Prepping for a solo 10 hour road trip to Florida. Tips?

[Psykoboy2]

If you happen to somehow pass by the Montgomery/Prattville area of Alabama, let me know. If it's near a weekend, we can have you stop by for an episode of In-Game Chat. We always like having people in the community stop by. It's just rare since well.....I mean, no one willingly comes here, you know?

[Dualonymous]

Everytime i head back to montana (about 11 hours) I prefer to leave at 4 or 5 am. still get on the freeway and you are int eh middle of no where before the rest of the world wakes up and I still feel rested.

[Akion-Totocha]

Make sure every hour you stop, and stretch your legs. Even if it's just a few squats or an on-the spot jog. DVT socks etc. Especially if you're prone to that (low blood pressure etc.)

[Scaryfaced]

I drove from Atlanta to Seattle, then down to LA solo about a year ago. Most of my days were 10+ hours in the car and I developed a few simple rules to keep me moving.

-You're probably going to hit traffic at some point regardless of when you leave. Just accept it. Leave when you want, but night time isn't as empty as you think. Cops are out in droves late at night, especially out in the boonies.

-Don't let your gas drop below a half tank. The 75 is rural, but there's plenty of gas stations if you're diligent. Still, you'll often have to drive for over an hour between stations. It's also a great stopping point to get out and stretch. Depending on your mileage, you'll be getting out every 2 hours or so.

-You'll fall into a bit of a road coma after a few hours. To complete that transition, I stocked my iPod with Podcasts and Music. When I got tired of one, I switched to the other. Throw in a little silence and road noise and things get down right meditative. Before you know it, the 10 hours will disappear.


Also, if you're going through Tennessee, Graceland is totally worth stopping at. It's a Museum dedicated to tackiness. Ever wanted to see a pool room with 70's curtains forming some sort of black hole on the ceiling? It's like staring into the Abyss of Bad Taste. I spent hours there. Highly recommended!

[Camel]

Podcasts make trips go super fast, especially when they are like This American Life and last about an hour each.

[Ox]

Be very careful of road hypnosis -- it's seductive, will creep up on you, and it's extremely dangerous. I find singing along with the music helps, as does glancing at the scenery. Frequent stops are also effective.

[Superman's Dead]

That is such a total Kris answer.

To get through long drives I always pull over whenever I feel like I need to. Driving makes me sleepy, and it's a lot safer to lose an hour than realize I don't know where the last 10 miles went and I'm still doing 90.

For me, an element of randomization is always important. A lot of music on shuffle is better than a succession of CDs you know by heart. Or a new audio book, for sure.

[diablopath]

Originally Posted by digitalErich

I've lost count of how many 12+ hour drives I've done in my life, many of them solo. The one tip I can give you: take your shoes off in the car. It sounds weird, but the extra tactile sensation on your right foot keeps you awake and more alert.

This is the freshest piece of advice I've heard in this thread, so thank you. Will decide on whether or not I'll actually do it, as shoes off typically means superior comfort for me. Don't want to get too comfortable, nomsayin?

Originally Posted by digitalErich

Also, I assume you'll be on I-75 for the majority of the trip. There won't be a lot of car traffic, but there will be a lot of trucks on that road overnight.

Yes. Originally I was going to leave from Western Kentucky, which would have taken me down I-65, but I uninvited the person I was going to ride with, so now I'll be leaving from Richmond, KY, which is right on I-75. I've driven this interstate numerous times at night between Lexington and Cincinnati, and the truck traffic has never been too bad once you get away from the cities. If that's about what's to be expected all the way down, then that'll probably be my best option.

Originally Posted by Jackel

Lots of good tips already out there, I will say that some people naturally prefer to drive at night and adjust their sleep schedule beforehand. I seem to do well with both. Don't even attempt it unless you know how your body responds with inverted hours.

I'm thinking it's going to be best for me to drive at night, as my schedule is already more night-based than it is day-based. I prefer to stay up all night and sleep in late, so it'd be much easier for me to adjust it to waking up later than waking up earlier. I'm not on in any rush to get there, so I suppose I can adjust accordingly as the day to leave gets closer.

Originally Posted by Psykoboy2

If you happen to somehow pass by the Montgomery/Prattville area of Alabama, let me know. If it's near a weekend, we can have you stop by for an episode of In-Game Chat. We always like having people in the community stop by. It's just rare since well.....I mean, no one willingly comes here, you know?

I'll actually be in Dothan, AL, but I'm not sure I'd be a good radio guest, especially for a video game show. I haven't played many games this past year, so I wouldn't have much input and would probably drag you guys down. Thanks, though!

Originally Posted by Superman's Dead

For me, an element of randomization is always important. A lot of music on shuffle is better than a succession of CDs you know by heart. Or a new audio book, for sure.

This sounds good as well. However, there's so much terrible music on my iPod. I suppose I could set up a few random playlists or cull my library, but aye.

Does anybody have any good podcasts to recommend? I already follow This American Life, and those are really a one-time listen for me. Plus, I sometimes get emotional and cry, and I don't want that on the interstate.

[Trogdor]

I haven't done any long drives like this, but I do remember hanging out with a friend of mine not long after he had just finished one. In particular, I remember the very nice sunburn he got from driving with the sun on his left side for so long. Might be something for you to keep in mind, depending on how much exposure you expect to have.

As for passing time, maybe audiobooks?

[Superman's Dead]

Marc Maron's What The Fuck podcast where he interviews celebrities and comedians is amazing. Just download a few episodes with people you're interested in: his conversation with Norm MacDonald was unreal. They talked about gambling addiction, literature, and man's eternal soul. And also managed to be hilarious.

[Scaryfaced]

WTF bores me to death.

Comedy Bang Bang is the greatest Podcast of all time. Its a comedy show featuring big name comedians and random characters. It's the funniest thing I've ever listened to, especially the Jessie Ventura episodes.

The Adam Carolla show is great if you enjoy Carolla at all. There's several shows under the Earwolf banner, like Who Charted?(Music and movie charts), Professor Blastoff(Science and philosophy) and Sklarborough Country(Sports) that are incredibly funny as well. The Nerdist podcast and the other shows on their network are great, especially Indoor Kids, a video game podcast.

I listen to about 15 podcasts regularly, mostly comedy. If you've ever listened to a comedy CD and enjoyed yourself, you'll probably like some of these podcasts.

[Wraith]

Check your tire pressure. Make sure your spare's in order.

Alternate between podcasts and music (scan the fm dial if needed, to break things up). Podcast suggestions: In Game Chat, Giant Bombcast, Nerdist.

If it were me, I'd avoid night driving, as it seems to strain my eyes more. And if weather turns poor, it's usually easier going during the day.

GPS and/or road atlas.

[OUX]

Audiobooks are amazing for long trips, get one you like test listen to the narrator if you can (don't want someone that sounds like they will put you to sleep) Check audible.com out, they are cheap and have a good selection and even if you don't want to drop the money you can listen to a preview and see if your library has a copy of it. If you like fantasy, Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss has an awesome narrator and is long enough to get you there and back.

[LoisInTranslation]

I always prefer driving during the day because it is easier to spot cops (maybe I'm just a paranoid driver). There are also more things open during the day so if you need to stop for an extended period of time to wake up or get yourself back to reality, you have more options. Making the drive during the day also gets you where you are going at a decent hour so you can go to sleep early, get a good nights rest and be ready for the next day.

Taking your shoes off is a really good idea. I usually wear flip flops so it is easy to take my shoes off or put them on. Angry rap turned all the way up is also helpful (eminem helped me make the 25 hour drive from LA to missouri in 2 days). Set your pandora to something and just go, it keeps the mix random.

[Ghostbear]

Originally Posted by diablopath

Does anybody have any good podcasts to recommend? I already follow This American Life, and those are really a one-time listen for me. Plus, I sometimes get emotional and cry, and I don't want that on the interstate.

Radiolab I just listened to one where they covered the hysteria surrounding the Orson Welles 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. Pretty fascinating. They usually have great production value and are worth the listen.

[tacitus]

When you feel like you're going to nod off and you can't stop for a short nap - I recommend "5 hour energy." However, do NOT suck them down continuously. Besides they taste bad. Stop at rest stops anytime you can and walk around whether you think you need to or not.

I also prefer driving during daylight - primarily so you can see crap on the road before you hit it.

[zarathstra]

I second ro third or whatever the audiobook suggestion. It definitely helps pass the hours. I'd also reccomend Car Talk from NPR as a good podcast. You'll learn a lot about car repair while in a siutation where the knowlefge might come in handy...

Also, stop at least every couple of hours and walk around for a bit. Wear something comfortable, and take your wallet out of your back pocket before you sit down.

[TheSilentDeath]

Originally Posted by diablopath

Does anybody have any good podcasts to recommend? I already follow This American Life, and those are really a one-time listen for me. Plus, I sometimes get emotional and cry, and I don't want that on the interstate.

The one podcast that I listen to regularly is The Bugle, which is basically a Comedy/Satire/Bullshit news podcast with John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman. They usually run 35-40 minutes, are absolutely hilarious, and do not lose the funny after multiple listens. The only problem with it is that finding episodes 1-178 might take some digging since they were done with the timesonline.co.uk, who dropped them after 178, while 179-present are them doing their own thing.

[Bad Buddha]

Ride a motorcycle!

[Kielaran]

If you are going to pass through any areas where you know there can be major traffic, plan to pass them during off hours (somewhere around noon or after 7pm usually).