A Guide on Essentials of a Long Drive

[MillionSwords]

this is such a useful thread, good that it sticks as sticky!

Nice job well done Techno, I will keep a copy with me, printed and copied!
I usually have one such checklist for trekking, this one is damn good for a long distance travel!

Thanks for the effort once again!

[Technocrat]

Thanks MillionSwords,

I am glad that you liked it & found useful

[srj1266]

Great post.

I am planning a trip from Pune to Hyderabad on monday. this has helped me to plan it better.

thanks a lot

[Technocrat]

Its a straight road, I have done that stretch two years back not sure about roads conditions but Let me know if you need help with directions

[btirthankar]

Originally Posted by rockingstart

Techno,
This is an amazing info, I totally agree with you on all the items, as a matter of fact I do carry most of them except the gun. I would suggest to plan your trip in such a way that you cover the dacoit prone patch during the day time, Even in current times A long path between MP and Maharastra lots of dacoits are active, not only in night but during the the day time too you have to travel in a convoy.
Besides the stuff mentioned I would suggest that while taking a long travel never ever forget to take few essential medicines and keep them in car
1. Antisceptic Cream
2. Medicines for Fever, Cold(You catch cold or fever due to change of climate specially while you travel to hills)
3. Pudin Hara or antacid.(To releive you of any acid relate stomach pain which is common when one eats outside in a different city)
4. Pain Releivers. (To help you in releiving of long sitting and traveling stress and pain)
5. Vitamin B, C(During the travel it is common that one loses salts)
6. ORS solutions.
and If you wear specs dont forget to take a spare with you.
Although the list is never ending and keeps changing depending on the place you are visiting .

we (me+wife) always do non stop and medicines are important as proved in our last Goa-Hyd trip when my wife got ill due to acidity.

I also carry a toolbox with emergency lite. Once we were doing Hyd-Delhi non stop and in the dead of the night at Nagpur the brake system leaked..... we continued in that condition just throught the Seoni-Sagar stretch in MP...see the pic: alone.. in our Opel in pitch darkness... in the dawn.,.... we bled the brake system and brought back the pedal,,,,, all because I had the right wrench to undo the bleeder nut.

[btirthankar]

Happy Days
Gone are the days in the 80s-90s where we could wheel spin our fiats and M800s, bolt across residential colonies without a eye blink, even drive on narrow foot bridge and go down pedestrian concrete steps (as we used to do in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi in our M800’s packed with friends and loud music).


Welcome to the present =Ever Crowded City Roads where parking is a nightmare and we wait till Sundays when most shopping and businesses are closed.
City Driving is stressful by all means. And every day that is. They test your reflexes and patience every minute, for which even Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has yet to formulate asans or realizations etc.

Mantras
Untill they come up with something, take these mantras:

• Go with the flow | Don’t Rush
• Combine trips, carry stuff in your car like documents, clothes, shoes, or even that conked out microwave you need to get serviced.
• You don’t need to attend that wedding reception. If at all you need to attend, reach late. Come on you will get more importance.
• reach office 1 hour early and leave 2 hours late,
• if at all you have to exit office, bunk it mid-afternoon,
• whatever you do, avoid rush hour traffic

City Driving Vs. Highway Driving
Highway driving is much different from Intra City Driving as we all know. We just need to shift to a different mode altogether. While City Driving is more about, swerving carefully, cornering and bumper to bumper performance skills, what we need to keep in mind all the time is that it pays nothing to race in the city esp. zig-zag maneuvering. This is because every stretch of road (Red light to red light or crossing to crossing or turning to turning, straight or meandering) has its own in built speed limit which cannot be exceeded beyond safety considerations.


In Built Speeds?
So are Highways, they too have an in built speed limit, ( I am again referring to stretches, but here they are much much longer) Now what makes them interesting is other vehicles. Assume vehicles travelling at various points on a road stretch at constant speed, we need to reach up to them , slow a bit and overtake them – what we generally do with trucks. So on Highways the challenge is to either lug behind and assume the speeds of other vehicles or systematically move up to every other vehicle in front of you and pass them and so on.


Overtaking Helps?
It’s a trade-off between fuel economy and time. Theoritically, it may make sense to overtake if other vehicles are doing 60 and your vehicle gives the best mileage at 90kmph. Contrary to popular belief, most modern vehicles give best mileage at 90-100 kmph as opposed to 55-60 kmph of our older generation stock.


Science of Overtaking
Overtaking is a risky maneuvering, period (if u are a defensive driver). You need as much decelerating capability as you would need accelerating. So we tend to down shift a gear ( say 5th to 4th or 3rd mostly) to get a better torque. Torque to briskly surpass and the reverse: better engine braking to decelerate. I guess engine braking also has to do something with the torque curve of an engine, maybe just inverse. (Throw some light on this, members)


Cost of overtaking
It is a tradeoff between whether you would want to suffer lower mileage at 60-70 kmph for hours or shift down > rev up > burn some > extra fuel > and cruise at more economical speeds. This is something we need to internally calculate in our minds while at the wheel at the same time. No computer programmes here to help you.


Indian trucks: The good side
They are like heavy locos and would be happy to let you pass, the way you would do to a biker. You are just an irritant just as a biker would be to you. There is a hell of a difference in a car braking and a truck braking. Though I have never seen one, I presume their wheels lock and they shudder to a halt more unexpectedly than a car would. I mean they maintain more constant speeds than cars so they behave differently.


Ironically, unlike City Environs, Truck Drivers on Indian Roads are considerate the moment they are on highways. As expressed by one of our co-members, they sometimes become a guiding angel, signaling when to and when not to overtake and you would be more than happy to give them a wave once you pass them.


Members please keep the thread alive by contributing more on topics like these

[Technocrat]

@btirthankar: Nice Tips man.

[btirthankar]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

2) Driving at Nights: As said try driving at night only on the roads known to you( by that I mean where you have been before). Driving at night has its own advantages & disadvantages here they are

Advantages

- Engine at its best less heating hence can be revved more so less time more distance
- Minimum number of two wheelers & bullock karts, again less time more distance
- Good signaling with headlights without honking, you know whose coming & who’s behind you

Disadvantages

- Most dreaded you may fall asleep
- May miss important road signs & end up at an altogether different location
- May hit pedestrians or vehicles which do not have proper indicators or reflectors
- Very dangerous in dacoit prone zones

Techno

I quite believe in Benefits of Night Driving as quoted and actually practice.

Originally Posted by btirthankar

Me and my wife did Hyderabad-Goa-Hyderabad in 2008. ..the return was a more relaxed one (also non stop) and I was dozing off the wheel getting hallucinations of whatever I could pore in the dead of the night- esp trees walking and their branches turning into fort walls.

The best thing about doze-driving is that I have developed a braking system which works like this.... whenever I am close to fall asleep the foot muscles relax and accelerator gets let off and the car slows down and I brake a bit in reflex which gives me a jerk and am back from the momentary hibernation.

[susan3004]

I have been travelling a lot, and more or less follow the tips also; but never could pen it down!
I would like to add on few more tips to the list.

1. 'Carry a cake of soap'

Yes, it sometimes serves other purpose also than just washing our hands. If you encounter a fuel leak through the fuel line, you simply have to rub the cake at the crack/cut and let the soap get embedded therein. this way you can prevent the fuel from leaking till the time you get it repaired/replaced.

2. Mix a little shampoo with the water in windshield washing. This clears the grime on the wind shield every time you spray water on the windshield and use the wipers.

3. People travelling in high altitudes and sub zero conditions(where windshield washer water freezes) may put rum instead of water. Rum will not freeze in those conditions.

Happy travelling.

[Technocrat]

Well your braking system sounds very scary. I wouldnt recommend any one to drive in such condition as you might not be lucky always.. I mean what if some one rams you from behind since you suddenly slowed down & braked suddenly?? What if you miss a curve while dozing?

Very scary. No one should follow this.

[sabret00the]

nice thread...very well written...extremely useful to me since I will be leaving for my 1st long distance trip tomorrow...

[Tiger]

Few important points for the Long trip,
1. If you are on a long journey with your family, make sure you pack required clothing, etc in a small bag which is sufficient for 2-3days. So that you don’t have to take out your heavy luggage every day
2. Avoid eating oily food. Avoid unknown spicy food. Best is to have bread Jam/ omlet/boiled egg etc. Try to eat fruits
3. Make sure to keep universal plug.
4. If you are traveling to colder places, take a room heater. Hotels charge Rs100/day. You can buy the same for Rs300-400.
5. Chew mouth fresheners or chewing gums while traveling. It does keep you awake during long journeys
6. Keep wet tissues while traveling, It will help you to keep fresh
7. Use liquid soap instead of bar.
8. Never wear shoes during long travels.
9. Ware cotton trousers or 3/4th pants
10. Drive slowly thru villages & towns, a minor accident may ruin your complete trip.
11. Keep original documents of your car & original Driving licence with you.
12. Avoid keeping lot of cash with you, take note of ATMs on the way. Cash available with you should take care of some emergencies like tyre burst, emergency repair, minor accident compensation etc.
13. Avoid wearing expensive jewelries or even fake. It may attract thieves.
14. Keep spare spectacles
15. Keep small air pump, spare tube in your vehicle

[suncity]

I could not find information on the essentials if we are traveling alone on a long drive. Also, what additional measures need to be taken during the lonely travel?

Can anyone throw light on the same?

[sekharr]

Hey techno awesome writeup & great replies on the thread!! Just would like to add, keep a foot-operated jack, it's a great help if you happen to have to change a flat on a crowded road, or when you are tired; I have had to change tyres while on a very cowded street with a standrad hand jack, and believe me it was not funny!!

[Technocrat]

Thanks sekharr,

Yes that foot operated jack would be really useful,thanks for your inputs

Originally Posted by suncity

I could not find information on the essentials if we are traveling alone on a long drive. Also, what additional measures need to be taken during the lonely travel?

Can anyone throw light on the same?

See If the route is known to you then all the stuff already mentioned is enough.

In case route is new Make sure you have following:


- Stock enough food as you dont know where you will get a dhaba\hotel which is hygienic too. Also keep lots of water, say 4-5 liters to be on safe side. You can keep some cold drinks too if thats what you prefer but only in addition to water.

- Have road maps of all the states which you would be passing with you & also keep asking for directions just in case there is a short cut.

- Keep cell phone charged & keep a car charger too also make sure roaming is activated so that you can make a call in case of emergency.

- Keep a note of all helpline numbers of your dealer(Honda\Maruti\Hyundai etc)beforehand. Also have list of A.S.S. for your car in your route.

I think this should take care of most of the problems that you might face. For remaining other tips posted before holds good.

I Hope this helps