HurricaneJosh Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Gustav. Upon arrival at the hotel I thought you were gonna faint when I pulled out the goody bag the wife had thrown together. Then.... Once the quest for 'hot food' (which is another story) was lost..... Oh. Well... I forgot about that. But it's not like I'm all "Southern Californian" about food when I'm down there. I know the options are limited and I deal with it. Sorry to hijack the thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Assuming best case scenario: $400 Plane ticket + check bag $600 4 days car rental w/ all insurances to cover vehicle $300 4 days fuel cost $350 4 nights of hotels $100 food for 4 days and then you have to consider: -do you have reliable internet -do you have the right programs to chase -will you be able to position yourself in time -can you get in and out of bad situations in time to make sure you trip is only 4 days Additionally: -what income would you loose in going (for those that are hourly income types) -are you good enough to chase solo -are you prepared to deal with the chase situation surround such a large event There are so many factors. Ian did it right by getting together with an experienced chaser. Mark is pretty much prepared to go solo himself, but he's still have quite the learning curve. Ian probably needs more time...especially one behind the wheel. Driving and navigating are BIG SAFETY FACTORS, and that takes lots of miles and time to master. I'm probably closing in on 100,000 miles pure severe weather chasing miles alone (not counting my hurricane chases here). I still find I could do it better. If he was to go out again this season...best to again go with an experienced person...it doesn't have to be me of course. I could probably chase with an iphone and nothing else if needed (except that AT&T sucks). For me the biggest issue is just driving "hard and without fear" to get into the right spot. I think I know enough abou the rest to keep myself safe. I'd rather not go solo tho... plus I'd likely have to stick to main roads etc which would mean missing out on things I'm sure. For now, given my work and financial situation, I'd still lean toward doing another 2 (maybe 3) week stay with one or two others who can help mitigate travel/lodging costs. Other than the lack of storms and kick in the nuts afterwards, this year's plan was pretty solid and went just fine IMO. I'd love to go again this year, but it's not going to happen with several commitments over the course of June. If you or both you and Mark are game for next year I'd gladly tag along. I see your chase buddies names on videos coming out the last few days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott747 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Oh. Well... I forgot about that. But it's not like I'm all "Southern Californian" about food when I'm down there. I know the options are limited and I deal with it. Sorry to hijack the thread... It's probably the one side of chasing be it tropical or severe that many don't think about which is eating. Staying somewhat ot... One thing I could never get used to on an extended severe weather chase is the amount of downtime you have to go through along with all the driving. I know when we considered Fay and the initial idea of a panhandle hit there was always that possibility of having to 'chase' a sizable amount of distance down the west coast. Most tropical chases will never have the amount of driving/chasing needed compared to the severe events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormitecture Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 The prices I gave are mostly surrounding those that aren't familiar with chasing, calling last minute, and so on. Hotels might go cheaper, true...but remember there are TONS of chasers out now and hotels are booking up...and there is no need for them to discount their price. Cheap ones are first to go when there are multiple tour groups, and staff to book those hotels for the various chasers. Food wise, the price for eating is cheaper if you go healthier. I actually spent MORE joining the guys for fast food a little too much. I should have stuck with my original plan to just buying grocery food. But if you spot chase...you may not have the cooler and suck to pull that off (or the time to make up the difference with left over quantities). But even if less, it's still a lot to spent with no guarantees you'll succeed. Hurricane wise....well....I'll do a whole different thread for that. I'm already starting to think about the upcoming season. I need to hit it in a big way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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