Usually living in tents or log cabins, the miners arose at dark to commence work at the first signs of daylight. Loosening the dirt by digging or shoveling, carrying it to a machine (usually a cradle and after 1850 on a long tom), and washing the dirt with the machine was a repetitive procedure that continued until sunset. The work´s repetitiousness and monotony caused miners to sometimes lose track of the days. Moreover, mining was extremely exhausting. Often, miners worked on their knees or lying down in the tunnels, or standing in mud and icy waters; thus, a sound food supply was crucial to ensure the needed amount of calories.
With a lack of transportation particularly for new mining fields, many foods were only seasonally available. In newly established diggings, the miners had to get their food from towns or other gold fields nearby. Once the number of diggers increased, a trader usually established his shop at the diggings. The standard food supply consisted of flour, dried meat, beans, and coffee. Flour was needed to bake unleavened bread, probably inspired by Mexican tortillas. In late 1849, rice, dried fruits, sugar, onions and potatoes became available. Due to the limited food supply, scurvy was common among the miners. Thus, vegetables like onions and potatoes were in high demand, with their price sometimes rising up to one dollar a piece. Liquor, wine, and brandy were also common, though the average consumption of alcohol probably did not exceed one gallon of whiskey per person per year. With an improving food supply, bacon, ham, molasses, fat, cheese, fresh meet, jerked beef, and Chinese tea came to the miner´s table.
Hunting and fishing enriched the diet with fresh meat but also led to the invasion of Indian territory, diminishing Indian food resources. The miners´ clothing had to be very strong, and although it was usually of very good quality, it wore out quickly. Since washing was expensive, many miners tended to buy new clothes, discarding their old ones after they became tattered and dirty.
On Sundays, miners tried to escape their tiring daily routine, spending the day with mending and washing clothes, fixing the cabin, writing and reading -- mostly the Bible, sometimes Shakespeare or James Fenimore Cooper -- or heading towards the nearest center of leisure and companionship. Only when competition at the diggings became harsh did some groups start working on Sundays. The most celebrated leisure opportunities were holidays. No one worked on the 4th of July. Thanksgiving and Christmas reminded the miners of their homes and families, but some preferred to work rather than celebrating the day with food, drinks, and orations.
Gold rush towns with their brothels, drinking, gambling, and music halls were especially crowded and loud on these days. While miners usually did not drink any alcohol during the week because of their hard work, most of them allowed themselves a good shot on Sundays. The drinking of alcoholic beverages had long been an issue of concern in America, and despite a considerable average consumption, many men tried to cling to their principle of absistence. Sometimes they had to promise their families to stay away from liquor (and other vices such as gambling and whoring), sometimes the company constitutions prohibited drinking alcoholic beverages. A violation of these company rules led to expulsion.