Trail Journal Entries

[ncwild]

How do most of you guys enter data for a trail journal? Do you input directly into a smartphone when in camp or hand write on paper and then transfer to a website or your own phone when you are in a town and have WiFi? My concern is that even if I am on Airplane mode when in the backcountry, and attempt to enter in the journal data on my phone, this will drain the battery because the screen will be lit up for some time while inputting the notes. Oh, also, I can type much easier/quicker, with less errors, on a full size keyboard rather than on my iphone 6 Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Nanatuk]

I write my journal entries using Evernote on my Samsung S9. I'm getting pretty good at using the built in keyboard, but have considered carrying a OTG, (On The Go) adapter that came with the phone to connect a roll up full size keyboard. I don't recall the weight, but after trying it out, I think it isn't worth the hassle. I think I'm going to stick with built in soft keyboard.

By using Evernote, I can collect my thoughts, edit and spellcheck my entries before I post them to trailjournals. I also usually write more than I want to post publicly so can easily cut and past the public portion but still keep public and private journal together in Evernote.

In Evernote you can make your journal notebook "synchronized" which allows offline editing. Whenever you have wifi your Journal notebook and all entries will sync with the server and be available to your other devices.

[Slo-go'en]

Since your probably going to be doing journal entries at night, you can make the phone back light very dim. That will help conserve power. You typically can recharge often enough that running out of juice isn't a real problem. Just keep the phone in airplane mode unless you really need to connect. I carry a 4400 mAh USB battery pack for recharging if I need it. Typically to top off the phone just before hitting town. Then I'll charge the battery pack.

I use a simple journal app. Basically a blank page with the date. If I want to upload the entry on line, just copy and paste. Trail Journals has finally updated the site to be more phone friendly. It used to be a real pain if you weren't using a desktop PC.

Using the phone keyboard is a pain especially when it's cold or damp, but I keep resisting getting a Bluetooth keyboard to add to my pile of already too much electronics to carry.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

I write them down with a pen in a notebook. No batteries required, survives getting wet.

[lonehiker]

Moleskine and a pencil has worked for decades.

[Christoph]

I used my phone for my journal each night. Just entered a short paragraph or 2 on the days happenings and who I met, etc... Carried a 10K ma external pack with me and I hardly used it. Kept my phone on airplane mode unless I was quick checking texts from back home. I took vids and photos and it was my only camera. Uploaded and charged everything once I got to town or a hostel. Then when I finished, I got home and tweaked everything so it reads like a book. This brought back a lot of memories on the trail as I was going through it all again.

[Traillium]

I used my phone and wrote every night, posting when I finished (and occasionally the next day when I found signal). I carried 2 Anker backup battery chargers, which were heavy but would keep me going past 6 days. I used my phone as a camera, occasionally as a gps, and for daily texting and phone calls with family.

I wrote in WordPress and posted with images from there to my blog: http://brucetraillium.wordpress.com

I wanted to include multiple photos and so sorted out that WordPress worked well with the most direct and simplest processing.

[handlebar]

Us my iPhone Notepad app each evening then cut & paste when Ihave service. Phone stays in airplane mode and serves as camera. Rarely use backup battery pack.

[DuneElliot]

Like others above I use my phone and a half-decent writing app (still looking for a better one that doesn't keep having issues offline) and keep my phone on Airplane mode or Off.
Since I write at night I turn the screen down to the dimmest it can go and the dark it is still almost too bright. I carried an Anker battery on this last trip but have yet to need it for trips up to 7 days where I'm writing every night. Of course I don't use my phone for anything but journaling as I carry a good camera for pictures.

[ncwild]

Great responses. Thanks to all...

[gbolt]

Us my iPhone Notepad app each evening then cut & paste when Ihave service. Phone stays in airplane mode and serves as camera. Rarely use backup battery pack.
Same this past year except carried a 10,500 Mah Anker. Wrote an entry every night. Some Gramitical errors and format issues but people reading understood Nd didn’t care. Many enjoyed and read it almost daily. I also enjoyed it because it was nightly relaxation to slow the brain before sleep.

[KnightErrant]

I carried a physical journal and pen because that's how I prefer to write, and also it felt a bit less like I was ignoring people if I was writing or sketching in a journal at a picnic table than if I was just poking at my phone. I know it's the same thing, but they are perceived differently. Of course, if you do it in your tent, it doesn't matter, but I preferred to feel like I wasn't contributing to the "those damn millennials always on their phones" stereotype.

But after mid-Virginia or so, we were pushing long miles almost every day, and my journal soon became a quick note of my location, the weather, and just a few bulleted notes about the day, because I was too exhausted for anything else (or too focused on engaging with the people around me during the 30 minutes of free time I had in camp each evening). I also had a blog, so when I wanted to update (usually on a nero/zero day), I would use the Squarespace Blog app to type up journal entries and add photos. I finished the trail at the beginning of this month and the blog is still in... Damascus? So clearly, the blog became less and less of a priority as time went on, although now I'm home I'm going back through the journal and continuing it. The link is in my signature if you want to see what it looks like.

[ldsailor]

I typed my daily journal on my Galaxy S5 into a "Memo" app. I then copied it to my blog/journal when I had a cell signal. I carried a spare battery for the phone (an ounce) and a battery pack to charge the battery when needed.

[greenpete]

I always use pen and paper. Both are lightweight and fit easily into my backpack. After returning home, I transferred some (not all) of it onto my WordPress blog. This enabled a second look and edit, which improved the writing.

A few years later, I used my blog posts, and fleshed them out with natural description, historical references, some "creative" dialogue, and an inner monologue to create a book, which I recently self-published. This fleshing out enabled a third look and edit. (Then my editor provided a final check.)

Maybe your goal isn't a book, but starting out with paper and pen worked great for me, and felt more "natural" and in keeping with my surroundings. Then again, I'm 60 years old, and I don't feel the same digital compulsions as younger folks.

[Old Grouse]

Younger folks also have little experience in giving dictation. That's a technique many of us old fogies learned in business and can still use now. If you organize your thoughts and then hit the little mike icon you can quickly compose a post. It's easy to go back and edit before posting.