14 Rules For Surviving A Bar Crawl

It's hard not to have heard of, or seen, bar crawls: Groups of joyous people parading down the hippest part of town, sometimes dressed in festive costumes. Bar crawls actually didn't get their start in the U.S., but rather the holy land of pubs, England. The Social Scene observes that bar crawls sort of naturally came about in Britain, as pubs are often concentrated in one area, and you could walk from one to the next. Groups of friends would naturally find themselves moving from one bar to the next as the night went on. True to cheeky British humor, the term bar crawl winks to the fact that by the end of the night, bar-goers may not be walking to the last destination.

There's a lot of allure to a bar crawl: It's the hedonistic pleasure of drinking with friends comingled with a bit of an edge and adventure. It's a great way to discover new cities, neighborhoods, and watering holes. However, there are many ways a bar crawl can go wrong. Here are some things to do to make sure you're crawling back to bed and waking up in as little pain as possible the next day.

Once you've figured out the bars you and your crew want to race off to, make sure to map out it out. This way you can see in advance what the night's going to look like and plan the most efficient possible walking path. You don't want to kill your buzz by accidentally going on a long hike between bars.

When picking out areas to visit, make sure to be a bit strategic. Unlike England, it's a bit harder to walk around the States. You'll want to pick a location that has plenty of options, is easy to walk around, and fits the vibe you're trying to curate.

If you want some technological assistance, Google Maps provides a chic and user-friendly option. Google's My Maps allows users to make their own maps. The maps, which can be shared and edited, are not only easy to make but easy to use. Crawling has never been so high-tech!

Debt.org says eating at home will help you spend less on a night out, but there are a few other reasons to make sure to tuck into a meal before heading out. As Healthline points out, an empty stomach processes alcohol at a different rate. 

The majority of alcohol isn't absorbed through the stomach, but rather the small intestine. Nonetheless, a full stomach is going to help slow the small intestine's roll. This translates to the body experiencing the effects of hooch at a slower pace and makes for a more even drinking experience. Men's Health also points out that eating a well-balanced meal before drinking provides vitamins and minerals that will be drained the longer the night goes on. Drinking a lot on an empty stomach can make for a dangerous scene. It is beyond inadvisable to go on a bar crawl on an empty stomach. 

Not all pre-game foods are made equally though. Men's Health advises avoiding any sugary foods before drinking, as they will be digested more quickly. Fibrous vegetables and fruit will be the best survival tools before heading out into the night.

The writers at Aquasana observe that the best way to avoid a hangover the next morning is to drink plenty of water the night before. As noted by both Aquasana and Healthline, alcohol is a diuretic. It makes your body eliminate water more quickly than it normally would. This has a dehydrating effect, which can cause ungodly spins or killer headaches in the morning. It's safe to say that making sure to keep hydrated is going to help make the night, and the morning after, more enjoyable.

As Healthline notes, the key to keeping hydrated is drinking plenty of water before you go out. Coming out to the scene already hydrated will start you off on good footing. Aquasana provides a few other tips for once you're out on the scene, such as to chase every drink consumed with a good glass of water. A crucial point of drinking is knowing yourself and recognizing symptoms of dehydration as the night goes on so you can correct any problems that arise.

When it comes to bar crawls, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. In this sense, just like with running, it's better to enjoy a slow pace and see just how far you can go. As the Spring Hill Recovery Center outlines, it takes 30 minutes on average for the effects of alcohol to fully hit. This number can be greatly affected by many factors such as gender, weight, height, and genetics. So, in this case, it makes sense to give yourself breathers in between each drink to make sure that you're not hit with everything all at once. Who would prefer to be uncontrollably drunk when they could just enjoy a light buzz?

As Medical Daily notes, there are a few good ways to approach drinking at a moderate pace. Spacing out drinks is the easiest and most important step to make sure you're not consuming too much too quickly. Additionally, keeping an eye on the sort of glassware you're drinking from can be helpful as well. The site notes that people tend to drink more from curved glasses as it's harder to gauge how much you've been drinking. Ultimately, bar crawls provide just as much of a good opportunity for practicing drinking in moderation as they do excess.

There can be some pressure to keep up or go beyond your limits as the night goes on. But, as ReachOut says, at the end of the day, it's your choice (and responsibility) to recognize your body's limits. While this sounds like the sort of lesson you'd learn on an after-school special or sitcom episode, there is a large nugget of truth in it. After all, you don't want to be so intoxicated that you don't make it to the last bar or do your body some serious harm. It's good to make decisions that don't lead to a hellish next day filled with ibuprofen, Gatorade, and a dark pair of sunglasses, or worse, a visit to the hospital. 

A bar crawl provides a unique drinking experience where bar-goers are encouraged to go beyond their limits and push themselves. That being said, you don't have to succumb to the social pressure to drink irresponsibly. Bowing out of a few rounds can be the right decision to get you home safely in one piece.

Before you leave, make sure to lay out some comfy clothes and water — you'll thank yourself later. As noted by The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, hangover symptoms depend on the individual but often include, but aren't limited to: Light sensitivity, weakness, fatigue, headache, and anxiety. One of the core causes of a hangover is light dehydration, so if you've kept your eye on your water levels throughout the night you won't have too much to worry about. But one last bit of water with electrolytes might give you a good boost the next morning. While an electrolyte drink can help restore the body's chemical balance, most people's electrolytes should replenish as they sober up. The best way to prevent a hangover is to keep hydrated and drink in moderation.

Those in the party scene may have noticed that hangover patches have started popping up on the market. The patches work in a similar way to nicotine patches: Vitamins are condensed and then stuck onto the skin, where they're then absorbed, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Theoretically, if they're stuck on before hitting the bar, your body will maintain a good level of vitamins during the night and avoid the hangover the next morning. But, as the clinic notes, there is no scientific evidence that supports these claims at the date of writing.

So, you've cleared every hurdle. You planned a fun night out and kept up with your friends as you traced your way through a new and exciting neighborhood. You sampled drinks from many a venue without losing your wallet or dinner and went to bed well-hydrated with all things set up to get those golden eight hours of sleep. It was a glorious night of debauchery following a masterfully constructed plan. What next, besides planning the next crawl?

Well, before moving on to the next evening, make sure to dig into another good meal. After all, you deserve it, even if you still have a bit of a headache and feel sluggish. Smithsonian Magazine notes that food-based hangover cures are a tale as old as time and spring up from every corner of the world. Notably, Americans turn towards coffee, eggs, and even cola.

But, while these won't necessarily cure your hangover, they are likely to provide some comfort or dull the pain a bit. Plus, a well-balanced meal, even if it won't cure your hangover or fatigue, will certainly aid in the body healing up. After all, isn't it us Americans who hail breakfast as the most important meal of the day? There's no better way to set the mood for the next day than with some nourishing and filling hangover breakfasts.