Booze in the bush

I don't often drink in the bush, but when I do it used to be mainly ryes and whiskies. Top picks:

1. Alberta Premium (The US equivalent would be something like Old Potrero, it is a 100% rye grain alcohol)
2. Wiser's
3. Ballantyne's 10 year

But recently, especially in winter, I have been more inclined to drink Jaegermeister. It is really good when it's cold out. I like it at about -10 celcius - you just put it in an outside pocket and you get an ice-cold sipping drink, very good.

But to be honest I don't drink very much when camping. I don't really like going with other people all that much and I don't often drink by myself, which is probably good as I don't like drinking with other people and would probably enjoy it by myself all too much!
 
Bufford,

I really like the way the bottom of a canoe or raft keeps a case of beer cool, even if you don't have an Igloo with ice in it. I also bring some brewskies so the guys can have one with lunch. Seems more like a vacation when you can have a beer with your sandwich/jerky/whatever.

DancesWithKnives
 
Only alcohol I carry is denatured alcohol for the stove. Otherwise it's just plain old dihydrogen monoxide.
 
Depending on the weather and length of hike, I sometimes carry a wine-skin with me of nice Red wine, about 65cl or a pint,but this is if I am with somebody else and it's more like a day pic-nic.

Goes well with the grub though:D:thumbup:
 
Trekking about or backpacking, no alcohol for me.

Car camping with friends and family, and it's bud light all night long.

I've tried so many times to get into hard liquer, and I just can't do it unless it's mixed in a way that it doesn't taste like booze anymore. Like, I'll do Captain and Coke (tastes like vanilla coke) or white russians (taste like chocolate milk). Otherwise, my poison of choice is good 'ol Bud Light. Nothing has ever tasted better.
 
Magnussen said:
Serious wilderness outings? I wait till after the trek to drink. There are better antiseptics and fuels than liquor. You need (I need) a focussed mind when training. Perhaps if I were out for months with an established camp, I could afford to cut loose a bit.

I don't think any less of folks who sneak a swill here or there.... but "tie one on" when in the thick stuff... and you won't see me the next day.... too risky.
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:thumbup: Depending on your local, the bush can be a dangerous place to visit, even if you know it well. For that reason alone, I'm against having anything that takes away from my ability to reason and react efficiently. Heck, I'd wake up and I'd be laying on the bare Earth and my camp would be in somebody elses vehicle heading south.
 
This is just me so don't take it the wrong way. Absolutely No booze at any time when Guns, Knives or any kind of motor vehicles are involved. The outdoors is all the high I need and I have bounced more that one drinker out of my camp. To Me, Booze is for home or in a bar. My only drinking in the last 35 years was two beers at my 20th Class reunion.
 
Car camping means beer. My drink of choice being Miller Light, Lone Star or Sol.

Hiking/backpacking is usually wine or a flask of rum. My drinks of choice would be a nice red or Bicardi silver or 151.

On a side note, I don't consider the over the top binge drinking the discussion of this thread. I believe that for the most part we are discussing the end of the day around the campfire drink among friends or alone to wind down and enjoy the scenery. I agree whole heartily with the comments about the annoying camper/hikers because we have all been around them and their loud behavior and obnoxious music at 3-4am does not help the natural quiet.
 
Like a lot of others, if I'm car camping it's usually a cooler full of beer. The brand varies depending on my mood, but definitely something with flavor. This is what I took on my last car camping trip.

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I don't normally carry anything on dayhike. If I'm backpacking then I keep a flask of scotch handy in case of snakebite. In the immortal words of W.C. Fields -"Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite. And furthermore, always carry a small snake." :D

I can't resist adding another of his quotes, it somehow seems fitting for WSS as a whole. "It reminds me of my journey to the wilds of Afghanistan. We lost our corkscrew and had to survive on nothing but food and water for several days."
 
orrey45 said:
On a side note, I don't consider the over the top binge drinking the discussion of this thread. I believe that for the most part we are discussing the end of the day around the campfire drink among friends or alone to wind down and enjoy the scenery. I agree whole heartily with the comments about the annoying camper/hikers because we have all been around them and their loud behavior and obnoxious music at 3-4am does not help the natural quiet.
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Exactly, well said, this isn't about going on a bender half way up a canyon...

My biggest beef with party-goers in the wild is the mess they often leave. However, I have also seen 30 guys get completely pissed, yet the next day they clean up so well there is no evidence of their presence. Conversely, I have seen stone sober groups leave a bloody landfill behind in their wake. I don't blame booze for people acting irresponsibly, I just blame the people.
 
Beer for car camping. LOTS of beer.

In the Summer, rum for backwoods, in the winter, Ginger Brandy.

Something primal about sitting around a campfire with a few friends, taking sips out of the bottle passed around.

I don't mind people that don't drink when camping/hiking as long as they don't get in my business when I do. I don't wave guns around, never blare the radio and have never been warned at a campground.

Of course I realize the probability of some people acting like jackasses increases logarithmically with each drink they take. Those people have no restraint and ruin the experience for all.

Another W.C. Fields quote.

The woman says "You are Drunk!" He says "You are ugly, but I will be sober in the morning!"
 
Jameson for the outdoors, always in a flask. Just a tradition and I have no idea how/when it started. I must've been drunk. :p
 
I personally like having a few beers or a few sips of bourbon around the fire at the end of the day. But, the way a lot of folks act is one of the many of reasons I won't camp at a campground. There are quite a few place we can drive the truck to that are fairly isolated, but they still get ruined occasionally by a crew of nearby drunks. My favorite way to camp with a group is by pontoon boat. I can get to places where there won't be another soul for miles, but still take along people/gear that are not hiking friendly.
 
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