Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Anyone out there keep a paddling journal to record useful giblets of data like date, river and segment, water level and gauge used, floating conditions, etc.?

I've started a little make-shift journal but wondered if anyone had a good format that they like.

Ever the nerd,

I really don't have a set format/template that I use. However, if you're going to be around the water when you are referencing your journal you might consider using a waterproof notebook/paper. I started using one years ago while I was working at the greenhouse on campus. It worked so well I started using it for scuba diving, backpacking, and now paddling. I would suggest getting the waterproof pen to accompany it though. A pencil will work, but it's not as easy to read.

To show you what I'm yapping about visit this link:
http://www.waterproof-paper.com/waterpr ... -book.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i just found mine looks like i kept it well in 06 skipped 07 for some reason and it picks back up in 08 the last entry with a date is west fork of the HH on 3-19-08 with todd fountain and joe branch and then i just quit ya thats right

I've got a pretty rough one starting in the summer of 2008. For the most part it has a lot of my runs posted, but whenever I get in a slump of doing the same run over and over (middle ocoee/royal gorge) I stop putting those in there out of laziness. I usually just write down the name of the river, the section, the level, what class it is, what boat I used, and who I was there with. If anything memorable happened or if it was a new run, I always try to do a litte detail on it. Personally I think its pretty cool to flip through and see what I've done

Yup, I started one last year when I got back into boating again. I don't take it with me on the river, unless it's an over-nighter. I've done pretty good about writing everything down, even my backpacking trips. Pretty much anything outdoors goes in it with philosophy, gauge levels, random thoughts & rants..etc. I also keep mileage written down...there are some maps in there...directions...phone numbers of people I've met paddling...well worth the 5 bucks at wally world for the journal.

I started keeping a trip journal back in 1991, and went to the blog about a year ago. It's actually for all my trips, paddling and hiking. I enjoy reading them over, especially the older ones, kind of re-living the experience. I also use it to look back to see what stage a river was at a particular time, etc.
leigh