driving to the DZ...How long is to long?

[lippy 918]

I’m pretty sure I’m hitting up Eloy for the holiday boogie but not sure how I’m getting there. I like the idea of having a car when I’m there and a rental car would come in under the price of a flight, but after gas it’d be a bit more.

The biggest factor is the 17-hour one-way trip (according to Mapquest directions). I’m not thinking the chances of finding somebody to share the ride are that good, and I’m not huge on the idea of doing it alone.

What’s the longest you’ve driven to get to a boogie? Did you go alone or with a group? Any tips on how to stay awake (I’d be splitting up the trip with at least a few cat-naps). Are strange desert axe-weilding hitch-hikers really that bad? Did I spell axe-weilding correctly?

So many questions!

I got nuthin

[JohanW 0]

I've done 14 hours to get somewhere once, but they had a Hercules when I got there. That was sharing the drive with someone else.

Solo, no more than maybe 6 hours. But they had a twin jet when I got there.

Of course sharing the drive is better. If there just isn't anyone, for a 17 hour drive, consider flying in and renting locally. But it can be done. Cruise control really seems to help to make the drive less tiring. No experience with strange desert ax-wielding hitchhikers, fortunately.

No, you didn't spell axe-wielding correctly. (And neither did I, I made damn sure of that. )

Johan.
I am. I think.

[NWFlyer 2]

Really depends on the length of time I plan to spend at the boogie. If it's a 2-3 day boogie, I'm much less inclined to tack on a huge number of hours on either end in the car, too.

I guess the farthest was when I drove from Seattle to Perris (by way of Lodi, Byron, Hollister, and Eloy - yes, I know Eloy isn't exactly "on the way" but the timing made sense) for the 2005 Memorial Day Boogie. But that was part of a longer road trip that I was making with multiple stops.

When I lived in Seattle I would do 10 hours to Lost Prairie every year. But Prairie is kind of a special case in that unless you want to stay far from the DZ and miss out on one of the best parts of the LP experience, you pretty much have to pack in everything that you'll need for the boogie (camping gear, cooking gear, food/drinks, etc.), so driving made more sense than flying (at least from Seattle).

For a shorter boogie, 4 hours is about my limit - any longer than that and I'm going to hop on a plane.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[shropshire 0]

Quote

Did I spell axe-weilding correctly?

Nope nor "too" in the title

I do a 12-14 hour trip to get to the Alps from here (I've done it summer and winter) on holiday.. Sometimes I just stop for fuel and snacks, other times I drive for 8 hours then take a nap. Actually, I enjoy these drives.

My best advise -
Get a really good nights sleep the day before.
Don't get stressed
Drink Red Bull - but not too much

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[AggieDave 6]

I've driven to Eloy for the Memorial boogie once and twice for the Holiday Boogie. That's a 22hr one way drive from my house. I've driven to Mile-Hi twice, that was for CPC and then USPA nationals this year, 18hrs one way. I've driven to to Lake Wales for Collegiates, that's a 24hr one way drive.

Twice the Eloy trip was alone and the trips to Colorado were alone.

Its all about what you want and what you're willing to spend in gas and time.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[michalm21 2]

I drove from NY to FL last year (20hrs), will repeat this year (although not alone this time)
I met a couple at ZHills that drove from Quebec ... that's about 30hrs one way

[JohnRich 4]

That question can't be answered for you by anyone but yourself.

It all depends upon your personal factors, like how much money you have, how much time you have, how badly you want to make that long trip to skydive, what alternative things you could do instead, and so on.

So quit asking us to tell you what to do. Man-up and make a decision for yourself.

[Deisel 38]

Are you kidding! The real question is how many DZs can you jump on the way there and back!

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[Carrapeta 0]

Pack it up and drive that shit!!
We got a 14hr drive to Eloy but, I'm used to road trips. lots of 7-23hr trips from me (as well as a 36hr GreyHound ride to Yosemite for 6wks).

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[Blink 1]

We did a trip to ZHills last year (from NB, Canada eh), that took 30 hours! I don't think I'll ever drive that far again, although their Easter boogie was an amazing time!

[jimmytavino 16]

drove from western NY to florida this past january. 6 hrs on a sunday got me to D C
13 hours starting monday morning and ending 9:30 pm got me past jacksonville, up by 6 AM and into Deland by 9 AM tuesday..
visited a bit, lunch with a friend On the Dz, and then onto Z hills by 4 Pm or so tuesday
did all the driving myself,,,,
slept,, at my brothers' house near DC sunday,,,, then slept In the van at a rest stop south of Jax for monday night...( van has a double mattress with linens, blankets and pillows....etc... )
rest stops are well lit, I think they are safe, and have "facilities" ,,,, if needed. lock the vehicle, sleep when you're tired. drive when you're rested... the drive back was no problem, either...approx 22 hours drive time,,, two stops to sleep,, 3 or 4 hours, each time...

drove to S. Carolina in June, 12 hours, straight shot, each way... no problem,, though it WAS over 100 degrees on the day we returned...

gonna make the same trip to skydive city ,, right after Christmas....hope to arrive by the 29th or so. of december.... maybe stay 12 or 14 days...maybe visit a few places,,,
then return back north... Luckily the gasoline prices are better this year than they were last year...

If it results in otter loads to 14 grand, with some friends, in the sunshine, NO drive is too long...


jmy

[labrys 0]

Quote

What’s the longest you’ve driven to get to a boogie?

20 hours

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Did you go alone or with a group?

With 1 person

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Any tips on how to stay awake (I’d be splitting up the trip with at least a few cat-naps).

Sleep while the other person(s) drive(s). Pull into a well lighted, busy, public place and nap if you're alone

Quote

Are strange desert axe-weilding hitch-hikers really that bad?

Yup

Quote

Did I spell axe-weilding correctly?

Nope

Owned by Remi #?

[lippy 918]

Jesus John! I come on here asking for advice because I'm completely incapable of making decisions for myself, and you won't even give me your expert and worldly opinion on what I should do! I thought skydivers were family, and I'm obviously not able to Man-up and make a decision for myself so I come on here and solicit advice from basically anonymous people, which I plan to blindly accept, and you deny me yours.

You couldn't even tell me whether or not I should pick up an axe-weilding hitch-hiker.

I got nuthin

[lippy 918]

Thanks for the replies....I was really leaning towards driving it and I think I'll go that way. Seems like a mission, and I've not had a good mission in way too long.

Deisel makes a good point but I don't think any DZs between McAllen and Eloy would be open during the week (are there any DZs between McAllen and Eloy?)

I don't wanna re-post what I asked in Events, but if anybody between San Antonio and Eloy wants to share a ride PM me. My free time starts on Dec. 23, I'll shoot up from Mexico to the I-10 and book it West. Planning on coming back Jan 3 if anybody wants a ride

I got nuthin

[Cashmanimal 0]

I do the 20 hr drive from the Bay Area to Albuquerque (N. California to New Mexico) 3-4 times a year, there and back. I always do it in one shot, with a couple short naps at rest areas during the drive. It's really not that bad. I like to plug my laptop into the stereo system and listen to movies so i can try and envision them... help keeps the mind going, keeps me awake, keeps the drive interesting (The Mojave desert is horrifically boring, especially after the 15 or 16th time you do it)

It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

[Megatron 0]

I've driven 6000miles all over the US on a road trip I took last spring..we stopped over a few places for a day or two but the round trip took about a week & about 85 hours driving. That was before I began jumping so I didn't hit up any DZs even though I was in phoenix for a day .
I plan to drive back there from Texas ~10 hours once my gear comes in.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

I drove from Lost Prairie to Quincey once. A week later I drove to Lodi chasing a girl I met at the convention.
Generally you travel faster than the Googlemaps people say you will so it is really just a one day non-stop. The return trip will be the boring one.

[Peej 0]

I've driven 13 - 16 hours on holidays before no sweat, if i'm driving that kind of distance though i'd make sure i was staying for at least a week in between and i'd split the drive into two 8 to 9 hour trips with a good nights rest in a cheap motel.

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