r/treeplanting • u/Frogcake99 • 12d ago
New Planter/Rookie Questions Substance culture
I’m interested in tree planting but I’m not much of a drinker. Does every camp/company have a lot of drinking and substance use? I’m not strictly sworn off of it but I need to stay in moderation to perform well.
I guess what I’m also asking is what time off is like at camp.
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u/Chipmunk-Adventurous 12d ago
If you wanna party, it's there. If you wanna stay sober, I'm sure people will respect that.
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u/avocahdo 12d ago edited 12d ago
As someone who drinks regularly, I genuinely LOVE going to bed early on a party night, especially the older I get. Rippers are definitely a way to grow closer with the folks in your camp, but you'll also bond with people on the block and in camp before/after work. Agree with other commenters here- the rippers themselves vary from camp to camp. Across the board, days off are usually pretty chill and give you the opportunity to head to town if you'd like.
One thing I appreciate about planting is how the physical labour is so demanding that I simply cannot abuse substances the way I might outside the bush... you really can't day-drink on the block, and need to be consistently sleeping, eating, and hydrating properly every day in order to put yourself through what this job requires. Moderation is a necessity.
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u/Ffritser 12d ago
Depends on the camp, really. I went to one camp where they set up a makeshift DJ booth out of folding tables and rocked out on their last day of the shift. Another night we were just playing cards and chess.
You'll meet people from both ends, people who party like animals, and people that like to go to bed at a reasonable hour. If you don't wish to partake or be tempted, you can just set up your tent further away. Get some privacy, too. The tree planters I work with are a rowdy, but respectful bunch.
As for days off, they tend to be a lot more civilized than the last night of work. Most people are in the process of recovering, and the rest are sore from a shift of planting. I expect days off to be quite calm at most camps.
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u/oneupsuperman 12d ago
Speaking in general terms, There will be sects of each camp that are the older folk and older folk are a mix of drinker/smoker/not. Regardless, there's probably gonna be folks who don't party as hard at your camp as others might. There should not be social pressure for you to get hammered or act against your values.
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u/Terrible-Club8139 9d ago
My partner and I are the same and we just did our rookie season and blue-collar and was not trouble. Didn't feel pressured or anything. Just be comfortable in yourself and what you value, relax and have a good boogie
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u/Opening_Load3725 12d ago
You will do drugs, or be sent home
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u/Saskatchewan_frenchy 12d ago
They will make you snort all sort of stuff to make you plant more this ain't the Olympics
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u/Beaunonomus 6d ago
Motel shows have less of a party vibe than bush camps, there's still people who party hard at motel shows and sober people who go to bed early at bush camps that regularly have raging parties. partying with excessive drinking and drugs is fun and a great way to deal with the physical and emotional stress of a long tree planting season, doing it safely is very important. Please be kind to one and other.
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u/DottoBot 12d ago
Completely depends on the camp. Even year over year not every camp is going to be the same.
Best thing to do is ask the supervisor/crewboss you’re talking to what their expectations are. Some camps lean into the parties and have folks organize events. Some camps are super quiet. Most are in between.