Staying Sober at Hacker Summer Camp: A Non-Drinker’s Guide to BSides, Black Hat, and DEF CON
- Jen VanAntwerp
- 2 days ago
- 11 min read
(Everyone’s journey is different, but here’s one sober gal’s guide to finding recovery support, networking without alcohol, and surviving Las Vegas during BSides, Black Hat, and DEF CON)
Every year, tens of thousands of cybersecurity professionals descend upon Las Vegas for the beautiful, chaotic, sleep-deprived adventure affectionately known as hacker summer camp.
There are groundbreaking talks. Villages. Trainings. Capture-the-flag competitions. Hallway conversations that may change the direction of your career. Parties that somehow begin before breakfast. More parties that continue until breakfast.
And alcohol. So. Much. Alcohol.
If you're sober, alcohol-free, newly in recovery, sober-curious, or just trying to make healthier choices, hacker summer camp can sometimes feel like navigating a social obstacle course while dehydrated, overstimulated, and (probably) wearing the wrong shoes.
I’ve been sober for 25+ years, and I still believe staying sober at conferences requires planning. That doesn't mean conferences can’t be oodles of fun. It just means I’ve learned that my sobriety (and my general well-being) shouldn't be the one part of my conference schedule left to chance.
The good news is that you don't have to choose between protecting your sobriety and participating in the cybersecurity community. There are recovery meetings, alcohol-free events, wellness activities, sober people who understand, and plenty of ways to build meaningful relationships without holding a cocktail.
So, whether you're attending BSides Las Vegas, Black Hat USA, DEF CON, or any of the other goings-on this August, here’s your guide to being sober at hacker summer camp.
First, make a plan before you land in Vegas
There’s a saying in cybersecurity that “hope is not a strategy.” That most definitely also applies to sobriety.
Before the week begins, take some time to think through the situations that might be difficult for you. Those may include:
Being surrounded by alcohol at parties
Feeling pressured to attend every social event
Traveling alone
Losing your regular sleep, food, exercise, or meeting routine
Running into people you used to drink or use with
Feeling anxious, lonely, overwhelmed, or professionally insecure
That dangerous combination of being hungry, angry, lonely, and tired
You don't need to predict every possible scenario. You just need a few backup plans.
Consider identifying:
One sober or trusted person you can contact
One recovery meeting you could attend
One alcohol-free event you want to prioritize
One polite sentence you can use to decline a drink
One easy way to leave if an environment stops feeling safe
One quiet place where you can decompress
Your plan can be as simple as:
“I’m going to the event for an hour, I'll keep a nonalcoholic drink in my hand, and I’ll text my friend when I arrive and when I leave.”
Small plans can prevent large problems.
Sober and recovery resources at BSides Las Vegas
BSides Las Vegas takes place August 3-5, 2026, at the Tuscany. The conference offers two full days of programming on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a partial day and evening activities on Wednesday.
Recovery Hackers
BSides Las Vegas will host Recovery Hackers meetups each evening:
Monday, August 3: 7:30-10:00 PM
Tuesday, August 4: 7:30-10:00 PM
Wednesday, August 5: 7:30-10:00 PM
The published BSides schedule lists the time and location for Recovery Hackers meetups, but because schedules have a way of evolving in real time, confirm the room and time in the Hacker Tracker app before heading over.
These gatherings can be especially helpful when you need to step away from the noise, connect with people who understand recovery, or simply remind yourself that you're not the only sober person in Las Vegas.
BSides also partners with a Mental Wellness sponsor (Embed Security) to provide “CyberCalmingKits” with physical tools that attendees can use to stay calm and centered during the conference, such as earplugs, aromatherapy, a meditation timer, fidgets, and other helpful items.
Alcohol-free and wellness options during Black Hat USA
Black Hat USA runs August 1-6, 2026, at Mandalay Bay. Trainings take place August 1-4, Summit Day is August 4, and the main Briefings and Business Hall run August 5-6.
While I haven’t been able to locate an official Friends of Bill W. or recovery meeting within Black Hat’s conference programming (someone please reach out to me if there’s an option I haven’t come across!), there are still ways to build alcohol-free time into your Black Hat week.
The Sober Speakeasy
On Tuesday night, Sober in Cyber is hosting our fourth annual Sober Speakeasy event! An alcohol-free party during hacker summer camp.
Tuesday, August 4
7:00-9:30 PM
The Mob Museum (pre-registration required)
We’re returning to the location where Sober in Cyber held its very first event in 2023, which feels both wonderfully sentimental and a little surreal. On one hand, it feels like it has been much longer than that, but at the same time, I remember that event like it was yesterday. It was a much smaller meetup in 2023, and I’m so proud that our community has grown to the point where we’re now just about maxing out the venue size in the Mob Museum’s underground speakeasy!
The 2026 Sober Speakeasy will include:
Alcohol-free networking
Mocktails
Tasty food
Access to explore the Mob Museum until 9:00 PM
A secret room, because apparently we are physically incapable of hosting a normal event 😆
Zero pressure to drink
Pre-registration is required, and the event is open to anyone who is attending BSides, Black Hat, or DEF CON.
The event is open to everyone who is in town for hacker summer camp. You don't have to be sober, identify as being in recovery, or explain why you're not drinking. Sober people, sober-curious people, designated drivers, supportive friends, pregnant attendees, athletes, early risers, and people who simply don't feel like drinking are all welcome.
We want alcohol-free professional networking to feel like a real event and blow-the-roof-off party, not like someone reluctantly placed two warm sodas at the end of an open bar.
CISO Games GYM at Black Hat
I also love the concept behind the CISO Games GYM, taking place during Black Hat week.
Instead of beginning the day at yet another hospitality suite (or recovering from the previous night), attendees can start with movement, community, and a little friendly competition.
The CISO Games GYM is scheduled for the mornings of August 4 and 5, from 7:00-10:00 AM, with activities designed to help cybersecurity professionals begin their day with energy rather than burnout.
Exercise isn’t everybody’s chosen recovery tool, and you don't need to transform hacker summer camp into a wellness retreat. But having a morning commitment can create structure, support better decisions the night before, and give you a social activity that has absolutely nothing to do with drinking.
That’s a win in my book. The muscles are just an added perk.
Recovery meetings at DEF CON
DEF CON 34 takes place August 6-9, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
DEF CON traditionally hosts Friends of Bill W. meetings throughout the conference. The currently listed schedule is:
Thursday: 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM
You don't have to be an AA expert, have a certain amount of sober time, or know what to say. Just walk in, listen, share if you’re comfortable doing so, and take a quiet moment to regroup.
It’s a good idea to confirm the final times and locations in the Hacker Tracker app, since schedules can change. Hacker Tracker includes schedules for DEF CON, BSides events, and other security conferences, with filters, bookmarks, and notifications for saved sessions.
Download Hacker Tracker before the week begins
Hacker Tracker is one of the most useful tools for finding current schedules at BSides Las Vegas and DEF CON (and lots of other conferences!).
In addition to using it as a regular conference agenda tool, you can use it to:
Locate recovery meetups
Confirm room assignments
Bookmark meetings and wellness activities
Receive reminders
Find quieter or lower-pressure events when your original plan no longer feels like a good idea
Search for “Hacker Tracker - Schedule App” in your device’s app store, or visit the project’s listing:
Find local AA, NA, or CA meetings in Las Vegas
Conference-based meetings are convenient, but they aren’t your only option.
Las Vegas has local in-person recovery meetings throughout the week, along with virtual meetings you can join from your hotel room.
Alcoholics Anonymous
The Las Vegas Central Office maintains a current local AA meeting search and operates a local hotline.
You can also use AA’s official meeting resources:
AA also offers a free Meeting Guide app that can help users locate in-person and online meetings.
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous World Services offers a search tool for local websites, phone lines, in-person meetings, and virtual meetings.
Cocaine Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous provides links to local areas, phone contacts, online meetings, and its official meeting app.
Schedules can change, so verify meeting details before arranging transportation.
Some additional conference sobriety tips
This next section covers some more basic tips for ways you can focus on wellness during hacker summer camp, or any conference. It mostly boils down to: water, shoes, snacks, boundaries, and stubbornly refusing to destroy your nervous system in the name of networking.
1. Carry a refillable water bottle
Las Vegas in August ain’t playing around.
Conference centers are enormous. The air is dry. You will walk much farther than your phone’s map suggests. Coffee is everywhere. Water is somehow never where you expect it to be.
Bring a refillable water bottle and use it!
I try to drink water throughout the day instead of waiting until I’m already exhausted, overheated, or developing a headache. Adding an electrolyte packet can also be helpful, particularly if you're walking outside or exercising.
Dehydration can make anxiety, irritability, fatigue, and bad decision-making considerably worse.
2. Eat actual food
Coffee is not breakfast. I know, I’m sad about that, too.
A protein bar found at the bottom of your conference bag is technically food, but it shouldn't be your entire nutritional strategy.
Long gaps between meals can leave you physically depleted and emotionally vulnerable. When possible:
Eat something before the day begins
Carry a snack or two
Plan at least one real meal each day (set something up with friends so you don’t forget to eat!)
Don't wait until 10:30 PM to discover every nearby kitchen has closed
Being hungry can make an ordinary inconvenience feel like a personal attack. Plan accordingly.
3. Wear comfortable shoes
I understand that some of you have an entire conference aesthetic.
Keep the aesthetic. But, for the love of all things holy, please add some insoles.
The distance between two “nearby” Las Vegas properties may be several thousand steps, one pedestrian bridge, three escalators, and an unexpected journey through a casino.
Comfortable shoes won’t directly keep you sober, but physical pain and exhaustion rarely improve anybody’s coping skills.
4. Protect your sleep!
There will always be one more party, one more meetup, one more person you “have to” see, and one more fascinating conversation happening at an unreasonable hour.
You don't have to attend everything. I’m mostly writing this part down for myself, because tbh, I’m absolutely the worst at this. I want to do everything and see everyone!
But I have to remind myself that rest is not a failure to maximize the conference. Rest is what allows me to participate meaningfully in the parts that matter most.
Choose the events that align with your goals. Let the rest go. Poof!
The people still standing in a nightclub at 3:00 AM probably aren’t discussing the career opportunity that could only have existed if you had sacrificed your sleep to be there.
And if they are, they can email you.
5. Keep a nonalcoholic drink in your hand
At receptions and networking events, I often grab a sparkling water, coffee, mocktail, or another alcohol-free option shortly after arriving. There are two benefits:
First, I have something to drink. Yay, hydration!
Second, people are less likely to repeatedly offer me something when I’m already holding a beverage.
But remember: You don't owe anyone a detailed explanation about what is or is not in your glass.
One important note… mocktails and alcohol-free spirits can be uncomfortable or triggering for some people in recovery. “Nonalcoholic” products may also contain trace amounts of alcohol. Choose whatever feels safe for you. Sparkling water is perfectly respectable. So is leaving.
6. Prepare your “no, thank you”
You don't need to develop an elaborate cover story.
Try:
“No, thank you.”
“I’m not drinking tonight.”
“I’m good with this.”
“I have an early morning.”
“I have an allergy to alcohol.”
“I’m taking a break.”
“I don’t drink.”
All of these are complete and absolutely valid answers.
If someone continues pressing after you’ve declined, that’s useful information about them, not evidence that your answer was insufficient.
7. Give yourself permission to leave
This is one of my most important conference rules.
You can leave a party after ten minutes.
You can skip an event you registered for.
You can step outside.
You can return to your hotel.
You can change your plan when the room, the people, or your internal warning system tells you that something is off.
You're not required to remain in an uncomfortable environment to prove that you're fun, resilient, social, committed to your job, a real hacker, or “good at sobriety.”
Protecting yourself is never rude.
8. Find your sober buddy or support squad
Before attending an event that may be triggering (and remember, NOT going is always an option), tell someone where you're going. Arrange a check-in. Ask a sober friend to attend with you. Meet someone at a Recovery Hackers or Friends of Bill W. meetup.
Your support person doesn't have to be physically present in Las Vegas. Sometimes a text from someone who understands is enough to interrupt a dangerous thought pattern.
Sober in Cyber was created because being sober in this industry can feel isolating. Alcohol is often treated as the default vehicle for celebration, networking, relaxation, and belonging. But professional connection doesn't need to be built around drinking, and no one should have to put their health or recovery at risk to participate in their own industry or be part of a community.
9. Schedule something you genuinely enjoy
Sobriety shouldn't feel like a week-long list of things you're forbidden from doing.
Find something enjoyable that isn’t centered around alcohol:
Explore a village
Play a board game
Attend a meetup
Exercise
See a show
Eat an absurd dessert
Find a quiet coffee shop
Go back to your room and watch terrible television
Sleep
You're allowed to have fun. You're also allowed to define fun differently than the loudest people on your social feed.
10. Remember why you came
Before the week begins, decide what you actually want from hacker summer camp.
Maybe you want to:
Learn a new skill
Reconnect with friends
Find a job
Meet collaborators
Support a community
Attend a specific talk
Survive your first DEF CON
Experience Vegas sober
Return home proud of how you handled the week
Write down your reason and your intentions. When the schedule becomes overwhelming, or FOMO starts making your decisions, return to your reason.
You don't need to attend the most parties to have a successful conference.
You don't need to drink to network.
You don't need to exhaust yourself to prove that you belong.
Join the Sober in Cyber community
Sober in Cyber hosts alcohol-free events and creates community-building opportunities for sober individuals who work in cybersecurity.
Our in-person events are open to everyone, including sober and sober-curious individuals, supporters, colleagues, friends, and anyone interested in professional networking without pressure to drink.
Our Discord community is a little different.
To protect members’ comfort, privacy, and ability to speak candidly, the Sober in Cyber Discord is reserved for sober and alcohol-free individuals who work in cybersecurity.
Members use the community to share resources, celebrate milestones, discuss challenges, and find sober buddies at industry events.
Supportive friends and sober-curious community members are warmly invited to attend our public events, follow Sober in Cyber on social media, and subscribe to our updates.
You belong at Hacker Summer Camp
It can be difficult to walk into an environment where drinking appears to be part of the price of admission.
But you belong at BSides Las Vegas.
You belong at Black Hat.
You belong at DEF CON.
You belong in the hallway conversations, the villages, the pool parties, the leadership meetings, the research community, and every other part of this industry, whether your cup contains a cocktail, a mocktail, a coffee, a sparkling water, or nothing at all.
You don't have to compromise your sobriety to build relationships.
You don't have to explain your choices to earn respect.
And you absolutely do not have to do hacker summer camp alone.
Make a plan. Find your people. Drink some water. Wear comfortable shoes. Leave when you need to.
I hope to see you in Las Vegas… happy and hydrated. 💜
"Sober at Hacker Summer Camp" Quick-reference schedule
BSides Las Vegas: August 3-5
Recovery Hackers
Monday: 7:30-10:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:30-10:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:30-10:00 PM
Check Hacker Tracker for the latest room information.
Sober Speakeasy: August 4
7:00-9:30 PM
The Mob Museum
Alcohol-free networking, mocktails, food, and museum access
CISO Games GYM: August 4-5
7:00-10:00 AM
DEF CON: August 6-9
Friends of Bill W.
Thursday: 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM
Confirm locations and schedule updates in Hacker Tracker
