Alcohol on the Appalachian Trail

Buzzing the Appalachian Trail

So you want to booze it while you’re travelling the Appalachian Trail? I’m not surprised. Hiking 2,200 miles while staring at your shoes or, better yet, at the wide array of never changing, never flowering fascinating coniferous trees, could get a little hum drum. Alcohol, however, makes everything much more interesting (or so I’ve heard). The birds sing sweeter, the waitress at the Cracker Barrel in Damascus appears to be dime piece, and your Mountain House Chili tastes… well some things can’t be improved no matter how much alcohol you’ve ingested.

Alcohol, assuming you are of legal age and aren’t pregnant, is a great way to improve your Trail experience, but it needs to be thought out. When you pack your bag, every ounce is accounted for. You try and make everything as light as possible in order to save your strength. Packing alcohol is not really an option. Maybe if the FDA allowed for the production of powdered alcohol this would be a viable alternative, but the potential for high schoolers shoving stuff up their noses that shouldn’t be there is too high. Your best option would be to take Everclear with you, highest proof alcohol (180+), but even that would add a whopping five pounds to your pack. Not really worth it. When consuming alcohol on the Trail, you have to be smart. This paper will give you the facts you need to know regarding buying alcohol, storing/disposing of alcohol, and taking the necessary precautions. Think before you drink.

Alcohol on a Hiker’s Budget

First off, I would like to get something very clear. While travelling through the Marijuana Belt, the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia, you will be presented many an opportunity to drink homemade Moonshine. This isn’t the pansy stuff you can buy while visiting Gatlinburg, Tennessee. No, this stuff is deadly. Take a sip or two so you can say you did to all your yuppie friends back home, but after that, stay away. According to Ed...