Should you bring beer on a hike?
By Jacey Gibb, Distribution Manager
Great Inclinations is your go-to source for diving into the world of casual hiking in and around the Lower Mainland. Because hikingâs not just for assholes anymore.
Hiking and drinking good beer are two of my favourite hobbiesâand they arenât mutually exclusive from each other. Thereâs an immense satisfaction that comes with cracking open a cold one after a grueling ascent, but itâs a polarizing topic between hikers. Here are a few things to consider before going hiking with your closest frothy friend.
Just a friendly reminder: Consuming alcohol in public isnât permitted anywhere in British Columbia, including on its awesome hiking trails, and you can even receive a whopping $240 fine for doing so. For this articleâs sake though, letâs just pretend that people donât always follow the rules 100 percent of the time.
First off, I admit itâs a fun noveltyâpopping a squat at the top of a mountain and sipping on some delicious suds. For whatever reason, casually drinking a beer in situations that arenât typically synonymous with drinking has a certain je ne sais quoi. Not everyone would agree with me though, so be considerate of other hikers on the trail, and if youâre bringing beer then avoid being an obnoxious party-bro about it.
You should also consider how long of a hike youâre embarking on and in what shape the beer will be once you reach the summit. Will the beer be lukewarm and shaken up from the ascent, erupting in a foam geyser as soon as you pop the tab? Consider that every step you take is another gentle rattle to the beer. As for the temperature, Iâve covered cooler bags in previous âGreat Inclinationsâ articles, but itâs worth reiterating that theyâre an easy way to keep your itemsâin this case, beerâchilled until itâs time for consumption. To make your cooler bag even colder, leave it in the freezer overnight before your hike.
Thereâs also the inevitability of that tasty beer becoming an empty bottle or can after youâve relieved it of its precious contents. Most hikes have a âpack out what you pack inâ policy and garbage cans are deliberately scarce, so be prepared to carry your empties down with youâand inevitably get some little spills in the process. I always recommend bringing an extra plastic bag for food scraps, and it can help with empties as well.
If youâre old enough to purchase beer, then youâre old enough to make the decision for yourself whether youâre going to bring it hiking or not. Iâve given a few suggestions for if you go that route, but Iâm also generally opposed to the idea. Casual drinking is already ingrained into so many other activities, so Iâm fine leaving hiking as a sober hobby.
My advice: Leave the brews for as a post-hike activity and enjoy some other beverage while youâre on the trail. Like water. Youâre already about 60 percent water, so just go with that for now.
