Like a lot of hikers, I keep a notebook for the hike. I write down notes to myself, names and contact info for people I meet, journal at the end of the day, notes about pictures I take, what works and what doesn't (food and equipment) and pretty much anything and everything else. For shorter trips, I transfer the notes to my "Hiking Journal" once home again so I can go back later and remember a particular trip.
I need to leave notes to myself. When my son was 7 he was diagnosed ADHD. He had about 2/3 of the behaviors on the checklist. I looked at the checklist for myself. I had nearly 100%. If you give me 2 things to do I will remember, give me 3 and I will forget something. So I do things to counter that.
Love that I am not only one who has fragmented memory. Lol. Note pad pencil and pen. Technology has too much power over us and we need to put it on paper.
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Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
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Bumping this thread because I'm waffling on whether to pack -
a) a "weather-proof" pen, or
b) a pencil;
c) a regular small notepad, or
d) a waterproof notepad.
Are the "weather-proof" pens & paper worth it? Do you consider them necessary? What drawbacks do they have? Would a regular pencil write well on waterproof paper?
I know, I know -- trivial stuff. I'm just grateful to have such trivial things to think about.
Thanks.
fortis fortuna adjuvat
I want to carry a note pad, but I keep forgetting to bring it...
they sell the water proof 3x5 pads at home depot now.
I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.
I have a writing system to keep a trail journal on trips and it works well---
** Get 24 weight typing paper and fold into squares and write on both sides.
** Get the proper pen cartridge---Pilot Gel cartridges. You don't need the pen body, just the cartridge. Wrap with fabric bandaid to hold while writing.
My journal in action. The hair tie is to keep the pen inside the paper as I roll it together with a rubber band.
The secret to writing is having a good pen. These are the best---Pilot gel. I like bold in either blue or black.
Here's my journal rolled up with rubber band. Notice the hair tie keeping the pen cartridge inside.
On a normal 15 day trip I take 20 sheets of folded up typing paper, in two rolls of ten.
Thought about going a more modern route by using a smartphone app (ColorNote) for a diary, but during my most recent trips found having a paper diary much better.
Battery life is a constant worry and typing on the phone for 1/2hr every evening doesnt help it. Plus, I like the very personal look of my handwriting years later, refreshes all old memories when reading.
Be very careful if you have any modern (Silicone-)treated jacket. sweeping the paper with the sleeve of a treated jacket will stop the pen working on it.
At work I use a Right in the Rain notebook. It's small and fits in shirt chest pocket. Use a regular ball point and works great all weather. Gel pens won't work on it. The right in the rain pens do work when wet but just a little better than ball points.
Started carrying one on hikes also. Just to make notes, I'll jot down emergency contact in it in case my phone dies. The ones I use are 28 or so pages about as big as a iphone 5
Talk to text note app on the phone.
“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates
Great information guys, all & each very helpful. Thank you.
fortis fortuna adjuvat
I'm a gram-weenie, so I just use the margins in AWOL for my notes, using a small golf-scoring pencil. I circle the spot where I camp, put a date, then fill in the nearby margins with notes about weather, people I meet, etc. Since AWOL is so vital and important on the trail, I take good care of it, never let it get wet, etc.
Yes -- I actually did that same thing on my [very brief] AT hike. It really is an efficient idea. Right now I'm not hiking the AT, so just wondering what works well for others.
fortis fortuna adjuvat
I've had a few of these and like them really well: https://store.moleskine.com/usa/en-u...c=Y14keQ%3D%3D
"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." - S. Sontag
We make lists while we're hiking, usually on paper since I still carry a paper journal. The lists are for specific things we need, but usually not food. When we're food shopping, we'll get a cart and start putting things in that we want, keeping in mind how many days/meals to the next resupply. I'll organize them in the cart by meal type, and also keep a running total in my head of the weight in ounces. I know we need about 30 ounces of food per person per day, so if I'm not in that ballpark I know I have too much (or too little) in the cart. Then I double check the list for small specific items like first aid supplies or hygiene items.
Moleskine notebook. I don't bring my real pen, a MontBlanc, I just use a cheap gel ink pen. The Moleskine is my daily journal, plus all the various notes and reminders become part of my memories of the trip.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...ctical-Pocket/
http://www.theemsstore.com/store/pro...ace-Pen-Bullet
With 20 years in the military, I can tell you that with this combo, you can literally write notes in the middle of a downpour with no protection from the elements. You'll gasp at the $20 price tag on the pen, but it is the best "go-to" writing instrument you'll ever purchase. You don't use it for everyday correspondence, but throw it as part of your hiking kit, along with the notebook, and you'll have no excuses for not writing down that thought, to-do list item, or map as you hike.
Best $25 I ever spent. Well, not really, but close!