Distance to DZ and cost of Gas

[sdctlc 0]

Ok, as a spin off of the Jump price threads going on I think it would be interesting to see if the distance and the cost of gas is affecting your jumping along with the jump tix $.

When I was less then 30 min to the DZ a quick run out there was not that big a deal but now that DZ is gone and the closest one takes between 1.25 and 1.5 hours to get to I am thinking about it more. As an example this morning I was going to head out but the weather was/is really sketchy and even though it might clear up a little later today (ASOS is still saying ~2900 overcast) I could not justify a almost 3 hour RT drive and $40+ in gas. That never mattered to me when gas was a lot lower but now that it is starting to creep up and I just paid $80 or so to fill my tank last night I am finding a more conscience weighing of the overall picture.

Don't get me wrong on great weather days or even a 75% day I don't even think about it but less then that & I am much more in the "Think about it more" If the DZ was still only 30min drive I would not care about a quick drive out even in iffy weather but not with the 1.5 hour drive.

How about the rest of you.. What are you finding/doing/thinking about???

Scott C.

"He who Hesitates Shall Inherit the Earth!"

[pontiacgtp00 0]

Well its a 300 mile round trip drive for me, so it costs about 30 bucks to drive there. I don't go as often as I used too, eventually I won't be able to go altogether.

[quade 4]

I brought this up in another thread about jump prices about a week ago.

It's not the incremental increase in the price of ONE jump that's going to stop folks from jumping, but the overall cost of EVERYTHING going up all at once.

What used to be an affordable weekend has jumped up in total cost by quite a bit when you include the price just to get there and back.

I don't think this is just a skydiving issue either. I think any activity that relies on discretionary spending and the majority of its participants to travel long distances is going to be impacted and changed considerably in the next few years.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[KennC 0]

3 hours up, 3 hours home ... $140 gas. Mind you, my yougest is getting older and staying the weekend may not be an issue as it once was. But, I sure watch the weather more closely .. can't afford to make the trip not to jump due to rain etc.

[billvon 3,031]

66 miles there, 66 back. Car gets around 46mpg, so it's $12 round trip for Amy and I for a weekend. Not a factor for us.

[FlyingBlueJay 0]

Baltimore to Cross Keys is 80 miles +/- each way. $35 in gas plus $20 in tolls...

Yeah, I think about it.

There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, and try it. - Douglas Adams

[Deisel 38]

I used to make the 160 RT on Sat & Sun. Now I camp out the entire weekend to avoid the drive. And that started before gas & jump tix went up.
Now iffy weather will certainly keep me from ever getting on the road considering the waste of money it is to drive out and not jump.

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

[micduran 0]

We have a camper that we tow to the dz and we usually bring it home every weekend. The gas to get there is a killer. We are planning on leaving it at the dz a lot more than we used to. My Titan gets 6-8 mpg while towing.

Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.

[RandomLemming 0]

For me, it's a 4 hour round trip and costs me about $70 in fuel. At the same time, tickets have gone up by about $2 per jump.

Of course, I live in the UK, so that fuel only equates to a few gallons and I have a fairly efficient car.

Fuel here has gone up about 18% over the past few months, and jumping has taken a big back seat for me as a result.

[headoverheels 333]

About 90 miles each way, so it was eating about 6 gallons round trip in my Passat. I've slowed down my driving a bit when I can, now using about 10% less. Gas cost becoming noticable, but not significant.

[Maxx 1]

Gas price is ca. 60 Euro for a round trip, that is $94,24 every weekend I'm jumping..

[ntrprnr 0]

Quote

I brought this up in another thread about jump prices about a week ago.

It's not the incremental increase in the price of ONE jump that's going to stop folks from jumping, but the overall cost of EVERYTHING going up all at once.

What used to be an affordable weekend has jumped up in total cost by quite a bit when you include the price just to get there and back.

I don't think this is just a skydiving issue either. I think any activity that relies on discretionary spending and the majority of its participants to travel long distances is going to be impacted and changed considerably in the next few years.

Agreed - Gas prices aren't coming down - what will change is our views as a society, no question. Things we used to take for granted before will now simply change. Drive to work every day? Say hell to Mass Transit. Store after work a few times a week? Say hello to discount clubs, once a month.

It's going to be a massive lifestyle shift - one that we've never seen before in our or previous generations.

_______________
"Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?"
"Even in freefall, I have commitment issues."

[brucet7 0]

I am feeling guilty as it is 4.5 miles from my house to the DZ. I used Mapquest to try and find a longer route and got it up to 7.2, but that is the best I could do.

POPS #10623; SOS #1672

[wildfan75 1]

I'm 120 miles away from my dz. I will be going to every other weekend starting now. The only think that really, really sucks about it is that I get to go from only spending the weekends with my fiancee to every other weekend until the house sells or I find a job out there that I can still afford my house payment.

[livendive 8]

I've got a 90 mile straight shot of 70 mph interstate and I keep a trailer at the DZ to stay in every Friday and Saturday night, rain or shine. We're in our new location now which is much nicer than our last location in several respects. As relate to this discussion, it's 35 miles closer to home and I don't have to move the trailer twice every single weekend.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)