Have you ever thought of writing your past hikes down in a hiking logbook or making your own hiking journal? Maybe you’ve thought about it but weren’t quite sure if it was for you. Hiking logbooks or hiking journals are much more than just recording past adventures and can help make the most of your experiences.
You can start with a blank notebook. That would work just fine, but I know for many that can be a little intimidating and hard to keep up with. Instead, you can get a logbook like mine that has prompts already in there to guide your entry.
Now in case you’re on the fence about a hiking logbook or curious about them, I’ve included some reasons why it’s beneficial to keep one. Hopefully, this will encourage you to start one!
“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as it’s written down”.
Benefits of a hiking logbook
1. Track record
Simply put, a journal or logbook is a great way to record where you’ve been. You can see what tracks you’ve already done, when you’ve done it and all the track details. We can only remember so much so having that record makes it so much easier to bring all the details together.
You’ll also be able to look back and see if there are any tracks you want to retackle or maybe you’re in the mood for a certain type of track that you’re happy to do again.
2. Progress
This is one of the main reasons why I created a hiking logbook. I want to be able to see how far my hiking journey has come. I started off never hiking a mountain in my life to being able to tackle altitudes of 1000 meters and more.
Being able to flip through the pages and see just how far you come is quite special and something you can look back and be proud on. I also find this only fuels me to want to keep ticking tracks off my list and taking on the challenge of harder tracks.
3. Something tangible
The thing I like about having a physical book is that it’s tangible. I can touch it and write in it myself, which by the way helps us remember things better. Many of us use our social channels to document our adventures but we don’t always include things like track details, how we felt on the track, what we liked, didn’t like etc. It can be hard to look back and keep track of our adventures. We’re also putting all our faith in technology and an app that someone else has created.
With an actual book, you have something you can put on your shelf and have it serve like a momento. I can wait to look back in 3, 4 or more years and have a bundle of books filled with my adventures!
4. Process
One of the cool things about writing in a logbook is that it helps us to fully process the experience. Whether you take a book with you on the track or fill it out after, taking those moments to recap your adventure allows you to think deeper about your experience. You may recall things that you normally would pass by.
You can ask yourself how you really felt. Was the track over the ridge scary as heck, did you feel calm and relaxed in the forest. All the stress of the last few days left your body. Did you have a skip in your step after finishing a track because you felt so incredibly proud of yourself?
We don’t have to be some kind of prolific writer to keep a logbook. Entries can be kept simple but in a world as busy as ours, taking that time to really think about your experience in nature can help us appreciate it that much more.
5. Relive your experiences
How fun is it to look back on pictures from your younger self. Memories flood back– “I remember that time and then this happen and this was so funny…” That’s what hiking logbooks can do. Having everything logged you can look back and essentially relive some of those memories.
Maybe you made some awesome friends from Norway in a hut stay. Maybe you were knee-deep in mud and furious at the time but ended up laughing hysterically with your best mate or tackled one of the biggest and more incredible tracks to date. How special is it to be able to take a moment and take yourself back to that time instead of just storing it in your brain and maybe never visiting those memories again.
I find it so fun to turn pages taking my mind back to ‘that time when..’. As hikers we often overcome more than just getting up a hill. At times there can be some emotion attached to it– pride, joy, happiness, determination. It’s really cool to be able to take a moment, think back to those times and really cherish our experiences.
6. A resource
Logbooks quickly become an awesome resource, not just for yourself but others as well. Having all the details of a track can make it easier to recommend hikes and help others when they want to know more about certain tracks that you’ve done.
7. Goals
Hiking logbooks are a great way to create and track your hiking goals. The tramping logbook that I created has a specific page to write down track goals. It doesn’t matter though what you use you can easily make a ‘to hike’ list including the tracks that you’ve been wanting to do for a while and the tracks you’ve been aspiring to.
From there you can start ticking them off each time you go out. Having a list and ticking off the tracks you want to do is a great way to stay motivated and feel accomplished.