Bringing Kava on a Camping Trip: any experience or advice?

[Donwanagan]

Going to try and be short and sweet with this post, as i tend to rant and go off topic, or generally be overly lengthy, when i write.

So, my significant other and i will be camping for our vacation this year. Basically, i was wondering if the good people here at kava forums could give me any advice or experience for bringing kava with me.

The concept in my mind is like this: we will have a ' base camp ' where we will hike around, but we not doing a through hike. Its my vacation and i work for a living so the last thing i want to do is kill myself physically whilst on vacation. But i thought itd be nice to be on some overlook in the mountains or beside a waterway somewhere nestled in the woods, sipping on some kava, and possibly enjoying the moment.

Some of the questions im already thinking of are:
what would be the best prep method?
Right now i use the aluball, which i believe to be pretty easy. Easy to start a batch with fresh root, just shake it 60 times, easy to serve, relatively quick to clean. But in the mountains, on a hike possibly? Or also, with camping kitchen gear and limited cleaning water? Lots of simple things are more complicated while camping.
How does altitude effect kava? Just a thought. At higher altitudes are kavas effects more pronounced, similar to alcohol? I visited Colorado springs last year ( 6500ft above sea level, which in Florida i now live at sea level ) and while there i had a few beers here and there. And i felt a slight increase in how strong it effected me ( granted they were craft beers ).

So. I drink alot of tea in general. I love green teas especially. On said camping trip i was going to bring matcha for quick tea fixes. Probably the best bet is going to be a nifty trick alot of people know, using plastic straws, with both ends melted shut to store dried or powdered food or condiments. This trick would go good for matcha powder me thinks.

So, im wondering. Would micronized kava work in this way also?
Ive yet to try micronized. I think in theory it makes sense. I might try purchasing some before the trip, seeing if micronized is the same experience as the ground root i use in my aluball. The benefit while camping could be zero prep time, just cut it open into water and drink.

Anyhow, thanks ahead for any responses. Looking forward to hear what everyone here has to say.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

Micro or instant would be the easiest, but there is some risk if you've never tried them 1)it's easier to over do it and get sick 2)some people are prone to having more stomach discomfort with micro. These are things best learned prior to your trip, I'd say. But when it comes to kava, nothing is so drastic that you couldn't do it.

Aluball is also perfect for situations like this and since you already know how you react to aluball doses, it's a pretty safe bet.

Not sure how altitude affects the kava experience, I have a vague memory that it may have been discussed here before.

In general, I find kava goes great with being out doors. It's better actually, there's a perceptible difference between kava indoors and kava outdoors.
Load you car with more water than usual since you need some for drinking and some for kava, it can go fast.
In a pinch, if you wanna do a traditional prep, you can make a tanoa but cutting an empty gallon of water in half.
Daytime hiking kava feels kinda weird, but fun. Kava's usually better suited for the evening but daytime in nature can be worth a try.
Just be careful if you take a hike with it, sometimes kava gets your bowels movin'. Does a bear shit in the woods? Yes, and so does the guy who slammed a couple shells before a hike.

 

[Kavafied]

Going to try and be short and sweet with this post, as i tend to rant and go off topic, or generally be overly lengthy, when i write.

So, my significant other and i will be camping for our vacation this year. Basically, i was wondering if the good people here at kava forums could give me any advice or experience for bringing kava with me.

The concept in my mind is like this: we will have a ' base camp ' where we will hike around, but we not doing a through hike. Its my vacation and i work for a living so the last thing i want to do is kill myself physically whilst on vacation. But i thought itd be nice to be on some overlook in the mountains or beside a waterway somewhere nestled in the woods, sipping on some kava, and possibly enjoying the moment.

Some of the questions im already thinking of are:
what would be the best prep method?
Right now i use the aluball, which i believe to be pretty easy. Easy to start a batch with fresh root, just shake it 60 times, easy to serve, relatively quick to clean. But in the mountains, on a hike possibly? Or also, with camping kitchen gear and limited cleaning water? Lots of simple things are more complicated while camping.
How does altitude effect kava? Just a thought. At higher altitudes are kavas effects more pronounced, similar to alcohol? I visited Colorado springs last year ( 6500ft above sea level, which in Florida i now live at sea level ) and while there i had a few beers here and there. And i felt a slight increase in how strong it effected me ( granted they were craft beers ).

So. I drink alot of tea in general. I love green teas especially. On said camping trip i was going to bring matcha for quick tea fixes. Probably the best bet is going to be a nifty trick alot of people know, using plastic straws, with both ends melted shut to store dried or powdered food or condiments. This trick would go good for matcha powder me thinks.

So, im wondering. Would micronized kava work in this way also?
Ive yet to try micronized. I think in theory it makes sense. I might try purchasing some before the trip, seeing if micronized is the same experience as the ground root i use in my aluball. The benefit while camping could be zero prep time, just cut it open into water and drink.

Anyhow, thanks ahead for any responses. Looking forward to hear what everyone here has to say.

Sound's awesome!

If I we're joining you I'd AluBall while exploring and traditional prep a big batch for a long session around the camp fire at night.
We we're just up at 13,000 feet mixin.

 

[Kavafied]

Micro or instant would be the easiest, but there is some risk if you've never tried them 1)it's easier to over do it and get sick 2)some people are prone to having more stomach discomfort with micro. These are things best learned prior to your trip, I'd say. But when it comes to kava, nothing is so drastic that you couldn't do it.

Aluball is also perfect for situations like this and since you already know how you react to aluball doses, it's a pretty safe bet.

Not sure how altitude affects the kava experience, I have a vague memory that it may have been discussed here before.

In general, I find kava goes great with being out doors. It's better actually, there's a perceptible difference between kava indoors and kava outdoors.
Load you car with more water than usual since you need some for drinking and some for kava, it can go fast.
In a pinch, if you wanna do a traditional prep, you can make a tanoa but cutting an empty gallon of water in half.
Daytime hiking kava feels kinda weird, but fun. Kava's usually better suited for the evening but daytime in nature can be worth a try.
Just be careful if you take a hike with it, sometimes kava gets your bowels movin'. Does a bear shit in the woods? Yes, and so does the guy who slammed a couple shells before a hike.

Just gotta watch out for those slugs outdoors if in Hawaii eeeeeee

 

[Deleted User01]

I'm going to be brutal here. I don't recommend Kava followed by physical activity. Its' like when I used to drink beer and play tennis. Bad things happen. And when I play tennis or any sport, it's going to be very physical and the sun is liable to be very, very hot so you have to be at 100 percent and not krunked or drunked. Now after hiking and wrestling bears, I highly recommend kava to help ease any muscle pain and as a social lubricant around the camp fire. That will be awesome.
Kava during physical labor will bring a little shortness of breath, reduced awareness of your surroundings, reduced coordination and all the other effects that alcohol can bring on (though to a lesser extent). The Islanders never drank kava before work but only after work. Just thought I would throw that out there. Kava is a pschoactive ingredient and has all the usual the warnings about not driving, not climbing cliffs, not playing with rattle snakes, not wrestling with bears, etc. Whew, I'm being repetitive. I love camping but be careful.

 

[Zac Imiola (Herbalist)]

I'm a big nature guy... wildcrafting herbs constantly or just walking through the woods and looking at herbs... so needless to say I'm not hiking big mountains and going crazy .. I'm sitting and looking at plants every 2 feet reading my field guide identifing the herb and then meditating with it. Seeing what it wants to teach me..
In this regard I love kava with me in nature .
I just took a 11 day trip to a cabin in the middle of the andirondacks..
Brought all my kava with me and all the other herbs I would need or my gf.

 

[ThePiper]

I do it all the time. Make sure to have extra water

 

[Deleted User01]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm going mushroom hunting with @Mrbinx69.

 

[Edward]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm going mushroom hunting with @Mrbinx69.

I don't think he meant that kind of mushroom! ;-)

 

[Noname]

Regular kava powder is the best. Micro and concentrate are okish. Why not prepare kava and then put it in bag with cups and then when you find a nice spot start drinking

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Soon I'll be going hunting for chaga mushroom, just has to get a bit colder. It's an anti-inflammatory

 

[Zaphod]

I have used kava while hiking/camping many times. The most convenient was GHK's extract - small little container, grab a dollop on the way down the mountain and get a nice muscle tension relief when those feet/quads really start to burn! Best thing about the extract was no need to bring even more water (heavy on those longer hikes).. Second to that would be a micro or instant mixed up with your usually amount of water. Now some enjoy and can handle a bit of kava and strenuous activity but make sure you try it before going on a longish or tough hike. You definitely don't want a full out krunk while trying to navigate down a rocky expanse. I usually leave mine for coming back down a mountain, and where I know it is an easy path down. The other option is to just wait until you get back to your campsite and use it as nice way to end a day of hiking with a nice heavy muscle relaxing grog. Great for next to the campfire or in your hammock!

 

[Donwanagan]

Micro or instant would be the easiest, but there is some risk if you've never tried them 1)it's easier to over do it and get sick 2)some people are prone to having more stomach discomfort with micro. These are things best learned prior to your trip, I'd say. But when it comes to kava, nothing is so drastic that you couldn't do it.

Aluball is also perfect for situations like this and since you already know how you react to aluball doses, it's a pretty safe bet.

Not sure how altitude affects the kava experience, I have a vague memory that it may have been discussed here before.

In general, I find kava goes great with being out doors. It's better actually, there's a perceptible difference between kava indoors and kava outdoors.
Load you car with more water than usual since you need some for drinking and some for kava, it can go fast.
In a pinch, if you wanna do a traditional prep, you can make a tanoa but cutting an empty gallon of water in half.
Daytime hiking kava feels kinda weird, but fun. Kava's usually better suited for the evening but daytime in nature can be worth a try.
Just be careful if you take a hike with it, sometimes kava gets your bowels movin'. Does a bear shit in the woods? Yes, and so does the guy who slammed a couple shells before a hike.

Lol. Yeah, i have noticed recently that kava does slightly initiate a bit of bowl movement. I dont think it is like coffee in the morning but there is definitely some connection there.
Good point about getting a grasp on how the micro kava works. I've never tried it and don't know how it will sit in my stomach.

 

[Donwanagan]

Sound's awesome!

If I we're joining you I'd AluBall while exploring and traditional prep a big batch for a long session around the camp fire at night.
We we're just up at 13,000 feet mixin.

You are a trooper haha i am not sure ill be opting for any traditional prep but bringing the aluball is something im still considering for evenings around the camp fire

 

[Donwanagan]

I'm going to be brutal here. I don't recommend Kava followed by physical activity. Its' like when I used to drink beer and play tennis. Bad things happen. And when I play tennis or any sport, it's going to be very physical and the sun is liable to be very, very hot so you have to be at 100 percent and not krunked or drunked. Now after hiking and wrestling bears, I highly recommend kava to help ease any muscle pain and as a social lubricant around the camp fire. That will be awesome.
Kava during physical labor will bring a little shortness of breath, reduced awareness of your surroundings, reduced coordination and all the other effects that alcohol can bring on (though to a lesser extent). The Islanders never drank kava before work but only after work. Just thought I would throw that out there. Kava is a pschoactive ingredient and has all the usual the warnings about not driving, not climbing cliffs, not playing with rattle snakes, not wrestling with bears, etc. Whew, I'm being repetitive. I love camping but be careful.

You know, in my limited experience i think i can validate your point.
The most ive physically pushed myself was two occasions:
Drank a bowl of kava and about an hour later helped my girlfriends parents by hanging two fans for them.
Walked the dog in the evening right after a decent cup of kava.
In the dog walking scenario, things were nice. Slow walk. Nice breeze. Really felt stuck in the moment. It was zen for sure. Towards the end of the walk i was tired and hungry lol.
Hanging the fans. I felt calm and confident, no differently really. But its not the state of mind i need to have while doing electric at work. Not sure exactly how that's relevant but i feel it would be here somehow.

 

[Donwanagan]

I'm a big nature guy... wildcrafting herbs constantly or just walking through the woods and looking at herbs... so needless to say I'm not hiking big mountains and going crazy .. I'm sitting and looking at plants every 2 feet reading my field guide identifing the herb and then meditating with it. Seeing what it wants to teach me..
In this regard I love kava with me in nature .
I just took a 11 day trip to a cabin in the middle of the andirondacks..
Brought all my kava with me and all the other herbs I would need or my gf.

All that sounds really deep. I am sure you've had alot of cool experiences going about it that way. I would like that mentality as well sometime.

 

[Zaphod]

I'm a big nature guy... wildcrafting herbs constantly or just walking through the woods and looking at herbs... so needless to say I'm not hiking big mountains and going crazy .. I'm sitting and looking at plants every 2 feet reading my field guide identifing the herb and then meditating with it. Seeing what it wants to teach me..
In this regard I love kava with me in nature .
I just took a 11 day trip to a cabin in the middle of the andirondacks..
Brought all my kava with me and all the other herbs I would need or my gf.

Headed up to ADK this weekend. Hoping to check 3 more off my 46 list with my son. Kava is kneaded, chilled, and packed in the cooler ready for the trip!

 

[Kaptain Kava]

aluball I think would be the best choice for this since you can shake and drink straight from it on the go.

 

[Marvin Mooney]

I hand kneaded camping a couple of weeks ago. It was a big mess. Aluball seems like it was made for camping.

 

[Señor Chuggs]

Hold my shell while I resurrect this thread right quick.... I'm going camping on the beach this weekend! ill be using the Aluball when needed, but Ill also have a bowl of traditional prep set up at my grill station. SO excited to achieve and sustain the ultimate sun-hazed krunk all weekend.