Safe driving on ski trips part 2 if you get in trouble

Whether you’re leaving the city heading to the Mammoth Mountain/Lake Tahoe High Sierra country for its beauty and relaxation, or planning that ski trip from Scottsdale to Snowbowl, here are some tips for a safe and pleasant journey, and how to deal with trouble, should it arise. Slow down. A highway speed of 65 miles per hour may be safe in dry weather, but an invitation for trouble on snow and ice. Snow and ice make stopping distances much longer, so keep your seat belt buckled and leave more distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra seconds to react. Remember to avoid sudden stops and quick direction changes. Do everything slowly and gently. Anticipate turns and stops. Leave plenty of distance between you and other cars. Drive as if there were eggs on the bottom of your feet; step on the gas and the brake pedals so gently that you don't break the eggshell. Trucks take longer to stop, so don't cut in front of them. Watch out for fog; it drifts rapidly and often is patchy. In foggy conditions, drive very slowly using lowered headlights. Don't hang on to the taillights of the vehicle in front. This gives you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close. Don't speed up suddenly, even if it seems to be clearing. You can find yourself suddenly back in thick fog. If you should find yourself stuck, turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way. Keep a light touch on the gas, and ease forward. Don't spin your wheels; you'll just dig in deeper. Rocking the vehicle is another way to get unstuck. (Check your owner's manual first, as it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift gently from forward to reverse, and back again. The best approach to recovering from a skid is the same for both front and rear-wheel drive vehicles. If your rear wheels start to skid, turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right. As you continue to correct, you may have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control. If your front wheels skid, take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go and accelerate gently. If your car has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), keep your foot on the pedal. If not, pump the pedal gently, pumping more rapidly as your car slows down. Braking hard with non-anti-lock brakes will lock the wheels and make the skid worse. Do not use a mobile phone while driving. Stop somewhere safe or ask a passenger to make the call. On a freeway, it is better to use a roadside emergency telephone, because the emergency services will be able to locate you easily. If you have to use a mobile phone, make sure you know your location from the numbers on the marker posts on the side of the road. If your car gets stuck out on the road run the heater every 10 minutes but never fall asleep with the car running. In blizzard conditions, especially overnight, make sure one person stays awake, because help could take some time to arrive. Maintain circulation by moving your feet, hands, and arms. Avoid alcohol. It lowers body temperature and will cause you to become drowsy. Stay in the vehicle. Don't wander and get lost or frostbitten. Leave one window cracked open. Freezing winds and wet, driving snow can quickly seal a vehicle. Clean any snow from around the end of the tail pipe to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. Clear outside heater vents -- that’s the grill under the windshield. Signal to other motorists that you're stranded by using flares or flashlights, or by tying a piece of brightly colored cloth to the radio antenna and using your “Help” sign. So, whether you’re to stay at Aspen, Scottsdale or Vail, there’s much more involved than just finding discounted hotel accommodations; be sure to plan a safe and pleasant trip!

Checking accessories that you need in traveling

So, finally you have found the time for your deserving break. You have already planned what to do on the big trip. Everything seems to be prepared. But what happens when you forget your favorite digicam and you only discovered it when you’re already nearing the point of your destination? Why does it happen that every time you go out of town, you always forget an item or accessory that you only remember after you left the house? If you are lucky, you usually forget small things like a toothbrush, where you can buy one in the nearest store. But what happens if you forget, for example, your digicam? Or how about your raincoat in a rainy season? How about the travel supplies you usually forget? If you’re lucky, it’s a simple accessory like a toothbrush, which any hotel will have in their gift shop. But what if you forgot a more important product, for example, a rain coat? Or a backpack you’ll be using for a hiking trip? What are all the travel accessories you need? When going on trips, whether it is big or small, check out if you have a complete set of your travel accessories. What accessories should I bring? Among the most obvious are: - Suitcases - Travel clothing - Toiletries -Travel appliances (electric razor, travel alarm, hairdryer) These, however, are just the basic accessories. You will see that the more you travel, the more you need things other than suitcases, toiletries, and travel clothing and appliances. For example, did you think that you should have brought a small nice neck pillow in a long train ride or flight? Or, what if you get bruised from a hiking trip, do you have a first-aid kit close at hand? Here are some accessories that you might want to bring when you take your next trip: - Binoculars - Music player - Mini-flashlight - Camera - Clothing steamer - Mini-umbrella - Luggage rack - Door alarm - First-aid kit It would not be surprising that you might have additional options to this list, or you might have a list entirely different from the list above. And when you check out stores and Internet sites that sell travel accessories, you would learn that there are many products out there that you thought you never needed but turned out to be the contrary!