Camper Log Book

How many of you keep a log book for camping?

A couple years ago I got an old composition book and threw in the truck to have with us when we are out loafing. If we pass by a campground we want to check out, we take the note pad and hit the trail walking. We find a place to park and just walk the area out and write down all the sites we think we would like and when I get home I usually spend some time rewriting and giving better details of the campground on it.
If the area has a site map I try to get one and staple to the page so we can use it when making resvs. That way we know before hand what to expect even if its been awhile since we were there.

If we go on a trip we log what we done and try to record certain things about what we liked about that camp site or the area and the things we didn't like also. Just curiuos if we aare the only ones who do this???

That's a very good ideal. I have never done one for camping. I did use to hae one that I kept on when I bought gas. When the prices started going up, it made me sick so I stopped that.

Coolbreeze1

A camping log book is a cool idea.. I sort of do that with my camping website.. It's divided into two areas...

the first part is a picture record of my actual trips,.. along with a brief description of the trip and CG. Here: http://www.hometownsitedesign.com/camping.html

the other area is called "Camper's Camera" and offers CG reviews with some individual site photos of places I have and have not camped. I welcome submissions from other campers to this area (happycamper has a page on Jellystone there). I hope it might be a help to people thinking about visiting a particular CG. I get frustrated when CG websites show me their store, playground and bathhouse.. but fail to give me an indea of what the sites look like.
Here: http://www.hometownsitedesign.com/camperscamera.html

I have a Scuba Diving log book in which I list all sorts of things on a 5.5 x 8.5 form. It also has room at the bottom for comments on things not covered by the questions. I never thought about starting a log book for camping. When I go through the scuba log-book, it has enough detail that I'm able to relive the dives and rest of the trip in my mind. I'd love to have such a book for my camping adventures. There's no way to get back the last 40 years of camping (starting in cub scouts) but I can record the rest. I bet the kids will love going through the book someday with their kids or grandkids.

Three cheers for a great FisherPal!

I have a log book as well and a binder. It has the campground maps and the best sites to camp are circled. Also for the state parks since they do not have maps at most, I do may own map. Over the weekend when visiting Jellico, I stopped at the state park and took pics of the places we have camped and some to camp at later this year.

If anyone keeps their camping logbook online, it would be cool to have a link to it. chuck has a fancy site and has his linked to his profile, which makes it easy. If you have a photobucket, flickr, etc. account, post a link to your pix in your membership profile in the website field. I'd love to see your camp photos, even old ones from your old rig. It would be great if we each had an online "camper's log" that included a bit of standard info about dates, campground, site, weather, activites, impressions and maybe a couple of photos. I wonder, though, if I would keep mine current. I think I would.

I have added my webshots page to my profile. This has pics of Hunting Island State Park, SC and Flag Rock Recreation Area Campground in Norton, VA. This is only about 10 minutes from our house and is beautiful and $12 per night. Can't beat that.

merrykalia wrote:I have added my webshots page to my profile. This has pics of Hunting Island State Park, SC and Flag Rock Recreation Area Campground in Norton, VA. This is only about 10 minutes from our house and is beautiful and $12 per night. Can't beat that.

$12 per night, for a view like that? I'm just down in Johnson City, so it wouldn't be too far for me either. And the bathhouse shots look good too. I suspect it's dry camping with no hookups, but at $12 per night that wouldn't be a problem. What's the catch? Lots of bugs? Express train comes right through middle of campground 12 times a night? There's gotta be something. I'm ready to go now, but for the cold weather.

Not really any catch - no reservations, just come and you can probably get a site (unless it's a holiday weekend). It does have electric at each site and water available close by and there is a dump station. Those photos are of the "upper" campground. There are only 5 sites there and there is lots of asphalt. Those photos are of campsite #3 and the bathhouse is about 50 yds away. The showers are concrete floor with a trough for drainage along the outside edge. There is also a "lower" campground that has about 15 sites, but our TT will only fit in about 4 of them. The view from there is not as pretty, but the sites are decent size and are wooded. The dump station is in the lower campground.

The only problem with going to Flag Rock is the road TO Flag Rock. It's a curvy, mountainous road. When we take our TT up, we use 2 vehicles. I usually drive the "FLAG" car and go in front of Butch and stop traffic so he can use the ENTIRE road - it has several switchbacks.

Now, ours is a 33' TT, but friends of ours have a 35' MH that they take up and down the mountain. They do the same configuration that we do. Another friend has a 30' 5er and he just takes it up and down with no flagger. He says that several times, he has had to stop and the other vehicle has had to back up or come on around him.

It's open from 1st weekend in April until last weekend in Nov, but those first few and last few can be VERY chilly.

There are fire pits at each site and several people locally will deliver a load of firewood to you there.

Also, those pics were taken the 1st weekend of April last year and it got quite cool in the evenings and there were no leaves on the trees yet. It's even prettier when it starts turning green.

Let me know if you want to come over - I'm always up for Flag Rocking.

Well probably the first time we have a warm snap and I'm not traveling for work. Electric is included, wow. I have water containers, so no water is no problem, especially since I can fill once I get there. My little 12 ft (closed box size) PUP behind the Suburban shouldn't be much of a problem once the ice and snow and cold are gone. I like that it has the safety fence. Doesn't help the pictures, but it does make things a bit safer around steep drops.

We would love to go as well. Maybe we could form a caravan behind Donna in the flag car : )

Sounds like this has the makings of a quick trip with lots of kids.

As I said, just let me know when and we're ready to go. I'll keep you posted on the opening and if it's decently warm one weekend, we'll do a quick trip.

sounds great!

I found this online. It looks pretty good. I'm betting I could make my own for a lot less though. If I come up with anything I like I'll share it with everyone.

http://www.thecampingjournal.com/

Here's a thread on the subject from another board
http://www.campercommunity.com/forum/rv-camper-discussions/353-camping-log-book.html

Yes, for $19.95 I think you could come up with something better.

Coolbreeze1

coolbreeze1 wrote:Yes, for $19.95 I think you could come up with something better.

Coolbreeze1

That's reportedly more than the price of a trailer tag!

One could print something out on there computer that would work for them.

Coolbreeze1

That's what I was thinking, then it would be easy to keep in either electronic format, or hard copy. I'm still partial to the nostalga of looking through hard copy stuff. Still, I have to admit that we are enjoying the digital photo frame I got Lisa (wife) for Mother's Day. I'd rarely see most of those pix if they weren't cycling through on that frame.

I need to find a good camping log-book page to copy ideas from and share. Perhaps take the best ideas from several.

I like your thinking Richard. Have it both ways

Coolbreeze1

Maybe Chuck could put the logo on them and sell them two for $3.00 and get a second hot dog. Or maybe upgrade to a sasauge dog.

Richard wrote:Maybe Chuck could put the logo on them and sell them two for $3.00 and get a second hot dog. Or maybe upgrade to a sasauge dog.

Now, your giving away your ideals. I thought that you would sell the ideal to him.
Special price to Chuck would be just your expenses to the RV show

Coolbreeze1

coolbreeze1 wrote:

Richard wrote:Maybe Chuck could put the logo on them and sell them two for $3.00 and get a second hot dog. Or maybe upgrade to a sasauge dog.

Now, your giving away your ideals. I thought that you would sell the ideal to him.
Special price to Chuck would be just your expenses to the RV show

Coolbreeze1

Remember to suspect my motives. If Chuck loses 50 Lbs, I'll feel like I need to lose at least 20 or 30 and still will be lots bigger than him. If I can help him buy hot dogs, I don't have to worry.

Richard wrote:

coolbreeze1 wrote:

Richard wrote:Maybe Chuck could put the logo on them and sell them two for $3.00 and get a second hot dog. Or maybe upgrade to a sasauge dog.

Now, your giving away your ideals. I thought that you would sell the ideal to him.
Special price to Chuck would be just your expenses to the RV show

Coolbreeze1

Remember to suspect my motives. If Chuck loses 50 Lbs, I'll feel like I need to lose at least 20 or 30 and still will be lots bigger than him. If I can help him buy hot dogs, I don't have to worry.

Well I was thinking of it in a different way. If you buy me hot dogs, I'd put on weight and it would make you look thinner.

Coolbreeze1

That would work as well Tim, but we are talking about a much wider gap.

I found this free to print logbook page, but it's not as good as I would like, still, it's a start.
http://www.rvuniversity.com/article.php/20070607132350394

They have quite a few guides for sale that also look interesting.