How To Get Over Double Gas Mileage: Less a Gimmick, More of Physics

I’m sure you’ve heard just about everything in the book and some of you have probably tried those gimmicky store bought additives in an effort to boost your gas mileage. First of all, all those additives you buy don’t do jack squat, some have actually decreased vehicle gas mileage. Also, most of the “backyard” tweaks you’ve heard about, don’t work. If it were that easy, it would become standard on all vehicles… you might say that the car companies are vested in the oil industry… but they are also vested in providing people vehicles that have the highest gas mileage.

Well, I, have used a technique that increases my gas mileage by over 100%… it was proven to work on mythbusters and I knew it before it ever aired. I’ll get to that later.

The Mythbusters alone have debunked many of these myths… and the fact they have several episodes in regards to gas mileage, shows how important/wanted it is in today’s society. I’ll list the episodes I can find at the bottom of the page.

Every year I drive from Iowa to Illinois (and vice versa) multiple times. The trip is almost exactly 5 hours when I maintain a speed of around 70 mph. My gas tank in my Wrangler is around 20 gallons… So I spend roughly $60 for a one way trip, or $120 for round trip (which is usually the case). When I drive normally, I will go through almost exactly 1 tank of gas, down to the last few drops.

Now, the trick… drafting. Any fan of NASCAR should understand this concept, although, I’ve seen some of the “regulars” at those events, haha. Jokes aside, it is a scientific fact you will get better gas mileage when you draft. Bicyclists, speed skaters, marathon runners, skiers, and even geese do it. I’m an undergraduate in Aerospace Engineering here at Iowa State and the base equation for this is:

Drag Force = (1/2)*(air density)*(velocity^2)*(frontal area)*(drag coefficient)

The drag coefficient is just a constant and it has to do with how well something “slips” through the air. You can see with this that drag force will increase exponentially as you increase your speed. So driving faster, even by 5 mph, can seriously detriment your gas mileage… especially above 65 mph. The frontal area is obvious, something that is bigger will have more air to push out of the way. The greater the drag force, the worse the gas mileage. Of course the type of engine and tires and transmission, etc, can affect this but you can’t change that while you’re driving.

The Mythbusters said to follow a semi-truck, but this works with any vehicle! Essentially, you are mooching off the leading vehicle’s aerodynamic affects. The bigger the vehicle, the more air it pushes out of the way and the less you have hitting the front of your car. This decreases your drag force on the car and allows the engine to maintain the same speed without doing as much work.

You can think of it like this… if wind is blowing from west to east and you are behind a wall on the east side, the wall will block you from the wind. Now just reverse it, the air is standing still but you and the wall are moving from east to west… the wall will still block the air from hitting you. Thus, you will have less drag force. So a NASCAR will (for a few seconds) be able to drive faster when maneuvering around another car he just drafted because there is now more room for the engine to perform, even when both are pedal to the metal.

This technique also allows you to drive faster AND save gas if you have perfected and understand the technique. Now, this can be dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you are doing. You DO NOT need to tailgate the vehicle to get the benefits, you can be up to 50 ft behind a vehicle and get some benefits (based off personal experience). Be smart about it and ALWAYS be courteous. If the front driver appears to be getting agitated, stop doing it and move on to another vehicle.

I once sat behind the same 18-wheeler for about 4 of the 5 hours and got about 125% the gas milleage. I went from about 20 mpg to almost 50. Which saves me over $60 dollars on this round trip and it didn’t take less time to get where I was going. What normally is 2 full tanks of gas for this round trip ended up being just under 1 full tank of gas.

This was the best instance I have ever had, but I always draft and always notice the benefits. On a normal drive I will probably get an added 10 mpg… which is still substantial. I have once gotten a line of 4 cars to drive together and every 30 minutes or so we would rotate the leading car and the front car would go to the back of the line… everyone benefited from this as well. I find it funny when I see a guy blow by me on the highway going maybe 85 in his truck… I just laugh because I know how much gas he’s sucking up at that speed with that sized vehicle. He’ll probably have to stop and fill up and I’ll get to my destination sooner because I won’t have to stop at a gas pump.

So if you practice this regularly, even for short trips… in the long run you will save thousands of dollars over the course of the lifetime of the car. Just think if a Prius drafted a semi-truck!! It would probably run forever!!

- Timbo

Reverse Engineering: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-reverse-engineering/

Will Only Right Turns Save You Gas: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-waterslide-wipeout/

Will a dirty car or clean car get better gas mileage: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-dirty-vs-clean-car/

The Great Gas Conspiracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=715kifXe4-Q

Big Rig Myths: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBF9uYPIiyI

Golf ball pockets on cars increase gas mileage

Mood changes affect gas mileage.

Driving with the tailgate up/down saves gas mileage.

Does AC affect mileage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPZlD187hw4

So Much Breast Cancer Awareness… Why Does Prostate Cancer Take A Back Seat?

Nothing against breast cancer awareness, I’m all for it… but why is the movement sooo massive? Just look at how massive it is: It has its own month, the NFL, NBA, MLB and other sporting organizations provide pink athletic wear certain days of the year, major TV shows sponsor it such as The Biggest Loser, tons of advertisements, and much more.

Prostate cancer awareness pales in comparison. Breast cancer is the 3rd most common cancer, behind lung cancer and prostate cancer… yet every year the amount of research put into breast cancer is more than double any other cancer type including leukemia, colorectal, lymphoma, melanoma, kidney, pancreatic, prostate and lung. This information is from the National Cancer Institute and it says in there that in 2009 they spent $600 million in cancer research while only $295 million for prostate cancer research. In 2005 the US government spent $700 million on breast cancer research and $390 million for prostate cancer. These numbers are government spending on cancer research… this is completely disregarding charities and publicity funding whether privatized or by the government. In which case, breast cancer awareness completely annihilates prostate cancer awareness.  When (if) you see the blue prostate cancer ribbon, do you know it’s for prostate cancer? What if you see a pink ribbon?

Now that you have seen the numbers in terms of money spent on research, here are the numbers on contractions. 1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer (1 in 4 black men will get it), while 1 in 8 women get breast cancer. 30,000 men will die each year from prostate cancer while 40,000 women will contract breast cancer and far, far less dieing from it.

Now why is this? Is this because women are far more vocal about health problems than men are? I think that might have to do with it. But I think the majority of the issue lies with the fact that breast cancer awareness has become a brand in itself. It has become a “cool” thing to do. Would you rather wear a pink shirt that is about breast cancer awareness or a blue shirt about prostate cancer awareness… and be honest! Maybe breasts are just more appealing when compared to prostates!

Regardless, both are major problems in both men and women’s lives but it is numerically more a problem with men… if only there was proportionally (or just as much) awareness for prostate cancer. So, men, especially if you’re over 50, please get annual prostate checks, it’s more important than you are lead to believe.

If you would like more information on prostate cancer, visit: http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.5699537/k.BEF4/Home.htm

If you would like more information on breast cancer, visit: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/

- Timbo

TSA versus National Opt Out Day and Why It’s Stupid

I can’t help but do a face-palm and shake my head when I hear people talking about all these TSA rights violations. It’s seriously pathetic. National Opt Out Day http://www.optoutday.com/ is probably going to be one of the most noneffective protests and all it will do is backfire.

Lets think about the intelligence of this protest… travelers are going to non-stop deny a body scan in favor of a pat down on the busiest flying day of the year. The day before Thanksgiving. All this will do is cause massive congestion and piss off fellow fliers that are just trying to get home to family for the holidays. It will NOT prove any point. To add to this, people who participate will be ASKING the TSA to essentially grope them and “touch their junk” when they could easily do a non-intrusive and safe (regardless of the propaganda being spewed) scan. To put it in the words of a Yahoo article , ”They don’t understand the importance of the electronic scans. They’re wrong about the scanners’ safety. And from the standpoint of dignity, their advice is insane. If you opt out of the scan, you’ll get a pat-down instead. You’ll trade a fast, invisible, intangible, privacy-protected machine inspection for an unpleasant, extended grope. In effect, you’ll be telling TSA to touch your junk.”

Lets not forget that the TSA has absolutely ZERO desire to touch you. Think about all the people in the world that you encounter, the smelly, non-hygenic, obese, old (and young). The TSA has no choice but to pat them down if they don’t do the scan. I’ll take another quote from the Yahoo article… ”It is not comfortable to come to work knowing full well that my hands will be feeling another man’s private parts, their butt, their inner thigh,” wrote one male agent. “Even worse is having to try and feel inside the flab rolls of obese passengers, and we seem to get a lot of obese passengers!” Another added that most of the travelers the agency deals with “have a problem understanding what personal hygiene is.”

There are a lot of wincing stories out there about the TSA agents but a large portion of them are actually fabricated… but the ones that are true are highly publicized. These cases are few when considering that millions of people are going through this security system even in 1 day.

My stance is that the protesting about the TSA is ridiculous. Every single year there are incidences on airplanes that could lead to death, it’s just not as widely publicized as the major events. To add, it is NOT illegal what the TSA is doing. You have active choice in the matter. You can either do the scan, do the pat-down or NEITHER!!! That’s right, don’t fly if you feel it’s too intrusive for your liking. People that get motion sickness and are fearful of heights do this all the time… my mother and uncle included.

By the fact that you choose to walk through security (where it is made extremely obvious what will happen before you purchase the ticket and while in the airport), you consent to the search. And if you don’t, that’s okay, you just won’t fly. Your rights are not being taken away with this system, if you don’t like it, don’t fly.

Even though I am more likely to get killed in a car accident than an airplane incident, I’d much rather take the added security over personal privacy. I am just one of the millions to walk through the scanners, it’s no big deal, and TSA doesn’t care.

Anyway, let me know what your guys’ stance is on it… you may not find it as silly as I do.

Will The Vatican Ever Make Up Its Mind?

Alright, I am just a little confused. Why in the world is it once a sin for a man to use condoms as a form of pregnancy and STD prevention and now all of a sudden it’s claimed to now be acceptable? And to top it all off, the Vatican is saying that it’s views have never changed on the subject.

WHAT?! I’ve heard way too many times in speeches and writings how the use of condoms is ungodly and a sin… they can’t say that their view points have always been the same because now it’s “ok” to use condoms if it’s for a “charitable act”. They basically just 180′d something that was strictly ungodly to being accepted by god, ducking responsibility for that action.

 

Lately, the Vatican has been getting heat for “modernizing” with civilization. This isn’t about modernizing, this is about what is godly and what isn’t according the Vatican. I understand the whole situation about not taking the Bible literally (just check out my last post… http://iantimberlake.wordpress.com/2010/11/19/dont-take-the-bible-literally-atheist-or-extreme-theist/ ) but where do you draw the line between what is literally godly and what is figuratively godly?

I think the Vatican needs to get a grip on what is godly literally and figuratively because the more they side-step issues and the more they keep changing ideology, the more disdain people will have towards the Vatican. I don’t know how many times in history the Vatican has said one thing and then changed its side of things… almost as bad as swinging politician.

I’d have a lot of respect for the Vatican if they had specific ideology and never wavered from it, but I just can’t help but deem it a silly entity that has little grasp on what it signifies. This really shouldn’t be too hard, for if you took the Bible too literally, there would be no difference in the sin of thieving a cracker to the sin of raping, torturing and killing children. And if you took the Bible too figuratively, then the believers might as well not be believers. Of course the line is hard to draw, but the point is, the Vatican needs to draw it and keep it… or else they risk losing a really really large following.

Alright, that concludes my rant… but as stated, the flakiness of the Vatican needs to cease if at all possible. Can’t be flaky with something like the Bible. It’s not a joke to say more people are losing their trust with the Vatican every day, hopefully they notice this and get a grip.

Don’t take the Bible Literally, Atheist or Extreme Theist

AJ Jacobs spent a year living the Bible literally and he recounts what happened and what he learned. Whether you are an Atheist or an extreme Theist… a lot can be learned.

LIPDUB – I Gotta Feeling (Comm-UQAM 2009)

Thought I would share this awesome video!

Poem: Human Existence and Purpose

Existence.
Have you taken a second to realize who, what, where and ultimately…why we are.
Have you thought of why we go the distance?
To dress the way we dress. To act the way we act. To be who we are expected to be.
Why do we need to eat certain foods at certain times of the day?
Why do we need to wear name brand clothing everyway?
Why do we all have those friends that make random noises?
Or why do we find the need to speak with rules and with curses?
Have you looked up in the sky at night and thought…
With 400 billion stars in our single galaxy,
Why is it important to cross your t’s and dot your i’s?
Why is it important to make every single picture look like a prize?
Earth is in the middle of a cycle of ice ages,
The existence of dinosaur and man is merely in between the non-living.
The biotic world we know is only 2 millionths of a percent of earths existence.

So?
Why is it important to wear the most expensive watch?
Why is it important to live in the biggest house?
Why is it important to eat your food with a knife and fork?
Why is it we judge one another as if it mattered?
Who are we to think we have a purpose in this universe?
Next time you are walking through the hall, or talking on the phone,
Take notice in what you condone,
Take notice in what you see other people do when there is an unknown,
Take notice in why people think they are on top of a throne.
In the grand scheme of things,
Is it necessary to do what we all do?
What we all do for self preservation and others cooperation over the foundation of why we exist.
What is our purpose to live out our lives on this planet we call Earth.
Unfortunately we will never figure out what its worth.
We can only guess as to what we are meant to do and why we are meant to be.
Could there be a universal role as to why? I think not, but there is no guarantee.
But I can tell you what we must believe to disagree.
We must believe to disagree that we are not meant to be.
We are meant to be because we do have a purpose.
The purpose we must believe is not that we are keystone in this universe.
Not that we are significant, nor meant to hold a role.
But rather we exist for the soul purpose of existing.
And we persist for the soul purpose of persisting.
But we still have a purpose.
Why is it we sit for hours and watch our favorite shows?
Why is it we find obscenity humorous?
Why is it we make friends and enemies?
There comes a point in your short life where you realize what matters.
Where you realize who matters, who never did matter, and who always will matter.
Why is it we must stick with the masses?
But then why do we have social classes?
Being absolutely objective, what is really necessary and what isn’t?
Now that you have taken a minute or two to think about the real…
Who, what, where and ultimately why we are.
Now we must learn to think about how we live the life we feel is real.

Medal of Honor Recipient and his “F— You” Humility

The first living Medal of Honor recipient since Vietnam was recently approved by President Obama. This is our nations highest honor and Army SSgt. Sal Giunta from Iowa is the one being awarded this honor for his actions in Afghanistan in 2007. SSgt. Giunta’s battallion was controlling Korengal Valley, known by soldiers as “the valley of death”. There was known enemy activity in the valley and all of a sudden fire broke out with the enemy. Over the radio it appeared that many had been hit. There were Predator Drones and B1 Bombers flying overhead as well as artillery rounds. Giunta’s battallion was told to sit tight until the confusion had settled.

Once things had settled, his Captain ordered the unit to advance toward where the activity had taken place to retrieve any equipment and/or bodies so that the Taliban wouldn’t take anything. Almost immediately, it was realized that they had been ambushed. There were rounds and RPGs flying toward everyone in the unit and any form of control had been lost. Giunta himself was shot in the chest and he witnessed a fellow soldier get shot in the head. SSgt. Giunta said that the Taliban’s ambush was as affective as any of their own ambushes. It had become apparent that one of the soldiers was missing. SSgt. Giunta went on a search while under fire and came out to a large flat clearing where he noticed 3 Taliban carrying away his buddy who had been shot 8 times. He opened fire, killing 2 carrying him and wounding the 3rd.

This was in 2007, recently he was given a personal phone call by President Obama telling him that he was going to receive the Medal of Honor. His response? “F— You”. Okay, he didn’t say that to the President, but that’s how he feels. He feels beyond frustrated that he is being awarded the highest American honor when his buddies are still over in Afghanistan doing the same thing.

Below is a view of the situation from the eyes of Medal of Honor recipient, if the embedded video isn’t working, here is a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50RFJfUzNsY

The real heroes in war are the ones that feel they don’t deserve their medals. They are the ones with the greatest humility. The ones who consider it normal action to face certain death for a fellow soldier or for American freedoms. If you can find a Medal of Honor recipient that feels like he deserves the medal, then I’ll give you more than just a cookie. What these men do without thinking is beyond brave. And maybe SSgt. Giunta is right in saying that everyone in his unit should be recognized for the medal, but one thing is for sure… he is a true hero.

Another Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20101116/us_yblog_thelookout/meet-sal-guinta-the-first-living-medal-of-honor-winner-since-vietnam

What Most DON’T Know About Mountaineering, and Why It Is Awesome.

Most of the time when someone asks what I like to do and I mention “mountaineering“, they sort of nod their head and say, “oh that’s cool”… not usually fully understanding what that means. More often then not it is thought that mountaineering is a couple hour hike to the top of a mountain, as apposed to what it usually is… a multi-day, multi-faceted, rigorous climb to the top of a mountain and then back down (since the top is still only half way).

I don’t have a wide range of experience with mountaineering but I at least know what it takes, and it takes a lot. If you are a fan of the outdoors (and you should be given my recent blog post), and even if you aren’t, you should take a look into mountaineering… or at least put it on your list of things to do before you die. If you want an experience that highlights the ultimate of everything life, then you should do mountaineering. I plan on making mountaineering my main outdoor experience for the next several years. My current goal is to climb the ’7 summits’ – the tallest mountain on each continent… ending with Everest.

Lets take a look of everything that goes into and comes out of a mountaineering venture: It’s a very specific skill set that utilizes many kinds of techniques and practices. It’s the ultimate in physical and mental determination, requiring training in both areas. It can be more dangerous than most outdoor adventures. It takes months, sometimes years of planning. And lets not forget everything from previous post here… http://iantimberlake.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/why-experience-the-wilderness-it-would-be-naive-not-to/

There is crampon skills to learn, ice axe skills, roping and knot skills, travel skills, breathing technique, alpine camping technique, food/water consumption technique, clothing skills, and much more. You can burn 10,000 calories in a day and don’t change clothes for weeks.

As you can see, mountaineering is probably up there as the best form of all around life satisfying ventures. You have physical exertion, mental preparedness, relaxation, fun, teamwork, experience and more, all wrapped up into one thing. That sort of thing is not easy to find.

All this might seem intimidating to somebody who doesn’t have really any experience in the field but it is not hard to hire a guide service to train you and take you up the mountain. Mt. Rainier in Seattle is an excellent place to experience this in America. It’s a very tall mountain and likened to a mountain in the Himalayas. There are also many guides you can hire on the mountain. For a 4 day trip of training and climbing, it would cost each person roughly $900, which actually isn’t bad at all considering what you might normally pay on a vacation. What really gets you is the gear cost… if you don’t have the technical gear, usually you can rent, but the cost adds up. For somebody who regularly spends time in the outdoors and has some gear and clothing already, a 4 day guided trip up Mt. Rainier would cost you just under $2,000… pricey, but worth it in my book. I’d rather purchase experiences than items. That cost actually is good in terms of paying for guides. If I were to go to Alaska and climb Mt. Mckinlley, most guides cost close to $5,000… and can you guess what Everest costs? Try stomaching $75,000… and you would be stupid to attempt it without guides. Although, I’d rather attempt Mt. Everest than buy a Corvette and I hope you would too.

In life, it’s the experiences that make everything worth it, not what you own. At least that’s how I look at it. My current plan is to climb Mt. Rainier in 2011, then Mt. McKinley, followed by Mt. Elbrus in Russia and then Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. It’s this kind of stuff that really shows that I’m alive and making the best of my time.

- Timbo

Helpful Links:

http://rmiguides.com/

http://www.eddiebauer.com/home.jsp?siteId=2

http://www.summitpost.org/

http://whittakermountaineering.com/

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/home___

7 Life Changing Reasons To Get Outside

For anyone who knows me, knows that I am at home in the outdoors. A fanatic. In general, I guess it is because I enjoy experiencing new things, even if it doesn’t involve the outdoors… and there is always something new to experience wherever you go. The ultimate healing of the mind, I believe. And go with someone you are very close with or go alone (just tell people where that may be). It will ALWAYS be an experience to remember, whether it be a good one or a bad one, you come out having learned something new and in general, loving yourself and the people around you more.  I am going to share a list of reasons (in no particular order) to experience the wilderness.

Here is a photo I took with a disposable camera after hiking through the Badlands, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons... an indescribable experience, one of many.

1. Don’t Make Excuses If You Are Uncomfortable.

To people who are hesitant to get outside in the elements, you will never know the benefits of these experiences until you actually push yourself to do it. People who don’t do things they are uncomfortable with leave no room for themselves to grow. Keep that in mind next time you make an excuse to experience something new that you’re uncomfortable with. Your life’s knowledge is solely based off the experiences you willingly and unwillingly make.

2. The Outdoors Is The Ultimate Mind Healer.

I am actually not making this up… there have been numerous studies that show mental illness patients heal up to 60% faster when they are near the ocean or in an area that is not inhabited and not developed by people. These are just the studies, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is absolutely true. Whenever I am feeling blue, or under a lot of stress in my life, I get outside. And I ALWAYS return feeling noticeably happier and refreshed… not just for a short period of time, but indefinitely. Don’t believe me, try it for yourself… doesn’t have to be a far place, just get out for a couple days either by yourself or with a few close people in your lives. There are many things on the internet that will show you what you need for certain activities, do a search, or better yet, ASK ME!!!

3. You Appreciate Things Far More Than Ever.

Placing yourself in places that are more remote than you’re used to, forces you to appreciate the things you would otherwise take for granted. When you go someplace where you can’t sleep at 71 degrees F, can’t have running water at your disposal, or such things as toilets, ovens, a bed… you learn what is actually important in life. A shower becomes a treasure and beds become a luxury. Your eyes open and you love everything you have in your life that much more. Again, these are things that are hard to understand until you actually get out.

4. You Have Fun!

This is probably the most directly obvious one. There is nothing more satisfying than making new experiences, especially with some of the people you love. You do things that you cannot do when you’re at home and all the stresses you would otherwise have, are gone. It’s a fact that when you smile, your body releases chemicals that make you happier… and you smile A LOT when you get outside.

5. You Get More Exercise Than You Remotely Realize

This seems basic, but I bring it up for a reason. The biggest reason is that America (and a lot of the world) is becoming frighteningly overweight. Why do we accept the fact that 1/3 of the population is fat? Anyway, my point is that when you go to a gym and workout, you eventually stop after exerting yourself past a point. When you are in the wilderness, you don’t realize that you work all aspects of fitness and burn several thousand calories a day because you are having fun!

6. One In A Lifetime Experiences All The Time

I can for a fact, define a one-in-a-lifetime experience for every single instance I have left for time in the outdoors. Whether it be a local day hike at a state park or a month long venture through the Grand Tetons… I ALWAYS come out with at least one experience that probably will never happen again. And better yet, more often then not, you experience it with somebody else. It creates an everlasting bond that only strengthens your relationship… and a story that will last a lifetime. I can’t stress this enough, this is essentially why I enjoy it so much. You would be crazy to underestimate this point.

7. It Gives You Something To Improve On, Like A Hobby

When you enjoy something, you naturally want to get better at it. With experience, you naturally become better… but you also enjoy trying new things. After you have done this for a while, you might want to learn new ways and uses to build a fire, learn new uses for various tools, perfecting the art of navigation… the possibilities are endless. In a way, it becomes a hobby that you can develop. Not only are there those who experience the outdoors and those who don’t, but there are those who have learned the outdoors more than others. It is just another way to experience new things, make things more fun and satisfy the brain’s desire for improving on something.

—

That is all I can think of right now as far as general topics and I could delve into each one of them into great detail… and maybe I will sooner or later… if you have anything to add, go right ahead! I always love hearing new reason and experiences related to the outdoors. Also, if you are interested in getting into the outdoors but don’t know where to start, contact me! I absolute LOVE helping people get involved in such activities and I feel like I have a wide range of experiences and knowledge to help get anyone started in any outdoor activity.

- Ian

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