Driving home after climbing

[tvashtarkatena]

Snus.

 

Have your TP handy, though. Nicotine nudges more than just your alertness.

[denalidave]

Or, just drive by brail, easy enough with the center grooves in-between the lanes/shoulders.

 

Seriously, if my eyes are closing while driving, I just pull over and nap for 15-20 minutes (after fighting it for as long as possible using some of the above techniques). That usually buys me several more hours of being awake and alert, no matter how tired I am. If you don't wake up in 15-20 minutes, you probably have NO business driving till your body recovers. (IMHO)

[rob]

Figure out a "spitter" method for your car. Go disposable: mMost people are satisfied with an empty 16 oz pepsi bottle

 

My sister took a swig out of her boyfriend's spit bottle once in his car. She said it went down mostly in one long string.

 

You haven't seen the pukes like that before.

[pcg]

sleep never sounded so good...

[cam yarder]

waking up while driving 30 mph thru a ditch on the side of the cascade river road was one of the scariest things that's happened to me. i was super lucky that i didn't hit a tree or flip the car. i was trying to stay awake with all the usual tricks: rolling down the windows, blasting shitty music, stretching in the seat and BAM, i was in the ditch. after that experience, the second that i feel i have to fight to stay awake, i pull over and take a nap, no question. i think it's irresponsible to drive while exhausted after a long day. please, if you feel your eyelids closing, pull over and rest.

[JonNelson]

I knew a fellow who would brush his teeth to stay awake.

I've tried stopping, getting out, and doing some exercises like pushups, though the effect seems pretty brief.

 

Jon

 

[denalidave]

OK, thread drift. We all know change-overs are big time killers, on the road home or on a long alpine route. So, how do you hold yer pee on a long road trip, stopping only for gas? I pretend I'm peeing out my finger, while tapping it on the steering wheel. Seems to give me the allusion of relief for a while.

 

Or, just be sure to save that large mouth Gatorade bottle.

[JasonG]

C'mon! It doesn't take that long to stop and take a leak. That's pretty funny that you have developed a strategy to deal with it though.

[billcoe]

...If my wife is with me, she does this thing where she scratches my right arm very lightly like a rotisserie massage or something.

 

Hey year, mine massages my neck and rubs and scratches my back. I gotta say I love that. Helps me stay awake too. Seen too many fine folks die over the years in the car on the way back from climbing. Usually it's on the way back, going to in Bruce Binders case. I figure nothing is so important that I can't catch a quick nap. I don't set my alarm, it just seems like I wake up in 10-20 min feeling refreshed and alert. Can't speak for anyone else, that's what works for me. In Off's case of crashing with his buddies in the car coming back form skiing, I'll do a survey and see if anyone is feeling awake or if they're cool with me taking a nap. They drive and I catch some sleep. Nobody has crashed my car yet:-)

[B Deleted_Beck]

I will sleep if I think I'm gonna be unsafe, but I don't think I've ever been able to take a 10 or 15 minute nap after a climb... if I pull the truck over, I'm gonna be down for 3 hours.

[fgw]

My favorite recipe: Shotgun some caffeine (couple red bulls, some cold coffee), pull over & sleep for 30 minutes. You wake up feeling like a baby & ready to roll another 600 miles.

[fgw]

PS once that fails it's time to say fuck it and call in sick on Monday.