Useless stag party packages to avoid
Stag party. Yes the simple gathering of men that pay tribute to another man’s misfortune or luck. First it involved only a pub crawl and strippers. It was just what the fellas wanted. This was the time that mobile phones took really crap photos. Which was perfect. Also the time when loosing your phone was an acceptable excuse for not calling the girlfriend for three days. These were the times when beer, boobs and naturally brewed craic were the only things you needed for a great stag party. Then the crisis arrived and the only things you needed were fags and Dutch Gold.
Phew. Those times are now gone. But just because we have a few extra bob does that mean that we have to throw it at whoever tries to sell us the Emperor’s New Clothes?
Here is a list of the famous activities that will set you back a few hundred quid and you can actually do by yourself.
Guided walking tours
Any stag party organisers that offer a guided trek of some mountains or hills need a reality check. Just think of it this way. Every year thousands climb Croagh Patrick without the need of guide. So when a Stag Company charges for a guided tour of the Torch Waterfalls… we can say for sure that you will not become mountaineers in the valley.
Foot Darts
Well if you want to play darts we get it. They go down well with beer and foster gentle competition. If you also feel like a game of footie then why not. It is worth the running around. You might even lose some weight. But a combination of the above is like darts without beer and soccer without running combined. Who on earth would do that on a stag party? Oh and pay for it. Pints anyone ?
Outrageous Games
These games are a distant cousin of the really famous Games without Frontiers. They were super trendy in the nineties. And with careful organisation they can be great fun. But here is the catch. These games are ideal for corporate team building activities. As such they usually take two hours. So who would like to repeat their last team building session from work on a stag party? And if that’s the case, the setup is really important. Such Games are perfect if you have a combination of settings. You need to have a running track, swimming pool and a good organizer to run them. Any half hearted approach and they are a waste of 2 hours.
Whatever you do…. don’t do the Cube
Any idea copy-paste from a TV show and transported magically to a hotel function room is not worth the money and the time. Don’t do the Cube if it is not in the Cube
Which means that instead of a 4 x 4 x 4 perfect see-through cube you are placed in a hotel room with some shoddy tables. Additionally the game paraphernalia look like they belong to a creche. Finally, the organiser is the hotel receptionist reading from badly printed sheet of paper. In that case ask for your money back.
Extreme adventure packages
Just to be fair. Some activities such as kayaking or zip-lining can be great fun for an adrenaline loving stag party. But the likes of rock climbing, bog snorkeling and similar extreme sports are not for the average Joe. You will get wet, dirty, catch a cold and spend the night drinking hot whiskeys. Stay well away from them if your stag party goers prefer the comfort of cosy pubs.
Guided Pub Crawls
They make sense in historic towns where each bar has a story to tell. On the other hand if you are drinking in a town full of bars built in the last ten years then how about you ask the barman. The Irish Barman is the best Pub tour guide you will ever find. Stag party goers are not exactly tourists. Exploring the local history is not very high on the agenda. As a consequence pub crawling can be much more fun if you all hit the bars together. Also it is a good idea to enjoy the night and not have someone telling when and if you need to leave a bar that you really like. On stag party everybody needs to relax. You will have plenty of stress during the wedding.
So just have stag party with strippers and booze then ?
We are not saying to stick to only beer, strippers and kebab shops. A stag party can be a mini adventure in itself. But if the adventure becomes a chore and it is costing you more money than a normal weekend away, then you are not doing something right. Whatever you do think that not everybody has the same size wallet or brain.