How to Log Your Activities Like a Pro
Published December 2024 • 5 min read
Keeping a detailed log of your outdoor activities is more than just record-keeping—it's building a personal archive of your adventures that grows more valuable over time. Here's how to log like a pro.
Why Keep Detailed Logs?
- Track your progress - See how you've improved over months and years
- Remember details - Conditions, routes, and experiences you'd otherwise forget
- Plan future trips - Reference past activities for similar routes
- Evidence for certifications - Many qualifications require logged experience
- Share with others - Recommend routes with specific details
📋 Essential Information to Record
Basic Details
- Date and time (start and finish)
- Location/route name
- Activity type (hike, paddle, climb, etc.)
- Distance covered
- Total elevation gain/loss
- Duration
Conditions
- Weather (temperature, wind, precipitation)
- Trail/water conditions
- Day or night
- Visibility
Group Information
- Number of participants
- Names of group members
- Your role (leader, participant, assistant)
- Leader's name (if not you)
Grade/Difficulty
- Official track grading if available
- Your personal assessment
- Technical requirements
📝 Notes Worth Adding
- Highlights and memorable moments
- Challenges encountered
- Wildlife sightings
- Water sources (for future reference)
- Navigation notes or tricky sections
- What you'd do differently next time
- Equipment that worked well (or didn't)
📸 Supporting Evidence
- GPS track - The gold standard for route verification
- Photos - Geotagged to locations on the route
- Screenshots - Trail signs, map sections
- Altitude profile - Shows the elevation changes
🎯 Logging Best Practices
- Log promptly - Record details while they're fresh in your memory
- Be consistent - Use the same format and detail level for all activities
- Be honest - Accurate logs are more useful than inflated ones
- Include failures - Turned back due to weather? That's still valuable experience
- Use technology - Apps like LogsKeptSimple automate much of the data capture
- Back up your data - Cloud sync ensures you never lose your records
📊 The LogsKeptSimple Approach
LogsKeptSimple captures GPS tracks, weather, distance, time, and elevation automatically. You add the details that matter: route name, participants, grade, and personal notes. The website then lets you export professional log PDFs for certifications or personal records.
Start logging today. Your future self will thank you when you're looking back at years of adventures, remembering details you would have otherwise forgotten, and having documented evidence of your outdoor experience.