Camp notes

[tennistime99]

After years of camping trips I finally decided to start keeping notes about 5 years ago. I have a small notebook I've used for most of those years, but switched to an electronic version recently. I've never been much of a journal guy but really wanted to aid my aging brain with places I've camped. Lots of years and lots of trips began to run together and I've probably forgotten far more places than I remember.

I started using Keep Notes (formerly Google Keep) to jot down site info I may find useful down the road. I find it useful to not have to rely on memory when I revisit an area.

I usually write down the cost, basic site info, best sites to possibly reserve if I'm in the area again and can even snap a quick photo.

Anyone else keep track of their camping history?

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[Nick]

I keep a map of everywhere I've ever camped (that I can remember) and add to it after every trip. I don't usually put in notes, but it does motivate me to always try to seek out new spots so I can earn a new pin. Here's my Utah section. Purple pins are multiple night sites. Blue, just one night.

 

[Perry]

I keep a map of everywhere I've ever camped (that I can remember) and add to it after every trip. I don't usually put in notes, but it does motivate me to always try to seek out new spots so I can earn a new pin. Here's my Utah section. Purple pins are multiple night sites. Blue, just one night.

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Wow! @Nick... that’s really impressive!


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[Nick]

Wow! @Nick... that’s really impressive!


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Thanks! It gets far less impressive when I zoom out to the Western U.S. I'm setting a goal next year to put down pins in California, Nevada and Arizona so I can at least have one in every western state.

 

[b.stark]

I started keeping gear lists for each backpacking trip several years ago, and journal during trips with varying degrees of success. I enjoy writing but often toss out a journal in final packing of a backpack, and when I do bring it, sleep often seems so much better in the evening than staying up writing.

Doing better with a dayhike journal, but I still need to develop the discipline to keep up with it better.

 

[wsp_scott]

I started keeping a blog a couple years ago because I realized that I never really looked at the photos I took with my phone. I try to tell my future self a story about the trip, so I have something more than photos to remember the trip. I don't actually write down anything while I'm backpacking, it is all from memory when I get home.

I like Nick's map idea, might have to try that

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I post most of that info on my blog which I frequently use to reference old trips when I can't remember something!

 

[Rockskipper]

I like to record thoughts into a small digital recorder that fits in my pocket. I can later upload the entries onto my computer and listen anytime I want. It's easier than writing stuff down, and can be fun when I want to revisit a trip on a long winter's night. Sometimes an entry will be long and descriptive, and sometimes I wax philosophical with questions like, "Bloody h-e-doublehockeysticks, how many mosquitoes can one planet produce, anyway?"

 

[Kmatjhwy]

Now as for myself, this past summer was my 40th year anniversary of my hiking and camping journeys thru the years. It was in 1978 that I started out on my first summer hiking, wandering, and wilderness camping in the state of Colorado in 1978. Then in 1979 went out for 4 months. Again out in the summer of 1980. Then have been going ever since. Personally now I call those first summers my greenhorn years. Since then have been all over the west with including Alaska. How much of the time the personal center of my world has been the Wilds in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

And since the first summer of 1978 I have kept a detailed journal of my summer wandering. In the journal I keep a record of everything with the weather that day, how much I walked and hiked that day, the animals I saw and observed that day, the birds that I saw and observed, a deeply detailed account of what happened that day, and what all. Some years were more detailed then others, and with some years less detailed then others. But still since that first summer of 1978, a detailed daily journal for every wandering trip since. And also for most of these years have done photography with keeping a photographic records of the trips also. Almost all of the photographic record is in photos and slides not digitized unfortunately. These journals and what all have become one of my most my most prized possessions that I have. It is wonderful and how now in my older years. will be 62 in December, I can look back on old hikes and times on years gone by.

Now I heartily recommend to everyone to keep a journal of their hikes and sojourns. One will not remember it all. And personally I don't trust digital for if it crashes then one will lose it. As one gets older, you will thank yourself for doing so.

Wishing Everyone the Best!!!

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

I have taken thorough notes, jotted down a few notes along the way, recorded notes on an audio recorder, and am now at the phase of taking no notes. Primarily, as others have said, because at the end of the day, I'd rather curl up and sleep. The next morning, I am too focused on prepping for the day to bother.

When I am home, I take the camp locations that I have sent via my SPOT locator and transfer those to Google Earth (GE). I then retrace my route on GE so I have a good record of my route. I can also add pincushions to GE to denote where I had good wildlife sightings, for example.

I also download my photos and label them accordingly. Pix really are worth a heck of a lot of words.

The green line is a completed trip, the yellow is planned, the shaded blue polygon is a management area, the yellow pincushion is where I cached some bear spray.

 

[Rockskipper]

The green line is a completed trip, the yellow is planned, the shaded blue polygon is a management area, the yellow pincushion is where I cached some bear spray.

Is the bearspray still there in case one of us ever needs it?

 

[Rockskipper]

Now as for myself, this past summer was my 40th year anniversary of my hiking and camping journeys thru the years. It was in 1978 that I started out on my first summer hiking, wandering, and wilderness camping in the state of Colorado in 1978. Then in 1979 went out for 4 months. Again out in the summer of 1980. Then have been going ever since. Personally now I call those first summers my greenhorn years. Since then have been all over the west with including Alaska. How much of the time the personal center of my world has been the Wilds in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

And since the first summer of 1978 I have kept a detailed journal of my summer wandering. In the journal I keep a record of everything with the weather that day, how much I walked and hiked that day, the animals I saw and observed that day, the birds that I saw and observed, a deeply detailed account of what happened that day, and what all. Some years were more detailed then others, and with some years less detailed then others. But still since that first summer of 1978, a detailed daily journal for every wandering trip since. And also for most of these years have done photography with keeping a photographic records of the trips also. Almost all of the photographic record is in photos and slides not digitized unfortunately. These journals and what all have become one of my most my most prized possessions that I have. It is wonderful and how now in my older years. will be 62 in December, I can look back on old hikes and times on years gone by.

Have you ever considered bequeathing your records to someone like the Yellowstone Park Foundation?

 

[Kmatjhwy]

Rockskipper, Yes this is one thing that have considered as of late bigtime! Maybe in my will have my journals be given to someplace for the future after am gone. Not only the Yellowstone Park Foundation, there is also the Great Library at the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum in Cody. Also the little historical center in Jackson has a small public library, etc. The library in Cody at the Buffalo Bill Museum is really Great and has all kinds of old records on the west. I need personally to get back to that museum and see this place again. Also as of late, rewriting into a better journal book, some of my early birding records for my trips in the west from the early 80s that I have. I always need some winter project. Thanks for asking. Wishing You the Best!

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

Is the bearspray still there in case one of us ever needs it?

It is. I left it there this fall before loading on a jet at BZN. It is an unplanned experiment to see if it works next summer after spending the entire winter out.

So if you're in that area, and a really, really slow bear is chasing you, good luck!!

 

[Miya]

I keep a map of everywhere I've ever camped (that I can remember) and add to it after every trip. I don't usually put in notes, but it does motivate me to always try to seek out new spots so I can earn a new pin. Here's my Utah section. Purple pins are multiple night sites. Blue, just one night.

View attachment 71325

Woah....