VE3LGS-RV Travel Gudelines and Comfort Zones….


 Comfort has two variables, humidity and temerature. Boondockers can't control humidity well, but they can control temperature. If it is too hot drive north, if too cold drive south. But how far and where to move?

Temperature is set by two variables we can control- elevation and latitude, but I could never seem to be able to get the travel relationship into my head.

About 10 years ago I found the USDA plant hardiness guide in a magazine and it twigged. The neat thing is the planters guide map had already taken into account the differences in elevation and latitude. It shows these temperature zones as different colors. I could now visualize how temperature would influence my travel. I then just tied the color zones to Interstate highways to make it one step easier.

 .
In winter you should aim for the green zones to be comfortable. In summer, go Blue.
 

 Zone 10 -Jan 01 to Feb 15 ….South of Lake Okeechobee (Fl)
 or South of Quartzsite (Az)
 Zone 9 – Feb 15 to Mar 15 ….South of Interstate I10.
 Zone 8 – Mar 15 to Apr 15 ….South of Interstates I85 & I20
 Zone 7 – Apr 15 to May 7 ….South of Interstates I81 & I 40
 Zone 6 – May 7 to Jun 7 ….South of Interstates I76 & I70
 Zone 5 – Jun 7 to Jul 7 ….South of Interstates I90 & I80
 Zone 3&4 July 7 to Aug 15 ….North of Interstates I 90 & I80
 Zone 5 Aug 15 to Sep 15 ….South of Interstates I 90 & I 80
 Zone 6 Sep 15 to Oct 7 ….South of Interstates I76 & I70
 Zone 7 Oct 7 to Nov 7 ….South of Interstates I81 & I40
 Zone 8 Nov 7 to Dec 7 ….South of Interstates I85 & I20
 Zone 9 Dec 7 to Jan 01 ….South of Interstate I10


Notes re: Moving North in the Spring:

Hopkins Law of Bioclimatics says:
“Spring advances one day for every 15 minutes of latitude northward,
 one and quarter days for each degree of longitude westward, and
 one day for every 30 metres (98ft) higher in elevation.
 (Roughly 10F /300 miles N-S, 0.5F /100ft elev.)

I found that my tendency was to move north too fast in the spring..So we developed another rule…”When you see the first person cutting grass in the spring, move only 100 miles and you will be on the leading edge of the comfort zone. Then wait there until you once again see a grass cutter. etc.

Try it. It works.

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