Kegger Chronicle · Gear & Tradition

The Kegs

From six-packs and tequila to half-barrels of craft beer — a history of what we carry in

The first beer at the first Kegger was in six-packs and bottles of tequila. Then things got more sophisticated. Over 50 years, both the equipment and the beer have evolved considerably. Kegs are usually procured in the Sacramento area in the days before the Kegger to assure supply.

Procurement and transport

Two kegs loaded in a truck bed packed in ice, ready for transport, 2013 — 2013 — two kegs loaded and iced in the truck bed, wrapped in foil insulation and packed with block ice. The yellow ratchet strap keeps them in place on the drive up.

Getting a keg to the trailhead is itself a logistics operation. The system that has evolved: pack the keg in the truck bed with large blocks of ice and wrap the whole assembly in foil bubble insulation, secured with cargo straps. Block ice lasts longer than bag ice for this purpose.

Kegs in back seat of SUV wrapped in foil — three kegs filling the entire rear cargo area — Interior transport: three kegs foil-wrapped and taped, filling the back of the SUV. The seats are folded down.

At camp

Keg with pump in camp, dog sleeping beside it — The keg at camp, pump in place, one dog who has clearly decided this is the right spot to nap. The keg is the center of camp life.

Once the keg arrives at camp, it gets set up in a central location — ideally in shade, packed with any remaining ice, and elevated slightly on rocks to make pumping easier. The pump goes in, the first pour happens, and the Kegger officially begins.

The beer selection over 50 years

The first years: whatever was cheapest and came in quantity. By the 1990s, Tom was sourcing microbrews. The 50th Kegger in 2025 featured craft kegs — a long way from the Tequila Break-Out days.

Snow years: natural refrigeration

Two kegs covered in snow at the 2025 Kegger — 2025 — two kegs at camp, fully snow-covered. In a snow year, refrigeration is not a concern. Both were tapped. Both were drained.

In a heavy snow year, the ice logistics become irrelevant. The kegs sit in snow. The beer stays perfectly cold. The challenge shifts to keeping the pump valves from freezing.

See also: Stretchers & Kegs for the full history of how the kegs get to camp.