Tips for a long drive

blue powder

I'll be making an 11 hour drive in one day on sunday, and I was looking for any tips. I'll only be driving about the third of the way. I meant kind of drinking wise and eating wise to reduce my need to go to the bathroom, you know?

Thanks for the advice!

exoplasm

My only piece of advice: make sure the car has cruise control.

Actually for food: don't stop at any fast food chains outside of major cities.

The Black Hunter

at least a 1.5 litre bottles of water each

Have a decent breakfast

You'll want to eat/drink things your body will want to keep

Staxeon

11 hour drive? You should be able to do that with only 2 breaks, if we're talking only adults in the car. Kids tweak the equation.

Unless you need it to stay away, stay away from caffeine. Its a diarectic (sp?) and will increase urine production.

TaGuelle

Probably most people are as well, but I feel like a veteran long car trip taker. If it gets to the point where you take a lot of them frequently, the stops become invalueble. I like to drink a lot of coffee and take about 6 stops for a 12 hour trip. That's pretty much every 2 hours. Cigarettes help I find but that one can get brutal towards the end. There's no way not to feel unhealthy. Brush your teeth 6 hours through perhaps put on fresh deoderant and wash your face.

Szechuanosaurus

Just eat and drink what you normally would over an 11 hour period. It's not exactly endurance driving. If you have a normal diet, you go to the bathroom, what, five times a day max, and that's with a lot of coffee drinking. Just don't dawdle for the toilet stops and you'll be fine. The brief stops will allow your drivers to get a bit of fresh air and stretch their legs which will help keep them alert for the drive anyway.

An 11 hour drive can be easily be done solo, splitting it between three drivers is leisurely in the extreme. Don't over-plan it, it's not like your doing the Paris-Dakar.

Oh, don't drink the night before. If any of your drivers do, slap them around and make them travel in the trunk.

Willeth

Take a look at the CCST thread in the PAX forum. The first few posts are full of tips on how to survive that journey, and this is only a fraction of the distance. General tips like 'a massive jug of water' will definitely be handy.

Also, load up on podcasts.

D-Butz

While cruise control is awesome, using it can make you bored and lose focus. There's something about having your foot on the pedal that engages you a bit more. Loud music and the AC on blast will also keep you awake. Heat makes you tired.

I find that if I have to make a trip by myself, its a good time to do some good old reminiscing with people on the phone. While cell phones and driving don't mix all too well, talking to people also keeps you engaged and awake.

Numi

Get a good nights sleep before the drive, driving while tired is a bad idea. And in that spirit you might want to make sure you get some real food in you, pack a lunch or something if you are not going to be near a decent place to eat around halfway through, eating junk for an hour in the car will probably just make you annoyingly tired once your bloodsuger starts to go haywire.

Quid

You really should be taking breaks every couple hours. It's better for your body, gives your eyes a break from the road, and won't really hurt your overall time.

saint2e

Seriously, pick 10 of your favourite CD's and take 'em with you. Preferably ones that are high energy and won't put you to sleep.

The Cat

Don't even think about driving tired, its roughly the same as driving drunk. All the carnage, you just don't get tested or fined over it. And don't skimp on breaks. Music is good, just make sure its not the kind of stuff that zones you out.

Practically speaking, do you have it planned properly? Maps? Its easy to miss turns and faff around in the middle of nowhere, and there's always diversions for roadworks and annoying stuff like that. Google Earth is good times.

Quid

Seriously. Don't drive tired. If you find yourself starting to nod pull the fuck over. And Cat's right about the maps thing. I've driven to Dallas from Mississippi dozens of times so I figured I was fine without one. But one trip I missed a highway I needed to get on and ended up about sixty miles out of my way until I could find a place with a map that could show me how to get back without backtracking.

Wulf

I found on my marathon trip to Virginia last summer that making the people in the car not driving talk to you helps a ton, as it keeps your brain working and keeps you from getting 'dotted line syndrome' as I like to call it. Music also helps, and I have found that personally taking one re-sealable bottle of my favorite drink and milking it over the course of the whole trip (if you run out half way, which I did, get a second bottle) cuts down on the desire to eat and the huge intake of fluids that usually results in tons of stops. Of course my bastard friends make me drive the whole ~14 hours, but dehydration never really came into the equation. When I do get tired, I find pulling off to the side of the road and getting some fresh air while doing some windsprints or jumping jacks gets me going again and helps clear my head of 'fuzz'.

Edit: Oh and I wouldn't eat a "butt buster" sized meal the day before either. Light and easily digested is the way to go... Believe me, I never want to be caught HAVING to use a Gas Station restroom for that!

Precursor

My advice is pretty much what everyone has already said but i'll add this: Beef jerky and dried fruit are your friends. Just make sure to bring plenty of water.

Evil_Reaver

I find that munching on sunflower seeds helps pass the time during road trips and also keeps me engaged for long periods of time. The amount of sodium in the seeds will dehydrate you quickly, so make sure you drink plenty of water while you are snacking.

Trowizilla

If you're travelling through anything like "country" areas, make sure you go to the bathroom as soon as you feel the need to. There's nothing like unknowingly skipping the last gas station for a hundred miles and having to hold it for ages. *shiver*

mts

well considering he is only doing just over 3 hours of driving, it really is no big deal, take a break when you guys switch, have something to drink accessable and have some snacks to tide you over. i would avoid fast food since it just sits in your stomach 15 minutes after you finish which sucks when driving, but if you really wanted to get yourself a cooler and make some sandwiches or something.


bring a book if you can read in the car, or a pillow, or a gameboy

ihmmy

make sure the music y'all bring/play isn't something other carmates hate. Otherwise they will hate you, forever. ok, not forever, but still

If you can, nap while others are driving. Sleep is good. Sleep is your friend.

Charles Kinbote

I find a pretty good gauge for when you're too sleepy to drive is to listen to stand-up comedy near the end of your driving session. Unlike music, it actually forbids ignoring it, because you can't enjoy it in the background nearly as much as music. So with stand-up comedy, as soon as you find yourself repeatedly having your thoughts stray from the jokes and stories and whatnot, that is when it's time to pull over.

SlickShughes

Shankill Butcher wrote: »

I find a pretty good gauge for when you're too sleepy to drive is to listen to stand-up comedy near the end of your driving session. Unlike music, it actually forbids ignoring it, because you can't enjoy it in the background nearly as much as music. So with stand-up comedy, as soon as you find yourself repeatedly having your thoughts stray from the jokes and stories and whatnot, that is when it's time to pull over.

This. I've used this trick for driving late at night, and it works wonders. Laughing keeps you pretty well awake.

chuck steak

SlickShughes wrote: »

Shankill Butcher wrote: »

I find a pretty good gauge for when you're too sleepy to drive is to listen to stand-up comedy near the end of your driving session. Unlike music, it actually forbids ignoring it, because you can't enjoy it in the background nearly as much as music. So with stand-up comedy, as soon as you find yourself repeatedly having your thoughts stray from the jokes and stories and whatnot, that is when it's time to pull over.

This. I've used this trick for driving late at night, and it works wonders. Laughing keeps you pretty well awake.

I only listen to podcasts when driving now. I used have a hard time staying awake no matter how tired I actually was, but now I can stay awake easily no matter how tired I am.

Rend

1) Start early, but not too early. Get alot of sleep the night before.
2) If you end up getting tired, then pull over and sleep. Tired driving is bad... real bad. This shouldn't be a problem unless you have to start your journey in the middle of your day, but it should be quadruple noted.
3) Eat and drink as normal, 11 hours isn't exactly a marathon, so you shouldn't have too much of a problem with this one.
4) Talk to the passengers in the car as much as possible. This as well is good.
5) Know exactly where you're going and how you're going there beforehand. Detours can quickly turn into an extra couple of hours of driving time.

Bewildered_Ronin

When I drove me and my friends to New Orleans, I basically drove the whole way. That was about 16 hours. Left around 1 AM, got there just in time for rush hour. Cruise control is a godsend. Energy drinks helped me a lot. I chugged those things like crazy, especially since I had worked that previous morning at 6 AM and only had about 4 hours of sleep the night before. I recommend avoiding such a situation and get a good nap beforehand. Good music, and lots of it. The last thing you want is to listen to the same thing over and over. Roll down the windows every now and then. Things can get stuffy in the car sometimes, even with AC on. Wear comfortable clothes. Bring a pillow, your butt will probably get sore after a while. Check your oil, windshield wipers, etc. especially the wipers! Having crappy wipers is a major pain in a rainstorm.

Things I would avoid: drinking too much. Don't chug down lots of water or constantly sip. This will make you need to pull over to urinate. Don't eat a lot. Once again, bathroom breaks. Obey the speed limit. Getting a ticket will add a lot more time than going an extra 10 mph will save. Don't drive aggressively. A wreck will ruin your trip or, if you're lucky, only delay it for several hours. I don't know if you do, but don't smoke weed or let anyone else smoke weed in your car. If you do get pulled over, the subsequent search will not be fun. Not to mention potential jail time and being inebriated on the road is recipe for disaster. Don't try to "tough it out" if you feel tired. Stop the car, get out and walk around, do jumping jacks, let someone else drive, take a nap or whatever. Driving tired is just as bad as driving drunk. Oh, and don't drive drunk either.

Oh, one more thing: What I found to be helpful was bringing spoken word albums (Jello Biafra for me). You could bring a book on tape, a lecture, podcast, or whatever. (Penny Arcade has some great podcasts, and Giant Bomb has gaming related podcasts, too) The reason why I mention this is that once you run out of things to talk about, these podcasts can usually spark new topics of discussion, which I find more entertaining than listening to music for 12 straight hours.

tardcore

I've noticed that listening to Comedy cds instead of just music really helps pass the time and keeps you focused and your brain working.

JohnnyCache

Why does everybody advocate against doing things that make you have to pull over? 10 bathroom stops is really only about 1/2 an hour, man. 11.5 vs 11. Unless you are chevy chase and you're on a tight family schedule or something.

I too like to listen to comedy or books on tape - I find it's better than music, even loud music. In a genuine emergency I put on conservative radio shows - they piss me off so much I sometimes can't fall asleep the day AFTER the trip.

Truck stop drip coffee is the most caffeinated substance on the planet, barring a few designer energy drinks.

As far as not CAUSING any extra breaks goes, try to do what you have to do when everybody else does. But don't worry about it unless you're driving with an asshole, he shouldn't care if you have to whiz.


If you're not much for distance driving, there's nothing wrong with asking people to change the radio or something for you. If you're one of those people who can't look away from the road without your hands going that way too, try to avoid looking away from the road when people are sleeping.

Take your car in for an oil change - in addition to the practicality of doing so before a trip, knowing you're in a recently serviced vehicle is reassuring. If it's not your car, ask the guy ahead of time about eating/smoking/drinking in the car.

What's with the hate on small town fast food, exoplasm?

dlinfiniti

journey and other power ballads for group sing-a-longs are always fun

KalTorak

On the same lines as comedy CDs and podcasts, audiobooks are a great way to make the hours zip by. Just don't get a voice with an accent that makes you sleepy - I had one that sounded like Bob Ross, put me right out. Luckily I wasn't driving.

blue powder

Hey, all, your advice is excellent and iwll be taken into consideration/ and or put into action! Thanks a lot, speak with you all in a week or two!

SlickShughes

JohnnyCache wrote: »

Why does everybody advocate against doing things that make you have to pull over? 10 bathroom stops is really only about 1/2 an hour, man. 11.5 vs 11. Unless you are chevy chase and you're on a tight family schedule or something.

10 bathroom breaks is waymore than half an hour. That would work out to 3 min a piece, which would be fine if you're just kicking the door open and pissing on the side of the road. I would guess bathroom breaks to take between 10 and 15 minutes, so thats somewhere between 1 hour and 40 minutes and 2 and a half hours. Granted, one break an hour seems a bit excessive, but even still, it's best to keep them to a minimum.

-Phil-

I used to have my 23 hour yearly car trips. We would only stop for fuel (we would eat and do necessities at this time). My suggestion only concerns night driving. I suggest you get a pair of yellow tinted sunglasses (gas station brand will do). In my case, they cause my eyes to get less tired and block out some of the glare from on-coming traffic.

JohnnyCache

SlickShughes wrote: »

JohnnyCache wrote: »

Why does everybody advocate against doing things that make you have to pull over? 10 bathroom stops is really only about 1/2 an hour, man. 11.5 vs 11. Unless you are chevy chase and you're on a tight family schedule or something.

10 bathroom breaks is waymore than half an hour. That would work out to 3 min a piece, which would be fine if you're just kicking the door open and pissing on the side of the road. I would guess bathroom breaks to take between 10 and 15 minutes, so thats somewhere between 1 hour and 40 minutes and 2 and a half hours. Granted, one break an hour seems a bit excessive, but even still, it's best to keep them to a minimum.

Well, again, I guess this depends who's doing the breaking and if you have kids and if we're talking about "I had a bottled water let me out real quick at this rest stop" or "I'm bored of being in the car can we please stop at the world's biggest ball of twine for 20 minutes" and if you're dealing with a delicate flower who wants you to exit the interstate and find a surgical theatre vs someone who'd use the worst toilet in scotland in an emergency.

But no one's going to take 10 breaks anyway - the point I was making is people worry way to much about it. On a trip that long, unless you're transporting an organ or something, you'll probably stop enough, but if you don't, what's a bathroom break?

Uncle Long

I drove from Michigan to Alaska by myself and have taken perennial road trips from Michigan to Georgia. Now, granted, you can't make it to Alaska in one day (takes three. It's around a 50 hr drive) so you have to stop. I would say, stop for food, and don't be afraid to pull up somewhere, sit down, and have an actual meal and relax for a minute or two. Get out every 2-3 hours whether you think you need to or not. Get as much driving done during daylight hours as you can, because you'll get way more tired once night falls. Bring good music along, as you'll definitely get tired of listening to those three Nickleback tunes that every rural community seems to have on their radio on perpetual repeat.

Bring along a good deal of water and something good to snack on. By good, I mean, like, trail-mix. Stuff like Doritos and things heavy in salt just seem to sit in your stomach and give you indigestion.

Avoid the Waffle House. If you have no choice but the Waffle House, do not drink their orange juice, it will ruin your day in firey acid.

11 hours is not enough to worry about, honestly, that's less than 4 hours per person. Enjoy your time and take your time. Leave early if you have to. And, again, drive as much as you can in daylight.

Oh, bring sunglasses.

Trowizilla

Uncle Long wrote: »

Avoid the Waffle House. If you have no choice but the Waffle House, do not drink their orange juice, it will ruin your day in firey acid.

Don't hate on the Waffle House. They have plenty of non-greasy food, and they're a) cheap, b) tasty, c) have clean bathrooms, and d) consistent. Plus, they're very good places for taking a break, especially if you're in some podunk town where the alternative is a McDonald's.

Do be careful, though; just because they'll keep refilling your coffee doesn't mean you have to keep drinking it.

AresProphet

Trowizilla wrote: »

Don't hate on the Waffle House.

Waffle House is great. Or at least, it's consistently better than most out-of-the-way eats.

Tomanta

Snacks are ok in the car, and since it's 11 hours between three people this may not be necessary, but when I was driving between IL and TX by myself (~14 hour trip) I always stopped and ate lunch/supper outside the car. It gave a nice, long, needed break in addition to my quick 5-min breaks every couple of hours.

The conservative talk radio suggestion is an interesting one, I've never done it on long drives but based on my experience listening to it on my way to work could definitely see it working. My last long trip by myself I tried to find talk radio (conservative or otherwise) whenever I drove through a big city.

It's best not to be in a hurry or worry about delays. Start out very early if you have to be there by a certain time, or hell, start out early even if you don't. You will probably leave anywhere between 30 min and an hour AFTER you planned to leave.

Late afternoon, at least for me, tend to be the suckiest time to drive. It's hot, the sun is on you and you just get tired. Be careful.

nemesis92

here's what you do:
get someone else to drive.
works wonders.

Dynagrip

AresProphet wrote: »

Trowizilla wrote: »

Don't hate on the Waffle House.

Waffle House is great. Or at least, it's consistently better than most out-of-the-way eats.

They only take cash by the way. At least the ones aound here anyway.

I Win Swordfights

EDIT: Woah my advice is suddenly useless.

Pussum

If you eat before you go make sure you eat at least an hour or so before you leave. That way if your body desides to rid itself of some waste you won't be balls deep into your trip and have to find a place to stop in the middle of no where. Also stay away from candy and anything salty. 11 hours really isn't that bad so you should only really have to stop for gas a few times. If you can hold it until you stop your cool. Bring some snacks, but nothing to heavy. Nothing that is going to make you have to go to the bathroom. Bathroom breaks are the number one killer of making good time on a trip. Just ask any parent with 1 or more kids.