yoga Studio from 11am-noon Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until he runs out of implants.

Make a Ferry Reservation
Reservations can be made online Go to Save A Spot or by calling 1-888-808-7977. As a courtesy, Doe Bay will automatically send you a reminder to make your ferry reservation just prior to the release date for vehicle reservations. For more information, visit the WSFerries website or call (360) 376-2291 to speak with Doe Bay Front Desk. Also, it’s a good rule to plan to arrive an hour before your ferry leaves. There can be occasional traffic and if you arrive too late the ferry operators can may give away your reservation to someone on stand by.

NOTE: If you don’t have a ferry reservation at this point, the last 30% of the reservation pool will be released 2 days before sailing (this coming Monday June 6th) at 7:00am.

Book your Massage Today
Massages at the Doe Bay Resort can be booked online or through their front desk at (360) 376-2291. In addition to Therapeutic Massage, they’ve recently expanded their spa services! Take advantage of a special 15% off discount available for ToorCamp attendees. Discount will be applied when payment is taken.

The Doe Bay Cafe
Dinner reservations are recommended at the Doe Bay Café. Please call (360) 376-8059. They are unable to accommodate group seatings of more than 8 guests. Their café is critically lauded and guests actually fly direct to Orcas just to dine with them. Much of the produce used in their kitchen is sourced directly on site from the Doe Bay Garden. They also utilize their local purveyors to provide only the freshest local, organic ingredients for the café including: Jones Family Farm, Buck Bay Shellfish and MapleRock Farm. Views from the Café encompass Otter’s Cove and the islands across Rosario Strait.

Regular service hours are Thursday, 5-10pm for open mic and “pizza”; Friday-Monday brunch is served from 8am-2pm and dinner from 5-9pm. Check out their sample menu online.

Doe Bay Café Sack Lunches
You can pre-order a delicious Doe Bay Café prepared sack lunch for Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday, June 9th-11th. Lunches will include a sandwich or other entrée, a baked good, drink, and fruit or comparable side. The cost per sack lunch is $12 and they can be picked up daily between 12pm and 1pm at the Doe Bay Store and Offices.

Gluten-free options are available upon request. They are unable to accommodate any additional dietary restrictions.

NOTE: Pre-ordered lunches will be accepted up until Sunday, June 5. If you miss this deadline, they welcome you to dine in the Doe Bay Café.

Doe Bay Café Open-Mic and Pizza Night Fundraiser
Come enjoy this fun community event benefiting the SeaDoc Society. Be sure to bring musical instruments, for sharing song, as well as your favorite jokes, poems, stories and monologues to share with all. $1 for every pizza sold goes to SeaDoc. No reservations accepted. Come early to get a great seat. There will be standing room available, as well.

The Doe Bay Spa and Soaking Tubs
The clothing-optional soaking tubs and soaking tubs and sauna are the only clothing-optional area at the resort. They don’t recommend children under 6 in the spa area, and ask that children using the spa be potty-trained. Minors are to be in the presence of parents or guardians and use the spa during the family hours of 11am-6pm and are still clothing optional during this time.  No children allowed after 6pm.

This area is the only clothing optional portion of Doe Bay.

No drugs, alcohol, smoking, pets or glass containers are allowed.

Outdoor showers are a part of the Doe Bay spa experience and must be used each and every time before using the tubs or sauna. At least one towel per person is required, to sit on while using the sauna. They highly recommend you bring your own beach towel for use, however a limited supply of spa towels are available for loan through the front desk.

At the entrance to the spa they have created an enclosed and private garden area for meditation and contemplation, quiet reflection, sun bathing, reading and rest.

All spa users must sign in EVERY time they enter or use the spa facilities. Failure to have deposited a sign in slip may result in loss of spa access.

Quiet Hours
Please respect the other guests, our staff and neighbors, by maintaining quiet hours between 10pm and 8am.

Fire Safety
Doe Bay does not allow open flames of any kind on the property other than the community fire ring, the barbecue pit by the Guest Kitchen, the approved fire pits supplied by ToorCamp, and propane cook stoves. NO campfires, candles or incense are allowed at the cabins or campsites. There are fire extinguishers located on the outside of each cabin. In the summer, if there is no burn ban in effect on the island, a fire may be built in our fire pit (supply your own firewood), keeping in mind quiet hours,  10pm-8am.

Bathrooms and Showers
Many cabins have full bathrooms. For guests without in-cabin facilities, shower houses and bathrooms are available on both the lower and upper grounds. There is also a bathroom inside the Café. Additional port-a-lets will be provided around the grounds.

Guest Kitchen
Doe Bay’s modest guest kitchen is available to all guests without kitchens in their spaces. Basic utensils and cookware are provided. Label any food you keep in the fridge with your name and departure date or housekeeping may throw it out. Please keep this space enjoyable for all our guests by cleaning everything you use before you leave, including the grill(s).

Bringing Dogs
We discourage bringing pets to ToorCamp but if you can’t live without your furry friends we ask that you register your pet. To register your pet please email david@toorcon.org. Pets are only allowed in certain cabins, cost an additional pet fee, and must be arranged in advance, kept on-leash, and scooped up after. Please see ToorCamp’s Dog Policies for more information. If hosting your pet results in damage or the need for excessive cleaning in your cabin, you may be charged additional fees. As a comparable alternative, there is a kennel service on the island. Only one pet per group.

Other Things To Consider

  • Interested in kayaking? Book your 3-hour kayaking adventure with Shearwater Kayak Tours (360) 376-4699.
  • Book your whale watching adventure through Outer Island Excursions and receive a 10% discount as a Doe Bay guest.
  • There are no in room phones or TVs provided at Doe Bay, but they do have free Wi-Fi.
  • In case of emergency, there is a red phone located in front of the store with instructions to call Doe Bay’s after-hours emergency line at (360) 376-5668.
  • There is no smoking inside any of the resort’s spaces and we ask that you remove wet or muddy shoes before entering the cabins.
  • For a complete listing of our resort policies, please visit our Resort Policies page.
  • Downstairs from the Doe Bay Cafe, their lounge and library is accessible 24 hours a day to guests. A good selection of books, information on the islands’ attractions, games, and puzzles make this a great place to start or end any day.
  • The outdoor deck is a wonderful spot to watch critters cavorting or to simply watch the world.

Anyway, we can’t wait until next week! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Otherwise, we’ll see you next week!

Thanks!
-The ToorCamp Crew

Kids Workshops Posted!

We’re proud to announce that ToorCamp Kids is a go! Thanks to Joe Grand and Joe Fitzpatrick we have some great workshops lined up for your little ones during the camp. Check out the schedule at the ToorCamp Kids page. Also, don’t forget to make sure your kids are signed up so we can get an accurate count for daycare and the other activities.

Talk Schedule Posted!

We’ve got our full lineup posted on the website now. We’re still waiting to hear back from all of the speakers, so the scheduling is still subject to change. Can’t wait to see you all there in just a few weeks!

Preliminary Lineup Announced

The first round of the CFP just closed last week and so we’re proud to be announcing our first selection of talks and workshops for ToorCamp 2016. We’ll be posting detailed information and schedule details in the next couple weeks. Until then, check out what we have in store for you so far this year at the talks page!

Doe Bay booking code to be released on Monday

For those interested in booking a cabin, yurt, dome, or premium campsite from the Doe Bay Resort to use at ToorCamp, we’ll be sending the booking code to all registered attendees this Monday, January 18th at 10am PST to be used with http://doebay.com or by calling their reservation line at 360-376-2291. All non-campsite bookings (cabins, yurts, domes) can be reserved with a 20% discount off of the standard seasonal rate and campsites can be booked at a 40% discount. All 4 nights of the camp must be reserved when booking and those wishing to leave later than the 11am check-out time on Sunday must book an additional night.

REMINDER: If you’re driving to camp, make sure to also book your ferry reservation! The ferries heading to Orcas Island fill up fast so don’t get stuck without a way to the island.

A Success!

Lots of fun was had, but alas, ToorCamp is now over. Thanks so much for coming out and bringing all of the awesomeness! It’s still hard to think about all of the great memories that were made and we’re extremely grateful for the top notch speakers, inventors, campsite organizers, and attendees that made it out. We couldn’t have put this together without all of your support!

If you have any pictures or videos of the camp, please post them on the ToorCamp google group forum. There’s also some great GoPro videos that Dragos posted of flying over the camp and of the Titanium Chef competition. Also be sure to check out the videos coming out from Hak5 like this one.

ToorCamp This Week!

It’s just a few days until ToorCamp and setup is just about to begin! If you have just decided you want to come out last minute, no worries, we’ll have registration up for a little longer and you can always register on-site for $300. Otherwise, here’s a few things to remember about coming out to ToorCamp!

The drive from Seattle takes around 4 hours. If you plan on taking a ferry, make sure to check the wait times as during rush our they can get backed up and it may be faster to drive around the sound.
Although Marijuana is legal in Washington State, it is not on Makah Tribal Land where ToorCamp is being held. The Makah law also prohibits alcohol and illegal drugs as well. Please also make sure to obey all posted speed limits when you’re on the reservation as the roads are patrolled frequently and the locals would appreciate it.
So far the weather forecast looks great, extremely low chance of rain and high of ~65, low of ~53 and winds up to 14 MPH. Weather can be unpredictable there though so pack for the unexpected.
Make sure to bring a LAND LINE TELEPHONE and an UNLOCKED GSM PHONE so you can use the awesome network that the ShadyTel crew is putting together for us.
Ada’s Technical Books & Cafe will be operating a pop-up shop/cafe at the camp with espresso and snacks and there’s restaurants within a 5 minute drive into town so remember to bring some cash.
If you’re participating in any of the Contests or Workshops double check if there’s any equipment you need to bring.

That’s all for now! We’re really looking forward to seeing all of you and all of the awesome projects and ideas you’re bringing out to share. See you in a few days!

Contest Sign-Ups Open!

We’ve got some great contests running at ToorCamp this year. Titanium Chef returns, matching the wits of hacker chefs against each other and is sure to create some amazing results. Also, new to ToorCamp, we have MashQuatch, a mash-up competition that will span July 9th-11th. Sign-up today and help make ToorCamp history!

Workshop Registration Open

There’s many great workshops going on at ToorCamp this year, but most have limited attendance. To reserve your spot in a workshop, make sure to register for it ahead of time! Most workshops are free but some require a fee to help cover materials so make sure to paypal your instructor with the fee to confirm your reservation. For workshops that don’t sell out we’ll also be processing sign-ups at the info desk at the camp, but it’s highly encouraged to sign up ahead of time.

Register for a Workshop!

ToorCamp One Month Away!

In case you haven’t made up your mind on whether or not to come to ToorCamp, we want to help you make your decision. Here’s some articles about the last event to check out!

0904_toorcamp-geek-camp-hackers_4805Forbes

“Welcome to ToorCamp, a five-day retreat where some of America’s most elite hackers, technologists and DIY deviants escape civilization in order to rebuild it from scratch, leapfrogging the pedestrian present directly into a postapocalyptic science fiction future.”

IMG_20120809_064542-Dawn-breaks-1024x768Geekwire

“filled with a sense of disbelief that it’s over, a giddy excitement as I scheme ways to apply what I’ve learned, and the definite intention to be first ticket holder on the list for next year’s ToorCamp event.”

7787073466_992d26c9d9_cHack-A-Day

“This is the second time Toorcamp has been run, and it’s clear that both the organizers and attendees know how to throw an awesome stateside hacker camp.”

campfire_toorcamp_prime_dome_dancing_at_nightComputerWorld

“The ToorCon crew is dedicated to throwing some of the most unique and extreme hacker / computer security conferences in the world.”

shadytellTripWire

“Unlike some other conferences there were no VIP parties, or
overpriced workshops, no elitism, pretentiousness or artifice,
everyone was equal, respectful and humble.”

Screen Shot 2014-06-09 at 9.13.14 PMHak5

“an epic Hacker Camp hosting the most some of the nations most creative hackers, makers, movers and shakers”

Pre-Register Now!

There’s only 3 weeks left to register so start making your plans and pre-register, apply to run a campsite, or submit a talk today before it’s too late!