Alcohol and Hiking: How Drinking Can Impact Your Outdoor Adventure

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of reaching the peak of a challenging hike, surrounded by the beauty of nature. But before we add booze to our packing list, it’s important to consider how alcohol can affect our adventure. While it might be tempting to crack open a cold one while we’re sitting at the summit before heading back down, it’s best to avoid it. Drinking can create unexpected challenges while hiking. 

From impairing our balance on rocky terrain to increasing dehydration, alcohol and hiking can turn our outdoor adventure into a risky endeavor. So before we lace up our boots and hit the trail, let’s further explore how alcohol and hiking aren’t a good mix, and what we can do instead to keep our trek safe and fun. 

Trouble on the Trail: How Alcohol Affects Hiking

Hiking already comes with its fair share of risks, from unpredictable weather to tricky terrain, but mixing alcohol and outdoor adventure actually can increase the dangers. Drinking doesn’t only compromise our safety on the trail — it can also dull the outdoor experience. Here’s how alcohol can impact our hike.

1. Unsteady Steps

Ever feel off-balance after one too many drinks? That’s because alcohol depresses our central nervous system (CNS), which is our body’s control system. Alcohol slows down messaging between our brain and body. On a hike, where steady footing is crucial, this delay increases our risk of tripping or falling, especially on uneven terrain.

Alcohol also slows down our reaction time. Not only does this slowdown make it harder to catch ourselves from stumbling, but it can also leave us less able to respond quickly in emergency situations. What was supposed to be an exhilarating adventure could become dangerous in a split second. 

2. Parched Performance

Alcohol acts as a diuretic, which means it increases urine production, leading to increased dehydration. Dehydration can impair our physical performance, reduce our endurance, and increase the risk of heat exhaustion. 

Staying hydrated during a hike is crucial for maintaining energy, regulating body temperature, and ensuring we have the physical stamina to complete our hike safely.

3. Altitude Amplifier

Altitude sickness happens when our body struggles to properly adjust to changes in air pressure, and alcohol makes the symptoms worse. 

Alcohol decreases oxygen absorption in the blood, and since there’s already less oxygen at a higher altitude, the effects are multiplied. Adding to the recipe for disaster, dehydration increases the risk of altitude sickness. When our body isn’t able to get enough oxygen and efficiently get rid of excess nitrogen, we can experience symptoms such as headache, nausea, and dizziness.

4. Overheating Hazard

When we drink, alcohol can make us feel warmer because alcohol causes blood vessels near the skin to open up. However, this process actually decreases our core body temperature.

When alcohol slows our system down, our ability to produce sweat efficiently also goes down, impairing our ability to regulate temperature. When we’re hiking, especially treks that involve more strenuous activity and warmer weather, alcohol exacerbates heat stress, impacting our health and safety.

5. Energy Crash

At first, alcohol can feel like an energy boost due to alcohol's stimulant effects, such as increasing our heart rate and releasing dopamine (the “reward/feel-good” hormone). But just like a steep uphill climb, alcohol’s boost doesn’t last. Once those initial effects wear off, we’ll be hit with alcohol’s depressant effects, leaving us with low energy, drowsiness, and low mood. Add dehydration to the mix, and the post-drinking fatigue can hit hard. 

While alcohol might offer a brief energy lift, it ultimately leaves us more fatigued and less capable of handling the physical demands of a hike. We’re left more vulnerable to exhaustion and facing a prolonged recovery period. 

6. Wayfinding Woes

Do you find yourself accidentally bumping into things after drinking? Alcohol affects our spatial awareness in many ways, making our vision blurry, reducing depth perception, and decreasing peripheral vision. Overall, alcohol makes it difficult for us to navigate the world around us.

Following the trail, interpreting maps, and recognizing landmarks becomes more challenging when we drink. Our reflexes and judgment are also compromised, putting us more at risk of danger from wild animals.

From the long list of alcohol’s effects, it’s clear that drinking only amplifies the risks of hiking, putting our health and safety at risk. Let's take a closer look at what we can look forward to when we take a pass on the alcohol.

Benefits of Sober Hiking

Sober hiking allows us to enjoy the true essence of hiking — being out in nature. Here’s why choosing a sober adventure enhances our hiking experience: 

• Greater appreciation of our surroundings. Hiking is all about exploring nature. When we’re not bogged down by alcohol, we can fully appreciate our surroundings. 
• Natural endorphin boost. Instead of relying on alcohol to increase our dopamine levels, when we spend time in nature and get physical exercise we benefit from a natural mood boost. 
• Lower risk of accidents. When our motor coordination and thinking aren’t impaired by alcohol, we’re more better prepared to navigate the trail and respond to unexpected situations. 
• Better recovery. Without alcohol disrupting our system, we’ll get better sleep and recover more quickly from our outdoor adventure. 
• More quality time with others. If we’re hiking with others, staying sober allows us to be present and connect more authentically with those around us. 

Now that we have a clearer picture of all the positives that sober hiking can bring, let’s get into some better options we can choose from.

Stay Sober While Hiking: Alcohol-Free Alternatives

We’ve learned that drinking and outdoor activities don’t mix well, but just because we’re choosing our health and safety by avoiding alcohol, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a fun drink! Here are some options to inspire your own: 

• Electrolyte drinks. Get some extra hydration with electrolyte packets to give plain water a flavorful twist.
• Coconut water. If you're looking for a more natural option, coconut water is full of electrolytes that increase your hydration. 
• Refreshing tea. Tea is a fun way to spice things up and give you extra energy. Just beware that you might need to urinate frequently!
• Fruit-infused water. Toss some slices of citrus in your water for a refreshing drink for the trail. 
• Sparkling water. Perfect for hot days, a fizzy drink with your favorite flavor can feel both satisfying and refreshing. 
• Non-alcoholic drinks. Zero-proof drinks can give you a taste similar to their alcoholic counterparts without the risks. 
• Kombucha. This fermented tea drink is not only refreshing but has many health benefits. 

By choosing these alcohol-free alternatives, we can stay hydrated, energized, and fully enjoy the beauty of the trail without sacrificing fun or flavor.

What About Drinking After Hiking?

We’ve established that we need to avoid drinking before or during hiking, but what about afterwards? The truth is, it’s still not a good idea. Drinking after a hike doesn’t involve immediate risks such as falls, but it does impact our sleep and recovery, both of which are important after strenuous physical activity.

Peak Performance

As we prepare for our next trek, it’s important to recognize that alcohol and hiking aren’t great companions. The risks of dehydration, reduced coordination, and impaired judgment can turn a peaceful exploration into a dangerous endeavor. By keeping alcohol out of our backpacks, we’re free to fully experience all that hiking has to offer. So, next time you’re planning a hike, plan to hydrate healthily and embrace your outdoor adventure with steady steps and a clear mind!