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Darksamurai · 05-February-08, 12:32 AM

Okay... so I've been averaging about 100K a year at work. In that time, I've picked up a few tips and tricks I'll share with ya'll.

1. KEEP AWAKE:

It's all about keeping your mind in action. It's easy to do when you're fresh, but after awhile, you can become lulled by the road. This is especially easy when you're tired due to any number of factors. Here's a few things I tend to do when I notice my mind is starting to doze...

A: I do my monthly budget in my head... if I've already done that, I'll try to calculate the distance and time from my current location to the next town. Math can be your friend on the road... I'm not going to say I'm a math whiz, but I will say it keeps the ol' noodle working...

B: Try to think about something you want to achieve, or something you feel would be fun. Making yourself happier on the road makes you more awake.

C: Don't try to listen to books-on-tape on the road unless you find the book VERY interesting. You want your mind awake and if the person reading the book is somewhat monotone, you're going to get tired.

D: If you start getting sleepy and you still have a ways to go, open a window. Some people get sleepy when they get cold, others get drowsy when they get hot. Use your best judgement and alter the temperature! Don't freeze yourself or you'll fatigue your muscles...

2. RADIO ADVICE:

Static-filled country is preferable to clear Nickelback. Still, static-filled anything else is preferable to country! (just kidding... I actually like some country music).

Still, Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" should be cranked to the highest decibel level you can handle, regardless of sound quality...

3. Headphones as ear plugs?

I bought a set of headphones that plug directly into your ear with a little foam pad. These things work remarkably well, and have saved me a bunch of battery life as I don't have to turn them up very far to hear my MP3 player.

From my last medical exam, they're telling me my hearing is degrading heavily on one side due to the wind-noise the screams through my van (they've replaced the door seals three times, I guess GMC's seals just kind of suck)... so I've taken to plugging these in, even if I'm not listening to music. Sometimes, silence is indeed golden!

4. Stopping?

I've done a lot of straight-through driving. I've driven through conditions I probably was a complete and total dumb-ass to go through. Still, I've hit that magic number where I've pulled off and just let my arms stop shaking from exhaustion. Get out and walk around, take a jog if you need to. The body was never meant to sit and concentrate for that long, so once you hit the point where it looks like the road is floating up at you, you're seeing things that aren't there darting out and you feel like someone has worked you over... take a quick break.

If you fall asleep in your car, try to make sure you're in a safe place. If it's snowing, make sure if you leave the car running you're not going to have the tail pipe get snowed over and kill yourself by accident...

5. Know thy conditions:

Tune into the radio if you're seeing something nasty on the horizon. It can tell you if the way up ahead is going to be an option or not. They closed just about every highway in Montana last week due to hard-core blowing snow and they're blasting a ridge tomorrow that is going to close a major pass for a few hours. Knowing these kinds of things can save you a great deal of stress as if you need to pull over, you might still be able to find a hotel instead of "roughing it" in the car...

6. Know thy vehicle:

Does everything check out? If you're heading into snow country, do you have snow tires? Do you have a coat and a survival kit if you get stuck? Do you know where you're going? Did you flush your radiator before trying to cross the desert? Every climate has it's own little survival tricks... talk to a mechanic before heading out. Did you put away a few extra bucks for emergencies?

7. Slay Boredom!

Avoid this article... No, WAIT! I mean, keep yourself occupied. Change your music out, sing with the radio (unless you're going to get death threats from passengers), talk to yourself, and anything else you can do to not let yourself get bored.

8. Get gas!

Stopping for gas should be dual purpose...

A: Refuel the vehicle

B: Refuel the driver! Gas stations allow you to do shop for all sorts of caffeine and sugar-laden goodness. Make sure you buy a bottle of water to compensate for the caffeine... realize that it will make you have to "stop" more often, but if you're tired, it's either hit the rest stops or stop for the night.

Also: Make sure you keep food on hand in the car. There are a lot of places in the world where gasoline and snacks aren't always a block or two away. I've rolled through Death Valley on fumes, I've had to make emergency stops at stations in towns I never planned to have to find, and I've stayed the night in towns with no services after dark (this means if you're hungry, too freakin' bad). Plan ahead and you'll be a happier person... never expect service ahead if you don't know the area.

9. See the light at the end of the tunnel:

It's easy to get cranky and miserable driving long distance. Still, by thinking about how many miles you've gone versus what you have left (if you're making good time) can help you think about it more positively... don't let it stress you, but every mile is one less you have to drive...

10. Play a game:

I've had friends who play games that require two people (like the burned-out headlight spotting game, or the I'm seeing something that begins with...), but if you have a passenger, I usually end up playing an alphabetical game, usually starting with song titles, or artists.

It would kind of work like this. Starting with song artists:

You: Animals
Passenger 1: Bad Company
Passenger 2: Chopin
Passenger 3: DJ Redlight
You: ELO (which you've horribly dated yourself if you know this one).

Adjust to how many passengers you have.

If you happen to be by yourself, you can play this one, but it can get old quick with no other input. Still, try to keep your mind focused on finding things on the highway. You can go "A"... "Asphault", B "This is BULLS***, why aren't I there yet!", C... "CAN'T THIS POS GO ANY FASTER!"... of course, you'd have to be tired, pissy, and me... (This game is best played without passenger!)

Basically, the trick to long distance driving is to keep your body in decent enough shape to be able to be proactive in spotting threats and be reactive if that fails. Concentration can be built through practice, but all in all, you need to keep yourself mentally alert. Do whatever you can to keep your mind of the road, even if part of it is planning your next build, figuring out what to bring on your next vacation, or where the hell that odor is coming from.

05-February-08, 12:32 AM		#1 (permalink)
Darksamurai Sam-Hoe-rai N-Hoe-mad	Long Distance Driving Okay... so I've been averaging about 100K a year at work. In that time, I've picked up a few tips and tricks I'll share with ya'll. 1. KEEP AWAKE: It's all about keeping your mind in action. It's easy to do when you're fresh, but after awhile, you can become lulled by the road. This is especially easy when you're tired due to any number of factors. Here's a few things I tend to do when I notice my mind is starting to doze... A: I do my monthly budget in my head... if I've already done that, I'll try to calculate the distance and time from my current location to the next town. Math can be your friend on the road... I'm not going to say I'm a math whiz, but I will say it keeps the ol' noodle working... B: Try to think about something you want to achieve, or something you feel would be fun. Making yourself happier on the road makes you more awake. C: Don't try to listen to books-on-tape on the road unless you find the book VERY interesting. You want your mind awake and if the person reading the book is somewhat monotone, you're going to get tired. D: If you start getting sleepy and you still have a ways to go, open a window. Some people get sleepy when they get cold, others get drowsy when they get hot. Use your best judgement and alter the temperature! Don't freeze yourself or you'll fatigue your muscles... 2. RADIO ADVICE: Static-filled country is preferable to clear Nickelback. Still, static-filled anything else is preferable to country! (just kidding... I actually like some country music). Still, Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" should be cranked to the highest decibel level you can handle, regardless of sound quality... 3. Headphones as ear plugs? I bought a set of headphones that plug directly into your ear with a little foam pad. These things work remarkably well, and have saved me a bunch of battery life as I don't have to turn them up very far to hear my MP3 player. From my last medical exam, they're telling me my hearing is degrading heavily on one side due to the wind-noise the screams through my van (they've replaced the door seals three times, I guess GMC's seals just kind of suck)... so I've taken to plugging these in, even if I'm not listening to music. Sometimes, silence is indeed golden! 4. Stopping? I've done a lot of straight-through driving. I've driven through conditions I probably was a complete and total dumb-ass to go through. Still, I've hit that magic number where I've pulled off and just let my arms stop shaking from exhaustion. Get out and walk around, take a jog if you need to. The body was never meant to sit and concentrate for that long, so once you hit the point where it looks like the road is floating up at you, you're seeing things that aren't there darting out and you feel like someone has worked you over... take a quick break. If you fall asleep in your car, try to make sure you're in a safe place. If it's snowing, make sure if you leave the car running you're not going to have the tail pipe get snowed over and kill yourself by accident... 5. Know thy conditions: Tune into the radio if you're seeing something nasty on the horizon. It can tell you if the way up ahead is going to be an option or not. They closed just about every highway in Montana last week due to hard-core blowing snow and they're blasting a ridge tomorrow that is going to close a major pass for a few hours. Knowing these kinds of things can save you a great deal of stress as if you need to pull over, you might still be able to find a hotel instead of "roughing it" in the car... 6. Know thy vehicle: Does everything check out? If you're heading into snow country, do you have snow tires? Do you have a coat and a survival kit if you get stuck? Do you know where you're going? Did you flush your radiator before trying to cross the desert? Every climate has it's own little survival tricks... talk to a mechanic before heading out. Did you put away a few extra bucks for emergencies? 7. Slay Boredom! Avoid this article... No, WAIT! I mean, keep yourself occupied. Change your music out, sing with the radio (unless you're going to get death threats from passengers), talk to yourself, and anything else you can do to not let yourself get bored. 8. Get gas! Stopping for gas should be dual purpose... A: Refuel the vehicle B: Refuel the driver! Gas stations allow you to do shop for all sorts of caffeine and sugar-laden goodness. Make sure you buy a bottle of water to compensate for the caffeine... realize that it will make you have to "stop" more often, but if you're tired, it's either hit the rest stops or stop for the night. Also: Make sure you keep food on hand in the car. There are a lot of places in the world where gasoline and snacks aren't always a block or two away. I've rolled through Death Valley on fumes, I've had to make emergency stops at stations in towns I never planned to have to find, and I've stayed the night in towns with no services after dark (this means if you're hungry, too freakin' bad). Plan ahead and you'll be a happier person... never expect service ahead if you don't know the area. 9. See the light at the end of the tunnel: It's easy to get cranky and miserable driving long distance. Still, by thinking about how many miles you've gone versus what you have left (if you're making good time) can help you think about it more positively... don't let it stress you, but every mile is one less you have to drive... 10. Play a game: I've had friends who play games that require two people (like the burned-out headlight spotting game, or the I'm seeing something that begins with...), but if you have a passenger, I usually end up playing an alphabetical game, usually starting with song titles, or artists. It would kind of work like this. Starting with song artists: You: Animals Passenger 1: Bad Company Passenger 2: Chopin Passenger 3: DJ Redlight You: ELO (which you've horribly dated yourself if you know this one). Adjust to how many passengers you have. If you happen to be by yourself, you can play this one, but it can get old quick with no other input. Still, try to keep your mind focused on finding things on the highway. You can go "A"... "Asphault", B "This is BULLS***, why aren't I there yet!", C... "CAN'T THIS POS GO ANY FASTER!"... of course, you'd have to be tired, pissy, and me... (This game is best played without passenger!) Basically, the trick to long distance driving is to keep your body in decent enough shape to be able to be proactive in spotting threats and be reactive if that fails. Concentration can be built through practice, but all in all, you need to keep yourself mentally alert. Do whatever you can to keep your mind of the road, even if part of it is planning your next build, figuring out what to bring on your next vacation, or where the hell that odor is coming from.