Long Drives and Energy Drinks

[tbee407]

We are traveling to WDW in June. I plan to drive straight through which will take about thirteen hours. The last time I did it I tried a Red Bull energy drink when I felt myself wearing down. It did give me a lift for a while. However, it seemed that the warmer the drink got in my car the worse it tasted. By the time I got to the bottom of the can I was gagging it down!

I wanted to get some opinions on different types of energy drinks that you like or don't like. Or, what do you do to stay focused when you are driving long distances and feel yourself gettting tired?

Thanks.

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

We are traveling to WDW in June. I plan to drive straight through which will take about thirteen hours. The last time I did it I tried a Red Bull energy drink when I felt myself wearing down. It did give me a lift for a while. However, it seemed that the warmer the drink got in my car the worse it tasted. By the time I got to the bottom of the can I was gagging it down!

I wanted to get some opinions on different types of energy drinks that you like or don't like. Or, what do you do to stay focused when you are driving long distances and feel yourself gettting tired?

Thanks.

Well, I'm not really a fan of Red Bull (gives me the shakes like I'm coming off Paxil or something) but I have had a Monster and Monster Lo-Carb and they weren't so bad and the Lo-Carb one didn't give as much of the jitters. I did drink a Full Throttle on my 2400 mile journey moving from San Diego to Knoxville and that seemed to do pretty well.

As for things I do to keep my mind of the road. I always keep the A/C cranked so that I'm always cold. If you get warm you get comfortable and you can start to nod off or find it harder to see while driving. I also try to keep something on the radio that I can sing along to. As long as I'm moving and I'm not thinking about how tired I am.


--Mr. DB

 

[NotUrsula]

If you're not travelling alone, let someone else drive part of the time; otherwise stop overnight somewhere. 13 hours straight is a dangerously long haul for one person, particularly if part of it is at night.

If you are getting so sleepy that you need to consciously juice up to keep going, it's time to get out from behind the wheel. The possibility of dying is too high a price to pay just to get there sooner.

 

[MINNIE OF TWO MICE]

I am fine during the day when everyone is awake talking to me. It is when the sun goes down that bothers me. I start getting tired. I just get me a mountain dew, a cup of crushed ice, chewing gum and listen to the radio.
I havent had any energy drinks.

 

[blondinkaya]

My dh works as a sheriff's deputy when he's not doing his "day job" as military (the deputy position is totally volunteer), and he swears by Rock Star when he's working nights (6pm-6am).

 

[Mickeyluver37]

IMO, Red Bull is one of the best tasting ones, and I've tasted most of them! The BEST was the Sobe Superman, but you can't find that anymore. I thought Rockstar was disgusting.

 

[Robert P]

If you're not travelling alone, let someone else drive part of the time; otherwise stop overnight somewhere. 13 hours straight is a dangerously long haul for one person, particularly if part of it is at night.

I won't disagree with NotUrsula on that point.


tbee407,
I pull a long drive (12-13 hours) straight shot myself twice a year for another trip I make (not WDW).
The problem with many energy drinks is that they contain tons of sugar as well as the valuable caffeine. Remember the old ads for Jolt Cola went something like "twice the caffeine and sugar as normal drinks". The caffeine is great, but the sugar buzz wears off and you start dragging again.

Personal preference:
I stick with a diet soda for drinking, and No Doz like caffeine pills for an extra boost. But, I never break out either until I am into the drive. I feel that if I did start any pick-me-ups too soon, I would have to stay with them the whole trip. And besides, if you have to have that to begin the drive, you probably aren't as alert as you should be from the start.

Night driving does indeed suck! Nobody in the car awake but the driver usually. I have at least 2 books on tape (CD) with me, because it keeps me mentally alert, especially if it's a good story and I can get into it. (Had to sit in the parking lot at the destination once before, to hear the last 5-10 minutes of one particular book). And, it beats having to search for new radio stations and better reception every hour or so. Some of those stretches in VA really don't have much in the way of interesting radio. HTH

 

[ducklite]

DH reglarly makes the r/t between NJ and FL, usually straight through.

He loads the car with anything he needs to bring the night before, and gets to bed early--about 8:00 pm. He gets up at 3:00 am and is out of the house by 3:30 am. This allows him to do the darkest part of the drive when he's fresh. If he's feeling at all tired he'll pull over in SC or GA and take a nap for an hour--he'll ask me to call him and wake him up. That hour is exactly what he needs for the last 5-6 hours. Usually around St. Augustine he'll stop and get a Mountain Dew to give him a boost for the last 2.5 hours.

He's also very aware of his abilities, and if the weather is bad, traffic is stupid, or he's just plain old tired, he will stop to get a room for the night.

I've done that drive straight through a couple of times. I need to stop for two half hour naps, one in Southern VA (the six hour mark) and a second in northern FL. That's if I don't hit bad traffic or anything to delay me. If that happens I need to stop for the night at some point.

When DH and I are both in the car and can share the drive, we've got no problem making it between the two non-stop except for gas and bathroom breaks. One naps while the other drives. We can both sleep pretty well in the car--but we don't have kids to tend to, either. We also NEVER start the drive after a full day of work as we're headed into the evening, unless we plan on stopping for night night in VA someplace. (DH is doing that next week--leaving around noon on Wednesday, driving to southern NC and getting a room, and finishing the drive the next day.)

Anne

 

[Dan Murphy]

Driving? Tired? Pull over and sleep.

 

[manning]

All those tricks to keep awake won't help. I know, I've been there.

On one trip I didn't sleep very well the night before.

I had a cup of coffee I just put into the cup holder and was starting to pass a truck. Next thing I know the wife was yelling at me and I was in the median. I got lucky and was able to get control.

I heard of someone else who was tuning the radio and fell asleep.

The problem is you don't know when you fall asleep. Your mind just shuts down. Think about it when you go to bed do you know when you fall asleep? No, the next you know is that it is morning.

When you start to yawn and keep yawning that's the first sign to pull over and take a nap!!! And there are articles that point that out.

 

[ducklite]

All those tricks to keep awake won't help. I know, I've been there.

On one trip I didn't sleep very well the night before.

I had a cup of coffee I just put into the cup holder and was starting to pass a truck. Next thing I know the wife was yelling at me and I was in the median. I got lucky and was able to get control.

I heard of someone else who was tuning the radio and fell asleep.

The problem is you don't know when you fall asleep. Your mind just shuts down. Think about it when you go to bed do you know when you fall asleep? No, the next you know is that it is morning.

When you start to yawn and keep yawning that's the first sign to pull and take a nap!!! And there are articles that point that out.

That's the absolute truth! That's what DH and I do. Taking a 20-60 minute naps refreshes you and keeps you alert. There is NOTHING worth not taking 30 minutes for a power nap for. Mickey will still be there when you get there, even if it's a couple hours later than you planned.

Anne

 

[Belle1962]

1. The only solution for being tired: Pull into a well lit place and rest/nap. At rest stops I park in the front row--not off in a corner. 20 minutes will do WONDERS for you!!!!!

2. EAT!!--seems as if I am more alert if my body is doing something--such as chewing--(gum would work too I guess). I like Doritos for the added crunch.

3. We listen to comedy CD's--Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, etc. I don't put this in until I start to get tired or more than 1/2 way through the trip. Laughing out loud stirs the blood & oxygen and is FUN!!! Who cares that people in the other cars must wonder what a solo driving is doing laughing so hard.

4. Get out and walk. Pumping gas, food stops or just at a rest area--don't go off into the dark but a few laps around your car--breathing deeply will help.

5. Putting on my flame suit--BUT---call someone on your cell phone!!!!! and use a hands free set.

6. If you have a DVD player put it in car for "noise"--not to watch. Stick it in the backseat so you can hear but not see--action movies with lots of things blowing up are good. This is sortof like the books on tape theory--you hear the story but can keep watching the road.

7. If you body is not used to high caffeine or super charged drinks I would be very careful using them.

 

[Jedi Master Gonzo]

I usually make karaoke cds to sing along to. They usually keep me awake and on my toes, mainly because if I mess the words up, I'll get mad at myself and start over til I get it right.

 

[ducklite]

5. Putting on my flame suit--BUT---call someone on your cell phone!!!!! and use a hands free set.

DH and I usually talk for the last five or six hours of his drive. He has bluetooth built into the sound system in his car, so it's entirely hands free and as if I was in the car with him.

Anne

 

[CarolA]

We are traveling to WDW in June. I plan to drive straight through which will take about thirteen hours. The last time I did it I tried a Red Bull energy drink when I felt myself wearing down. It did give me a lift for a while. However, it seemed that the warmer the drink got in my car the worse it tasted. By the time I got to the bottom of the can I was gagging it down!

I wanted to get some opinions on different types of energy drinks that you like or don't like. Or, what do you do to stay focused when you are driving long distances and feel yourself gettting tired?

Thanks.

I suggest that you be REALISTIC and get a hotel room. I am sorry, but
"drowsy driving" is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Masking the sympton does NOT mean your responses are not effected.