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Doctari
03-11-2006, 17:09
In my regular life I don't keep a journal (diary, etc.) and as I have read somewhere, most men don't (actually I think it read most "Males") and surprisingly few adult females keep a daily record. And, I suppose that for everyday type stuff the modern "whatever" could be applied.

BUT, when hiking, especailly a long hike, I have found that memories I thought I would have "FOREVER!" quickly fade, or are replaced / superceded by other memories.
Do the following thoughts / statements sound somewhat familure*:

What were the names of those GREAT friends I have a picture of at Standing bear farms? I hiked with them for 10 days & can't remember a single name!! The guy in the funny hat is a doctor, or is that a truck driver?!?!

Oh man, I saw the biggest deer at, , , some gap, , , I think it was in Georgia, , , no, it was North Carol,,, noitwas ,,, Damn!

I have no memory of hiking between Graymoor Friary and the Ten Mile river Shelter, and I know it took me 2 days, I think it rained, aarrrgggg!

I keep a journal on the trail, always had, but what made it stick for me was while reading my first journal less than a month after my first section, I didn't really remember much of what I was reading other than vague images, the journal brought those images into clear(er) focus.

An entry as simple as "I hiked 11 miles today, camped with Shoeless Joe, Wombat & Tickled. Had: Ramen with tuna, 3 granola bars & the last of my gatorade. Resupply is about 14 miles up trail." Can bring back a flood of memories, even stuff not written down like where you camped or that Wombat had a blister "the size of Rhode Island" on his hand.

What I put in my journal, well, at least try to:
Date, From / To, Skip 1 line between dates. How do I feel: Physically, Mentally. Weather, names, places, phone numbers, Email, notes of people met. Shelter / Camp / Hostel, etc. Name & location (who there, comfort, likes, dislikes). The trail? Food? Appetite? Problems? Cause? How resolved? What may have prevented problem(s)? Item not used: 1 week, why? 2 weeks, send home. POSITIVE THOUGHT EVERYDAY. Miles = AT + side trips. Available water. Food: Problems, dislikes, likes. Register (& other) quotes, Animals & Plants. I wish I had _ _ _ & why. Expenses: Items bought, where, cost, check number(s), lodging, mail, etc. & total for the day. Income: Work, donations, hiker box food, etc. Pictures: frame & chip #, date & time plus: People, names & locations, who’s who in picture. Places: Name & location. What are we looking at? Drawings. Random thoughts.

My journal is my own design, and the above list of things to put in it are on the inside cover, just as reminders, many times I put 1 or 2 lines & that is sometimes enough.

Keep a journal, or those memories you thought were etched in stone will turn out to be firmly etched in vapor!

Just a thought.

Doctari.


*BTW: the after hike thoughts are (mostly) fictional as is the "journal entry". But I have made similar statements & hope that now you will not.

Peaks
03-11-2006, 17:43
One idea about things to write in a journal I picked up while thru-hiking.

At the end of every day's entry, I try to list out the 4 special things that I am most grateful for that day.

Clark Fork
03-11-2006, 18:22
Good Point!

Simply put:

A Chinese proverb says, “The palest ink is better than the best memory.”

At the risk of sounding like Yogi Berra, people make reality subjective. The only way around this part of human nature is to write something down. It is no secret that the first step in any behavior modifcation program whether it is to quit smoking or lose weight, is always write down what you do. The effect of knowing what you do brings a new reality. People simply don't really know how much they smoke or eat, they invent their own reality.

I totally agree that journaling by its very nature forces objectivity but most of all it allows us to retain memories, that while they seem so fresh, do not linger for long.

Regards,

Clark Fork in Western Montana, "Where Seldom is Heard a Discouraging Word."

Trail Dog
03-13-2006, 07:58
I loved the journals i have kept in the past but no mater how much i love em its always seems so hard to pick up that pen and pad when i am out on the trail.

I tried keeping a journal here in Iraq but it was really a pain. It might just be that life here is the same thing every day, some can say the same about the trail. I suppose its the details that matter, what you saw what you ate how far you walked.

I try to keep a journal, but it turns out that i get so wrapped up in the moments that i forget or neglect to put it to paper.

wilderness bob
03-13-2006, 08:51
Here is one of those "This worked for me" notes. I hope it can help.

I carried small composition note books, light weight, cheap in cost and glued back pages (so the pages would not fall out). I placed the journal in a small plastic bag with a pen and kept it in my pack in a place where as I could get at it easily. When nearly full I would send that journal home. I figured if I lost one then I would not loose all the info recorded, just what was in that log.

Before leaving in the morning I would enter the time I departed and anything that may have interested me that evening, short and sweet like, "awoke last night to coyotes howling".

During the day I would record only the events that needed recording. "I met three NOBO's named"... I also would record ALL my photos that I took, at the time I took them. A photo log also helped recall forgoten details about that day through those pictures, later after the hike was done.

At the end of the evening before I went to sleep I would record where I was, the mileage to get there and anything interesting that may have happened. I would use the hiker handbook to record the day, locations I passed plus, I recorded in the handbook a simple note indicating where I was that evening (a cross refference). In the journal I also would try to record some of the names of the people who were staying where I was that evening. Sometimes I would even note where they where from.

It may sound like a lot of work however, it wasn't too difficult to do and only took a few minutes. I used all this info "post hike" when I made my entries in trailjournals.com I figured I would need all the help I could get at the end of my AT thru hike to try to remember my "dream come true". I could not believe how much I recalled, it was well worth the effort.

Peace WB

If you don't like the way I'm living, you just leave this long haired country boy alone...CDB

dje97001
03-13-2006, 11:57
I don't think I've ever kept a journal. We'll be posting updates on our progress on our site every chance we get, but I'm not sure that will count as a journal. The one thing I decided recently to do was a result of our final gear purchase: mp3 player. We opted for one that runs on AAA batteries. Anyway it has a voice recorder built in. I plan on recording little snips during the day (maybe even while hiking) as many days as I can. I just know I'll be too tired at the end of the day to write stuff down! We'll see how this plan works out, if I stick with it, I think I'll have some awesome memories--a sort of "audio journal."

Trooper347
03-13-2006, 12:20
I don't think I've ever kept a journal. We'll be posting updates on our progress on our site every chance we get, but I'm not sure that will count as a journal. The one thing I decided recently to do was a result of our final gear purchase: mp3 player. We opted for one that runs on AAA batteries. Anyway it has a voice recorder built in. I plan on recording little snips during the day (maybe even while hiking) as many days as I can. I just know I'll be too tired at the end of the day to write stuff down! We'll see how this plan works out, if I stick with it, I think I'll have some awesome memories--a sort of "audio journal."


Can you post the make/model of the mp3 player? I have been looking locally for one that uses AAA batteries and cannot find one. Thanks.

dje97001
03-13-2006, 13:16
Sure Trooper, it is a Creative Labs Zen Nano Plus 1 Gig. The "Plus" designation is for the addition of an FM radio (and maybe also for the voice recording) and is a little bit more expensive than the zen nano (without the "plus"). Here is amazon's link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009F4OR6/sr=8-1/qid=1142268146/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7592483-2839931?%5Fencoding=UTF8

This thing weighs in at .8 oz. without the battery, 1.1 oz. with. only 1 Gig of storage, but I don't have that many songs. The one AAA battery it requires is supposed to last 15-20 hrs. (if using the nimh or li ones).

The Radio:
Also, the FM radio is really clear--it picks up on a TON of stations around me... who knows how many it will get in the more rural Appalachians, but I thought it would be useful for weather reports (and also for a wider variety of tunes than I own).

The quality:
Other people have complained that it feels "cheap" because it is made of plastic, but it doesn't really bother me.

The sound:
Great sound--some people expressed concern that the volume wasn't loud enough. I find that the major issue with sound reflects back on the actual mp3/wma file. For the radio and most of my mp3s, I needed to lower the built in EQ settings so that it wasn't TOO loud. I was listening to this thing the other day while using a chain saw and a gas-powered brush trimmer (saw blade) and didn't need it to go higher than 16 (out of 25; with the EQ settings very low across the board). The voice recording is amazing given the size of the gadget (file sizes for these files are really small--around 1.5 MB for about 4 minutes?).

Dealing with music files:
It was confusing to me (given the other product desc. and reviews I could find) whether or not you could shuffle through folders and or individual folders. You can. You can not scroll through your "playlist" and choose individual songs. It actually cycles through each song when you hit "next" (but it might do so randomly if you have shuffle on). But these are small issues for the price (50 dollars cheaper than the cheapest 1 Gig ipod nano) and weight (actually lighter--as if it really matters ;)--than the ipod nano by .4 oz.). It will only allow you to listen to mp3 and wma files (no ogg, or m4p support) and if you reduce the quality of the mp3s/wmas to 64 kbps, you can fit 500? on there. This quality isn't going to blow your mind, but for a trip like this it gives you variety which may be more important...

Dealing with Data Files:
This little guy plugs directly (with the cord) into any PC's usb port. It shows up automatically in windows as a removable drive, so you don't have to use any special software programs to move files to and from the player/computer. Also, it allows you to store other files (like pictures, text, etc.) just like a thumb-drive would. You can't view these files on the mini-lcd (which basically just lists the song title, length/progress, artist name and play/pause,etc.) but you can store them for later pc use. Also, you can reorganize the folders very easily with the same drag and drop windows interface.

Also if you buy it through amazon (which is selling for an NYC based company) you get a free armband and belt clip (which when combined and slightly modified fit around your shoulderstrap nicely!


Enjoy!:banana

Trooper347
03-13-2006, 13:33
Just ordered one, thanks a bunch for the info!

dje97001
03-13-2006, 14:15
Looks like you are starting a little over a week before us. If we don't see you out there, good luck!

napster
03-13-2006, 14:20
One idea about things to write in a journal I picked up while thru-hiking.

At the end of every day's entry, I try to list out the 4 special things that I am most grateful for that day.

Thats cool Peaks, I like that when folks choose to see the good.

Trooper347
03-13-2006, 22:05
Thanks Dje97001! Best of luck to you as well out there!

Doctari
03-14-2006, 11:33
I too find it hard, at least at first, to put pen to paper. One thing that helps "remember" is the journal is now kept in my food bag. I eat several times a day, so HAVE to see the journal each time I get food out, and usually at least one of those times I actually write in it.

I also have the problem of Procrastination, I like to put off till "later" writing in the journal. The big problem with that is time even as little as a day, causes the memory/thought/experience/etc to fade or soften. I managed (One day) to write in the journal 3 times in one day last trip. AM about 1 mile from camp, then at mid day POBOB* and again before bed. That day is the best to remember because there is so much current detail. And, I only wrote a few lines the first two entries. Entry one as example: "Long hike up from Cosby. Good to see Sly again. Oh, there is a deer standing there watching me write this, cool. The bugs are getting bad, going for a walk."
Short & sweet, but I remember so much from that morning because of those few lines.
If a recorder works for you, that is keeping a journal, it actually may be better because your voice will convay alot that the words do not. If you are a poor journal keeper, set aside one day a week and write a (quick/brief?) summary of the previous 7 days. I saw this once, hiker carried a sheet (maybe more) of carbon paper, when he wrote in the shelter registers, He carboned that to his journal, adding names of those at shelter took a few extra seconds. Naturally, I didn't write down his name so it is lost forever.

A journal can make your letters home more alive. Just send the last few entries along with your letter. The person you send it to can read it I set it aside for you when you get home.

Doctari.