Journaling to archive/preserve your trips...

[HongerVenture]

I thought it would be interesting to discuss the use of a journal (guys don't keep diaries!) on trips or just in general day-to-day life. There are both practical and philosophical reasons for journaling. For those of us who aren’t trained photographers, the written word gives a chance to bring a different perspective on representing our travels and experiences.

I have kept a journal on-and-off throughout most of my life (more on than off actually). After this weekend’s trip to TN I was convicted that I need to re-start the habit and keep a travel/trip specific journal as well. I don’t think much, if anything, from my journals will ever be worth publishing, but it makes for interesting reading and I imagine will thrill my children some day. It allows me an opportunity to think in a more deliberate and patient manner.

Simplicity has led me to use a bound composition notebook from Staples…

It has quad ruling (graph paper basically) which aids in making sketches or drawings. It has the standard 100 pages and measures 9.75” x 7.5”, a great size for stowing in side pockets on my doors and keeping on bookshelves.

Practical purposes include the following:

• Tracking historical data of your travels (mpg, repairs made, tools required, etc.)

• Recording captions for your photographs

• Recalling date-specific information

Philosophical purposes include the following:

• Makes for darn-interesting reading later in life when the photographic memory doesn’t work as well

• Pass on insight, lessons learned, and great stories to later generations

• Recording inspired poetry, psalms, lyrics, etc. spurned by a locations sights, smell, tastes, etc.

Henry (60seriesguy) had this to say in a paragraph from his “Let's talk Expeditions!” article found here.

Tell Us about Your Trip
Keep a detailed journal of your expedition, including things like average MPG, miles traveled, food consumed, food needed, food left over, parts used, tools used and needed, directions, coordinates, landmarks, names of people you met, etc... This will not only help you plan your next expedition and figure out which captions go with each picture, but will also give you something to do when you get back: writing the log down and telling the rest of us here on the OML about your trip !!
[note wj: OML means Offroad Mailinglist of course]

Do you journal? If so how? What tools do you use? Perhaps you keep a voice recorder handy… or merely type your thoughts in a Word document. Elaborate for us?

[justfred]

I journal chaotically. I use blank books, a computer (plain text editor rather than Word for future readability), and occasionally a PDA with an external keyboard.

I prefer the blank, blank books (Bandelier Environmental Papers, if I can find them, or the standard black ones) - bound rather than notebook-style because they look better on the shelf later, and blank rather than lined to encourage me to sketch; I usually keep a lined card behind the page to make it a little easier to write straight. I tend to keep a book in each vehicle so I can write when the mood strikes me, which is often when I'm dining alone in restaurants, or otherwise want to occupy myself.

I've got about 20 books filled so far, and countless electronic files. I've found I don't really bother to go back and read them, tho the sketches can be interesting. I figure someday they'll be of use to my biographer, or amusing (and probably disturbing) to my great-grandchildren.

Haven't been doing much lately. When I'm busy or with friends I'm not as prine to writing.

[gjackson]

I started keeping a journal in college for various reasons, including the fact that I enjoy writing and was doing a lot of poetry at the time. I always take the book with me and add to it on trips. It was invaluable on the Africa trip. When you are travelling for 9 months solid, recalling details of when and how things happened can be dicey. And at the time you write things that you don't recall until you go back and read them. That can be a lot of fun.

I use lab notebooks, a lot like the composition books. They work well. On the Africa trip I also used a mini tape recorder mainly for route info and start/stop times. Makes amusing listening now!

I thinnk it is invaluable and I'll always do it. Good stuff.

cheers

[gjackson]

I didn't use my journal for mpg and car specific stuff. I have a log book in that car that I use to keep track of all repairs, modifications, fill ups (gas oil etc). That was very useful when trying to complile data like total mpg across Africa and stuff like that. I am a data freak, and it really frustrates me when I can't answer a question like that (mpg across Africa). I like to keep track of all I can, and I think it adds to the data that can be published to give others a resource. I'm planning on having a downloads section of my new web site with a lot of technical info for all to use.

cheers

[DesertRose]

Great thread - sorry I missed it a few weeks ago, so I'm chiming in late.

I'm addicted to journals, too. I started in 6th grade and boy is it funny to read all about my dreams and ambitions now (and neat, too: I've achieved many of my 12-year-old dreams!). In college, during field biology classes, I got much more serious about journals to record data and observations. Then it grew into a natural history and trip journal as we travelled more and more.

For many years my notebook was housed in a great nylon/cordura zippered 3-ring binder cover with pockets and a carrying strap (made by Prisma; can't find them any more; it's for 6x9 paper). I buy reams of acid-free, archival paper and have it cut and drilled to the right size at my print shop.

I archive my notes in inexpensive blue binders with labels on the spines, which I label by date. I have at least 10-12 now, and it's so much fun to browse them. On overland trips, I also now keep as much information about places, mileage, people, nature as I can - so planning second trips or writing articles is really easy. I got brave about 10 years ago and started sketching (no training!). I got good enough eventually to use some of the sketches in one of my natural history books - so persistence and practice does pay off!

I recently made this new journal cover for our Africa trips, since my old binder was a little big, and I wanted to tuck it into my Ghurka bag for quick entries. I found some cool leather journal covers for sale, but for $50, and being of Celtic stock (read: cheap and stubborn), I refused to spend that much so stole a scrap of natural tanned leather from Jonathan's leatherworking box and made it myself with a $1 leather shoelace for a strap, and some of my vintage African beads. It has loops inside for a pen and a sketching pencil, and I use a small ruler to keep places. The paper is held in place by a leather lace:



Anyone seen the crazy montage/collage journals that Peter Beard keeps? I can picture Graham doing something like that, but instead of the montages of surreal African landscapes and gorgeous Ethiopian women (he "discovered" Iman), it would be Land Rovers and cool tools!

[desertgirl66]

What a wonderful and inspiring thread! We will be traveling North for 2 months (Pacific Northwest & Alaska) and I want to remember to keep a written journal. I am thinking of a lovely leather bound journal that Pasquale gave me as a present. The pleasure of putting pen to paper surpasses typing on a keyboard!! http://expeditionportal.com/forum/im...ies/arabia.gif

[gjackson]

I can picture Graham doing something like that, but instead of the montages of surreal African landscapes and gorgeous Ethiopian women (he "discovered" Iman), it would be Land Rovers and cool tools!

Hang on hang on! Let me sketch the hi-lift! It's in such a unique position!!

Thanks for that!! Frustrating time getting an article for LRM finished and now I'm laughing!

The trick I've found with journals is to make it a habit. Have it close at hand, and anything that strikes you, break it out and write. You don't need to get away for quiet time (although that helps at the end of the day!) You don't even need to have enough time. Make some notes, write more later. I only have 200 pages from our Africa trip, and now I wish I'd devoted more time to it. But what I do have has been invaluable for writing articles and filling in the web site.

Desertrose, I have to say you are my hero for learning to draw that way. I started drawing in my journals about a year ago, and while I'm getting better, it is going to take about 15 more years before I have anything approaching publishing quality!! Right now I'm going to go to the garage and sketch the front suspension on my truck!

cheers

[DesertRose]

Thanks for that!! Frustrating time getting an article for LRM finished and now I'm laughing!

I couldn't resist! Always happy to send virtual smiles.

Desertrose, I have to say you are my hero for learning to draw that way.

Well, I'm not that good! If you do enough bad drawings, the odds are 2 or 3 will eventually look pretty good!

There are two really great books on sketching that I highly recommend. One in particular is for those of us who have a hard time letting go of the controls that want everything to be perfect (the right side of the brain); the other is the one that helped me field sketching the most.


Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain


The Art of Field Sketching

The latter is by Clare Walker Leslie, and she has many great books, including one or two on nature journaling.

Highly recommended! (The interesting thing about field sketching, by the way, is that I can feel when it's working and when it's not - if I think too much about it or try too hard, it's a bad sketch; whenever it works, it feels like a natural flow. I have yet to learn to turn it on and off at will, and thus I still draw more bad stuff than good!! The trick is not minding and just plodding on.)

[gjackson]

Very cool! Thanks for the references, I'll have to check them out!

Cheers

[Scott Brady]

Stephanie does an excellent job of journaling on our trips, and keeps great notes. With how far behind I am on articles, her work has saved me.