You know you're dealing with "gas saver burnout" when...

[MetroMPG]

1) You start thinking: I wonder what kind of mileage I can get if I take the busy, direct route road instead of my usual, back-streets-stealth route...

And then you start doing it.

2) You pulled your wheel skirts off to reinforce them a couple of weeks back (which you haven't finished), and have since done a some highway driving without temporarily duct taping them back in place for the trip!

[GeekGuyAndy]

How long have you been increasing your mileage? I used to read forums all about ultralight backpacking, and once I felt like I knew all there was to know, and my weights were low enough that I should stop spending money on new gear, I stopped reading the forums regularly. I can imagine something similar could happen here too. Once I feel like my mileage is just about as high as I can get, I'm sure I won't be reading the forums several times daily like I am now.

[MetroMPG]

3) You're seriously considering installing a radio in your car

GGA: fuel economy's been a hobby/interest for more than 10 years, but only went hard-core about 2 or so years ago. Thing is - the ability to get higher & higher mileage is pretty much always going to be there (ongoing mods/refined mods/more extreme driving). We just have to decide to what extremes we're going to go before saying, "I'm satisfied with this, & I'm going to leave the rest on the table."

I'm not having a major existential/philosophical struggle over this or anything, but there you go.

[skewbe]

treat yourself to a radio (used and cheap preferrably). Books on tape from the library are about the best way to spend ones commute. Wonder when deathly hallows will be on tape?

[cfg83]

4) When you start using your stock cruise control again.

But you still keep shifting it up and down because you just can't stop trying to optimize it.

CarloSW2

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by GeekGuyAndy

I used to read forums all about ultralight backpacking, and once I felt like I knew all there was to know, and my weights were low enough that I should stop spending money on new gear, I stopped reading the forums regularly.

Hey me too. I bet we used to hang out in some of the same online places...

[GeekGuyAndy]

Good point Metro. I think I got my backpacking base weight down to about 9 pounds, after starting around 35. Some people had gotten as low as 4 pounds. But the farther someone takes it, the harder it becomes to get the same increasing results.

I think it's log type of graph - the initial increases are easy and give good results, but then we result to the more difficult ones to keep increasing a few percent at a time.

[MetroMPG]

skewbe: I actually have had a used radio sitting on a shelf in the garage since I got the car. The only reason I've gotten away with not having it for so long is because I drive so little. If I had to commute, I would have had it in there a while back, for sure.

cfg83: funny! I actually switched mine on a couple of days ago, but it wouldn't engage. I might have pulled a wire out of place though (aftermarket install). Or it might not engage without the alternator enabled - I forget if the processor needs to see a certain voltage.

GGA: I think you're right about the graph. And OK, I'm curious how one gets such a light pack. Tell me specifically about toothbrush options, as an example EDIT: I know competitive long distance sailors cut the handles off their tooth brushes to save boat weight, but I suspect a sub 4-lbs backpacker is going further than that somehow. Plucking out half the bristles as well??

[GeekGuyAndy]

I think similar to hypermiling, there are sacrifices to get to that point:

With UL backpacking, people always question the comfort (can you REALLY get a good night of sleep on a 1/8" foam pad under a poncho that is also a tarp for shelter??? Some would say yes, most would say hell no).

With hypermiling, people seem to question the effort in driving (can you really drive 200 miles only stepping on the gas every 20 seconds and rolling the rest without going crazy??? We probably say yes, and the 99.9% of other drivers say hell no)

I was chatting with my buddy who just hiked the Appalachian Trail (2200 miles) with UL backpacking techniques, and I was telling him about hypermiling and realizing how similar these are, but in completely different sports. He told me that he saved about 6 ounces by cutting off tags and other useless parts of his gear. That might sound miniscule, but when you are hiking 2200 miles, every little bit helps, including taking a few inches off the toothbrush! So for us who realize we are still going to drive thousands of miles, making the little differences to get from 40 to 41 mpg make a big difference in the end. I don't think adding a vortex generator is much different than halving a toothbrush Alone it's a small change, but hike a few hundred miles or drive a few thousand and then remember how big the difference became.

[Hockey4mnhs]

Originally Posted by GeekGuyAndy

I think similar to hypermiling, there are sacrifices to get to that point:

With UL backpacking, people always question the comfort (can you REALLY get a good night of sleep on a 1/8" foam pad under a poncho that is also a tarp for shelter??? Some would say yes, most would say hell no).

With hypermiling, people seem to question the effort in driving (can you really drive 200 miles only stepping on the gas every 20 seconds and rolling the rest without going crazy??? We probably say yes, and the 99.9% of other drivers say hell no)

I was chatting with my buddy who just hiked the Appalachian Trail (2200 miles) with UL backpacking techniques, and I was telling him about hypermiling and realizing how similar these are, but in completely different sports. He told me that he saved about 6 ounces by cutting off tags and other useless parts of his gear. That might sound miniscule, but when you are hiking 2200 miles, every little bit helps, including taking a few inches off the toothbrush! So for us who realize we are still going to drive thousands of miles, making the little differences to get from 40 to 41 mpg make a big difference in the end. I don't think adding a vortex generator is much different than halving a toothbrush Alone it's a small change, but hike a few hundred miles or drive a few thousand and then remember how big the difference became.

great points in there. have done some backpacking before and it really does help. my pack was 65-70 range tho.