9 Steps to Prepare for a Weekend of Drinking (2024)

Going on a weekend getaway? Here's how to prep for your next party-filled summer vacay!

Now that summer is in full effect and the days are quickly winding down, it seems as if everyone is trying to make the most of each weekend. Since we are evidently an alcohol-friendly society, a lot of what goes into making our weekend getaways memorable is a great deal of alcohol consumption. Since the first step is acceptance of our communal problem, the second is to deal with it!

The following steps will help you prepare mentally and physically for your summer vacations, including activities such as lounging in wet bars by the beach, bachelor/bachelorette parties, happy hours that will turn into weekend stumbles, etc.

1. Sleep

Your body requires a lot of rest to repair itself of the damage you do to it throughout the day. Since you will probably be staying out till the wee hours of the night you won’t be sleeping at a normal bed time. Alcohol consumption also interferes with your body’s ability to get REM sleep, so even when you do decide to pass out you won’t be getting an adequate amount of rest. Getting consistent rest for a few days before a weekend full of drinking will definitely help your body better prepare.

2. Hydrate

This should go without saying, but a majority of people who experience hangovers Sunday morning fail to drink water after partying. If you’re prepping for a week long or a weekend vacation, make sure to drink lots of water in the days leading up to your departure. Then continue to drink more water while you’re on your trip! This will include drinking water before you go out for the night, while you’re out and definitely and most importantly before you head off to sleep (no matter how drunk you may be).

Before you go out, make sure you leave 2 water bottles by your bedside so when you return, distance will not be an issue. Alcohol dehydrates your body—it forces your body to work overtime to absorb and metabolize it. Dehydration is actually what contributes a great deal to hangovers. If you can continue to replenish your body of the water it is losing, you will be able to avoid the feeling of death in the morning! This will also allow you to enjoy your vacation thoroughly, instead of being the casualty that has to stay at the hotel after night one.

3. Eat!

For those of you who avoid carbohydrates, you may want to take a detour in your weekly diet if you’re attempting to party hard on your vacation. Drinking on an empty stomach will get you drunk that much faster. While in the moment this may seem like a good idea, you’ll leave your body feeling the ramifications of this decision for days to come. In an attempt to shield your body from adverse effects, eating will help slow your body’s absorption of alcohol. Eating will also help metabolize the alcohol. You should be eating meals full of breads, meat, cheese, pasta, milk a few days ahead of time as well as the day of. These foods can be digested slowly and are extremely high in protein.

Moreover, if you continue to eat protein while you’re drinking it will slow down the rate which your body absorbs alcohol. So for a weekend of drinking make sure to glance over the bar menu and find anything with some chicken and steak. Trust me, your morning-self will thank you!

4. Vitamins

While you should be taking your vitamins and minerals according to your daily/weekly regiment, this is especially essential for the week before your trip as well as during your trip. Drinking heavily rids your body of essential nutrients that vitamins and minerals provide to your system. Therefore grab an extra few multivitamins for your trip to ensure your body is given the necessary tools to combat a few days of binge drinking.

5. Resist Mixing

Do not mix different types of alcohol. Switching back and forth between dark and light is extremely hard for your stomach to digest, not to mention your hangover the next morning will be a doozy. Pick your drink of choice and then stick with it for the rest of the night—and even the entire weekend, if possible.

6. Avoid Sugar

While rum and co*kes may be your favorite drink, you really should avoid this combination. Drinks with high fructose corn syrup and energy drinks such as red bull are extremely hard for your body to process, just as difficult as alcohol itself. When going through hours of drinking as is the reality for vacation days, it is necessary to pick a mixer that will not be a contributing factor to a hangover. Attempt to use just ice or water, seltzer, or even fresh juice that has no additional sugar.

7. Transportation

If you’re prepping your body to drink make sure you also make preparations to ensure your safety. Arrange for transportation that doesn’t require you to drink and drive. If you’re on vacation plan on using UBER, have your app ready. If that doesn’t work, make sure to have cab numbers ready to go or even briefly stare at google maps for a few mins to figure out how the city’s public transportation system works.

8. Leave Valuables at Home

If you can’t afford to lose it, do not wear/bring it out. This is especially true when on vacation. Leave passports at home! You do not want to end up in another country without your passport because you lost it when you were drunk. Alcohol is known to impair your judgment and short-term memory. Leave your credit cards at home, this will help you in many ways. Withdraw the amount of cash you expect to be using that night. This will not only prevent you from losing your credit cards but it will also help you stick to a budget because we’re all too familiar with our drunken alter ego’s that swear money is not an issue. Believe me, your bank account will think it’s an issue the next morning.

So if you are bringing your essentials, phone/cash/ID keep an extremely close eye on it. For the ladies, use a wristlet, cross body bag or a small wallet that will you on your body at all times so you don’t have to worry about leaving it somewhere

9. Plan Ahead

A night/nights of drinking may disrupt your capability to problem solve, focus and prevent you from undertaking complex tasks. It’s seen that five or more days of drinking can affect your brain and body for roughly about three days. Therefore, if you know you have a major presentation at work the day after your vacation, try to postpone that presentation or hand it off to someone else because you know you won’t be at your best after a week full of sun and margaritas. Or the more obvious choice would be to drink a lot less and prioritize work over Bahama-mama’s!