Alcohol and Preparing for a Backpack Hunt

[Doc Holliday]

For anyone who "drinks", do you cut it off cold turkey in the days or weeks leading up to your hunt? Or do you not even factor it in, and perhaps you have a beer or two the day before you leave for your hunt?

(And before anyone starts talking about DTs or something like that, I can and do periodically go for several weeks without it, without issue.)

 

[cg2737]

I like to drink, but coming from NY to CO I did not want to take any chances. I focused on drinking more water on the flight out and skipped the drinks. After I was there for several days a friend pulled out a bottle of Jameson and I did not pass it up, and had no issues. I think that as long as you don't over do it and focus on drinking enough water you will have no issues with having a few drinks.

 

[ozyclint]

i drink a handfull of social beers all year. i have an abhorrence for spending money on it. it's amazing how much money you don't need when costs are low. hunting trips seem to pay for themselves.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

Don't over do it. I've had instances in the past 5 years where I admittedly got drunk the night before and it completely ruined my opening day. Last year I got altitude sickness on opening morning. Partly because I hadn't done much summer scouting, ie. pregnant wife, and the other part because I drank too much the night before and didn't eat or drink anything all day on the drive to camp. Please learn from my mistake. I got just about to treeline and puked for the second time on opening day. Yummy!

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

If you're a heavy drinker dropping that down leading in is likely wise and it'll likely help if you have some extra pounds to shed also. Typically when elk hunting I'll have beer at the truck and a beer or two at night isn't uncommon (that'd include the night prior), when actually hunting I'm typically tired and if a 3rd beer gets cracked it goes down slow and I'm ready for bed. Don't take that to mean lightweight, just working hard and different mindset. I usually carry a poly carbonate flask with a bit of scotch out on the hunt, at the end of the day a nip of scotch is nice as the boots come off. But keep it all in check considering the altitude, exertion, and dehydration presuming you want to be hunting, headaches can sneak up quick. Save the heavier swigging for when tags are punched and/or a planned rest day if you are of that mindset.

 

[Bulldawg]

I remember in college staying up til 1 really drunk and waking up at 5 to go hunt, don’t truly believe I was sober until puking twice, and sweating for the hour hike up the hill. Packing out that elk that day was terrible haha but I love looking back on it lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ShawnStonefly]

Usually cut off drinking after the 4th of July. Mainly to drop some extra lbs, having 2-3 beers acouple times a week adds up.

 

[OXN939]

Alcohol increases tissue inflammation throughout the body. In the vein of "training to hunt," cutting drinking to a few a week in the month or so leading up to a serious hunt is a good call if you plan on exerting yourself physically.

 

[Superkodiak38]

From the reading I have done alcohol also affect's the body ability to process protein for recovery so a tough work out or training day followed by a protein rich meal and alcohol can be counterproductive. Alcohol is a poison as for as the body is concerned and it stops doing repair, absorption and works to convert and expel the alcohol. So the protein from that nice steak ends up as all turd ! lol

 

[ChrisA]

I recall hearing about a study in some journal of medicine that a person that drinks six drinks a day burns fat 1/3 slower than a non-drinker. Couple that with the extra calories in alcohol and you can see why I shed pounds quickly when off the sauce.

Chris

 

[530Chukar]

I will normally take a bladder with a bottle of crown in it for a week of backpack hunting. It’s enough for a few drinks a night and at 11-12,000 ft it doesn’t take a lot. The ic chest at the truck normally has beer in it for when we get back or bring loads down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[AK Troutbum]

I always bring a 1 liter platypus bladder of Knob Creek 120 proof on all my hunts and usually limit myself to one drink/night. As far as the days leading up to the hunt my main focus is on hydration and trying to be as hydrated as possible prior to taking off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I always bring a 1 liter platypus bladder of Knob Creek 120 proof on all my hunts and usually limit myself to one drink/night. As far as the days leading up to the hunt my main focus is on hydration and trying to be as hydrated as possible prior to taking off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I always just used an empty soda bottle or even a sigg metal bottle for taking booze on trips, I’m more of a scotch guy though, laphroaig 10 being my go to trips.

 

[Poser]

Celebratory bourbon is always nice. Airplane bottles work well, but keep it in the truck or basecamp to grab when you come back with your first load of meat works well, too. In the thick of a backpack hunt, I’m usually too concerned with eating as much food as I can and getting as much sleep as I possibly can to deal with nightly drinking.

 

[camping1601]

I'm jealous of you guys that pack a full Liter in.

A 16 oz soda bottle gets me 8 nights.

I just did a week in CO coming from 900' and going to over 12000'. I can promise you Alcohol gets in the way.

 

[unchained]

I prefer to train hungover. Training at low elevation WI, the hangover feels about the same as 12,000ft. Just kidding, kind of.

 

[wildnfree]

Dont do that. I can't do anything properly if I drink the day before.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

This was right before flying out for a Brooks range caribou hunt last year.

Leaving Tuesday for a 12 day float hunt. Had a few beers last night. Not taking any alcohol on the float trip though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BradNSW]

Staying hydrated on a 7 day backpack hunt is key.

BUT...sleep is key too! So I carry 14oz of single malt for 7 nights. A few sips to wash down a Mt House helps me sleep through all those "night sounds" when you're alone in a lightweight backpacking tent!

Prior to the hunt I don't change my normal routine of a beer with dinner every night and a few drams of scotch on weekend evenings. Keeps me at good weight all year. Workout all year too...at 56 any breaks in the workout routine make it hard to come back!!!

 

[KHNC]

I dont see how people focus and function properly on a mtn hunt after drinking alot. My goal is to cover ground and kill an elk. No time to drink until im out of the mountains. I train year round, and drink a little each week or so. Gone are the days when i burn it down. But i have never been a big drinker when it comes to hunting. Im spending all that money, time and effort. Not worth it to hurt my chances of killing something. Experiences are great also, but ultimately, i am there to kill an elk! i can take pics of the sunrise later, and get drunk too.