Partying in the Backcountry

[grouseking]

I guess this is an opinion and a question.....

I don't understand the need to pack heavy amounts of alcohol when people go out and go camping in the woods. When I say the woods, I mean away from the road or campground....away from "civilization." Drinking heavily makes no sense to me out there.....it is like some want to get drunk and get away with it.

IMO, its a bad practice partying out in the wilderness. First off, the more you consume, the louder the group might be, which will definitely disturb the local wildlife, or another camper attempting to enjoy peace and quiet. More importantly, its a very dangerous thing to do, because if something were to happen (getting hurt, wandering off in the middle of the night etc....who would know where you went off to?) I came across a bunch of drunks at Sawyer Pond campsite one afternoon during a driving rainstorm, and one was describing to me how he got lost the evening prior and couldn't find the shelter for a couple hours. He also brought his kids along, but thats another story......

So please explain to me....what's the point? I can understand if you are at a campground near a road with a large group of friends, and more importantly, not far from help should you need it, but out at places like Ethan Pond shelter, or Sawyer Pond???

Preparing for the punches....

grouseking

 

[sierra]

It takes all kinds to make the world go around, there might be some who think your approach is boring, would they be right? no they wouldnt, to each his own. I always carried a bottle of scotch when backpacking and while I didnt get carried away, many people I met seemed to appreiciate a nip. Over doing it when around others can be inconsiderate for sure.

 

[cbcbd]

Where did you get that meatball sub!!! I want one!!


Ok, now on topic:

I have a co-worker that has a yearly "camping" trip with the guys somewhere in the Catskills. What do they do? They go to a cabin (in East Durham, so not actually IN the Catskills), drink and play video games.

Some people see as camping as sleeping in a tent in the middle of trees outside established areas, some see it as sleeping in a tent in a far-off established area, some see it as a lean-to, some a cabin, some as a tent on a drive-up campground; some as parking your RV at the campground and firing up the grill.

All of these are fun (don't knock it 'till you try it) and it beats staying home. Everyone is different and it takes too much effort sometimes to be elitist when you could be trying to gain a new perspective by joining the enemy

edit: Also, I have found that these groups that party hard in the outdoors are usually not doing it every weekend of the year (where as many people on this site are out a lot of the year), so at least it doesn't seem to be a constant occurrence.

 

[Steve-o]

So long as you're not bothering anyone...
I don't see any problem with having a couple cocktails in the backcountry.

Car-camping, You have to kind of expect it.

 

[sapblatt]

So long as you're not bothering anyone...
I don't see any problem with having a couple cocktails in the backcountry.

I agree - the key is too each their own and to not intefere in other people's idea of a good time...
Just as I would not go to a campground that has a zero alcohol policy, I would not go to one that allows others to get out of hand.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

...I don't understand the need to pack heavy amounts of alcohol when people go out and go camping in the woods. When I say the woods, I mean away from the road or campground....away from "civilization." Drinking heavily makes no sense to me out there.....it is like some want to get drunk and get away with it...
grouseking

As long as they L.N.T. and they're not postholing, who cares?

 

[McRat]

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly.

We're drunks, it's what we do.

 

[dug]

As long as they L.N.T. and they're not postholing, who cares?

Having my dog lug my beer is probably, out, huh?

I don't lug a lot of beer, too heavy. Passing a bottle around for couple of shots is fairly common.

I once got to Guyot Shelter and some guy had insisted he bring a case with him. What was funny is he was so tired by the time he got there, he went right to bed. He told the other campers to either drink them all, or he was pouring them out. No way he was carrying them out again.

Those were 8 of the best beers I ever had.

 

[Puck]

At some of the easier access spots (<1mi) I have seen trashed there were always signs of alcohol.

I do agree with the statements 'to each thier own.' and 'hike your own hike' however, alcohol can disolve those healthy boundries so that a place looks like the offender's home.

 

[Dugan]

I don't lug a lot of beer, too heavy. Passing a bottle around for couple of shots is fairly common.

As long as the dog is in good physical condition and properly equipped with padded dog packs, I don't see a problem... especially if you bring him some of these:

http://www.beerfordogs.com/Press.html

(not one I'll try brewing anytime soon - sorry Dugie 3.75-legs)

 

[giggy]

I have some skills and experience in backcountry partying.

Nothing better than after doing a nice long hike to kick back and suck beers down with freinds in the woods.

The best part is its all training:

1) lugging a 12 pack is great for building muscle
2) you can crush the cans for easy pack out (long live the beer can)
3) hiking with a hangover simulates climbing at altitude
4) no better muscle relaxer than booze.


I am going to start a 2 day course in the finer arts of BC partying.

day 1 - packing appropriately to fit 18 beers in a pack, pacing oneself, look out for your buddies by making sure no drunk wanders off a cliff, where to dispose of human waste, etc. how to set up a tent with one hand using teamwork - (one hand has the beer) - noise discipline, etc..

day 2 - Hiking out with headache, how to cope, LNT, crushing cans, etc..


I like partying and I like the backcountry - they coexist in my world!

 

[Oldmanwinter]

Snake bite medicine

I take W. C. Fields advice. I always carry a small flask in case of snake bite, and a small snake.

 

[Neil]

One of the funniest things was getting off a train late at night in January in Northwestern Ontario at neg 30 and going to some bush cabin at the invite of these guys we met on the train. Normally we would have camped out but were attracted to the idea of a little hooch and some unexpected fun. Unexpected was eventually seeing a guy pissed out of his head in his underwear running around inside and outside of the cabin revving a chainsaw. I guess you could say alcohol and chainsaws don't mix.

We had a normal trip after that one night.

 

[rhihn]

My take on this is as others have said, "to each his own." I'm enjoying the sounds of nature...down the trail is a group that is pickling their collective brains with booze...what do I care? I don't, really.

The phrase "as long as you don't..." often arises. It doesn't take booze to create loud parties in the woods...but it sure helps! The oversized drunken party I heard once on the Northville Placid Trail, who thought they owned the entire Adirondacks, sure didn't get my 'hiker of the year' vote.
But as long as I'm not bothered, knock yourself out (figuratively and literally).

On the other hand, too much booze in the woods can, for some, lead to bad judgment, which can spell trouble for themselves or others.

I'm basically with you, grouseking.

 

[lattinhill]

As others can attest to, my dog Maya has been known to pack a bottle of rum from time to time on overnights. I scold her every time and always confiscate the bottle, but she doesn't listen. Now that I think about it, this may account for her sometimes foul trail manners.
Actually, we were on Greylock several weeks ago and came to a leanto for a lunch stop and found it full of beer cans and other recent garbage. It's bad enough to find this mess but what amazes me is why they couldn't at least carry out the EMPTY cans.

Dave

 

[Toe Cozy]

One of the funniest things was getting off a train late at night in January in Northwestern Ontario at neg 30 and going to some bush cabin at the invite of these guys we met on the train. Normally we would have camped out but were attracted to the idea of a little hooch and some unexpected fun. Unexpected was eventually seeing a guy pissed out of his head in his underwear running around inside and outside of the cabin revving a chainsaw. I guess you could say alcohol and chainsaws don't mix.

We had a normal trip after that one night.

i.e. Boring!!!!!

I think hiking is one of the ways many of us escape the realities (and futility IMO) of trying to find a meaning to our existence. Drinking/drugs often offer the same relief. So, seeing them combined into one sublime experience of escape seems like a natural to me. Plus..beer is good. No cans for me tough. I'm a 22oz-er kind of woman.

However, drinking to dangerous excess anytime is just stupid and irresponsible. Even more so in the back country, especially in winter. But hey, as long as I don't have to babysit the offender or be offended by the offender...to each his own. Amen.

 

[king tut]

As long as you are not loud and obnoxious and offending others, I say Live It Up! But, there is usually one jack -*** who is lit and throwing the F-Bomb around 6 year old's that is the problem. There was one really annoying dude that was smoking weed and cursing like a retarded sailor when i was at Garfield last fall, all about 10 feet away from a young kid that was trying to sleep at the tent site. Know your audience. If you are all alone in the woods ok... but next to kids??? I wanted to ducktape his mouth and him to a tall tree near a cliff, and then let his weed paranoia take over without any munchies for him. Is that wrong?

 

[sapblatt]

I wanted to ducktape his mouth and him to a tall tree near a cliff, and then let his weed paranoia take over without any munchies for him. Is that wrong?

I sure hope it is not wrong because I want to help you do it!

 

[Artex]

I sure hope it is not wrong because I want to help you do it!

I agree. Reading that account ticked me off. What a scumbag.

 

[dr_wu002]

Guzzle Your Own Cup Full!

Lemme tell ya, I don't drink alcohol in the back country. But when I get in that tent, after a full days of hikin' and eatin' them brown mountain berries I find all over the place I'm feelin' mighty nice. Then I fill up a gatorade bottle with some of that 'liquid gold' and I'm feelin' nice all over again. No mess. No cans. Just plain old euphoria.

-Dr. Wu