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catprowler

Just a little something I did this weekend.

Well I think I can say I have experience something that most people even most furs do unless they really through themselves into the fandom.

It's definitely one thing to go to a furmeet or even better a convention.  Although the first time can be VERY hard and unsettling.  Everyone is going all over the place.  Furries are moving here and there and things are just so damn confusion.  Especially if it the first convention you have ever been to.  Although honestly confusion seems to be the norm for any furry at a convention, I frequently see people even veterans suddenly change directions or pause trying to figure out what they were doing or what's happening next.

But that isn't what I was talking about.  Although I've tried to go to as many places as I can I have only attended 5 conventions and two of those were just one day.  No what I'm talking about is suiting at a convention.  To be one of those fluffy, scaled, or feathered characters who seem to get ALL the fun.

As much as that does seem to be true it comes with a crap load of WORK, yes WORK (notice the caps.)  Finally I made it to Further Confusion for a for the full con instead of just a day but more than that I had my suit in working order so that I could actually DO all the things I wanted to.  The Parade, The panels, The games, and yes those awesomely fun spontaneous moments in the hallways, elevators, and everywhere else they happen.  Not to mention the hugs, hi-fives, and pictures.  The Glory, Glamor, and those ultra secret cool places that ONLY fursuiters go.….....did I mention the WORK part?

I arrived Thursday and promptly ran to the registration instead of checking in and unloaded the car.  This was mainly thanks to my two roommates who had arrived the day before and already had my room key waiting when I finally knocked on the door.  Thank You Korren and Rocky.  I did poke around some and have a little fun but went to bed and was up early Friday morning (taking care of the boring stuff like shower, meds, and yes food and water) and grabbed my suit and ran out to go experience my first time suiting at a con.  And HEY there were people here I knew. Hi, Hello, Wave, Wiggle, Twitch, Squeal... Ahem.  Yes I spent over an hour and a half out and about before heading back to the room because I did not want to get the suit damp.

What do I mean?  Well this is where the WORK comes in.  Of course everyone knows that most suiters sweat a great deal in suit, some less, and some more... Like A LOT more.  I got back to the room and peeled of the more than damp under armor and quickly hung it up to dry.  Then spritz the suit and let it dry with fan and took a quick shower.  ~ I will now refer to this as unsuiting which takes me over a half hour to do.  (I should note that it takes me about 15 to 20 minutes to fully suit up with the ezcoolvest)

Then later Friday afternoon I had 2 yes 2 panels that I wanted to do suiting.  First being Fursuit Dancing the second Fursuit Performance both being in the same room one after the other.  Now being a good little fursuiter and one who plans ahead I had spoken to three different staff members to make sure fans were available in this room I KNOW how helpful a fan can be.  Well I almost made it through the entire 1 ½ hour panel ducking out the last ten minutes to go to the lounge and rest.  I spent a good half hour there relaxing before going to the second panel which I also ducked out of 10 minute early because I had problems. Recently I have had a seriously dry throat which causes me to cough, left unchecked I can start to really cough and then gag and sometimes go so far as to spit up bile or more from gagging.  Thankfully this was the only time in suit this happened where I started choking and left swigging water in the restroom along the way to stop choking.  So to sum that up two panels being three hours with a half hour break and walking to room left.  Of course that not being quite there was the photo shoot for Sparkle Kreations, the maker of my suit, at 9pm.  Well furry time dictated that start near 10:30 and with me meeting a few other friends and the stop at the BLFC room party I got back to my own hotel room about 2 ½ hours later.    

Over Seven hours in suit in one day is FAR beyond anything I had done before.  Including three suiting up and unsuiting making likely 10 hours dealing with suit and that doesn't include all the extras like checking my fan, recharging the ezcool pouches and stuff.  Add to that I of course was out for several hours unsuited for food and dealers den and friends.  Mind you I was at the Hilton which is a good 300 yard hike or so from most of the con stuff.  I was beat.  I am NOT as young as many who do this and considering it really was my first time EVER trying something like this I was honestly shocked with myself for doing so well.   After crashing to sleep around Midnight I woke up the next morning figuring I should take it a bit more easy.

….............. I don't know how I lied so well to myself, I really though I was going to go easy.  After spending three hours out with the Fursuit staging + Parade + Photoshoot I was out and about for over three hours in the morning running on just a donut, I admit it was a big fat donut from a local place called Phyco Donuts and was great.  Feeling better but hungry and water deprived I went out got food, hydrated up and thought... Maybe I could go to a panel... in suit.  Well that didn't work out well since I was already late back to my room, late suiting up, and found the small part of the panel I did attend boring I skipped out and ended up, after watching more than half the dance comp, back at my room to unsuit.  Checking the time it had been more than three hours.

Mind you before this con 3 hours had been my limit.  I only suit about 2 or so at Frolic (I'm not much one for crowds, noise, or hot areas.)  and about 2 or so for most Furbowls but I have been out a few times up to three hours.  But never in the same day nor day after day and here I was really surprised that I had again spent so much of my day in suit and more importantly keeping up my suit.  I now mention that I only have TWO sets of under armor which means one is basically damp and drying while I'm trying to use the one that just dried and often times my hand paws were not quite dry either.  BUT and I mean BUT my suit wasn't smelling it only had a slight light odor which you had to really breath to find.  13+ hours with all that sweat, I felt kinda proud about that.

So Sunday rolls around, I'm still actually feeling good.  I've done so much, made more friends, had a total blast, even if I spent far more time in my room since I was feeling more and more drained each time I suited and was often laying on the bed after my quick shower for a half hour or so... Not every time but often.   YET I know there is one thing I still have yet to do and for FC that is critterlympics a two hour event which requires a lot of activity.  BUT I WANNA GO.... so I suit up and head out.

FOUR HOURS LATER.... Yes 4 hours I arrive back in my room drenched.  And by this I mean my paws were wet, my suit was wet, my under armor went SPLAT when it dropped it on the floor and even my flipping SOCKS were wet.  I also pulled off two pads from one paw and probably will have small bruises but THAT is what fursuit games do but I find that it is just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play.  NO I'm quite serious, you laugh and enjoy watching the games just as much as suiters suiters do, only they also play, leap, goof off, and sweat.  I let it all try to dry but I basically figured I was done for the day and a few hours later I did pack it all up and head to my car.

On the whole it was... well awesome in so many accounts.  I did things I had never done before, my body did things I thought it couldn't anymore, and it was every bit as much fun as I thought it would be.  So the only thing I could tell you is....  This is a SHIT LOAD OF WORK, but god it's worth it.  I honestly feel envious at the partial suiters since they can relax and unsuit so much easier than I can,  snickers  I should maybe mention that I'm a tee-shirt and shorts kinda fur, year round until it hits about 36 degrees then I only Think about my two pairs of pants, although I do own and use several of my sweaters in the wintertime right over my tee-shirt.

Well if you made it this far Congrats on being able to handle me nearly babbling out stuff.  Only thing left to say is I might actually try to kill myself at BLFC.  I'm spending a WEEK in Reno and plan on working the con as well, Setting up and Breaking down, running a panel, co -running a panel, and doing everything else I have already done.   Maybe I'll surprise myself again and find that I can do all that too.


Of course non of this even includes the Acorn... Yes the Acorn.  I honestly think I have heard EVERY nut joke in the book and possibly a few new ones in the past few days, oh you Furries.
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Added: 9 years, 2 months ago
 
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