Blogging tool for a non-blogger?

[BobY333]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

 

[peregrina2000]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

I have used FindPenguins since my blogspot.com app on my phone totally crashed and I was already on the Camino. It was @NualaOC who suggested FindPenguins, I think. Totally user friendly, and you can see what the finished product looks like by clicking on some of the links in my signature below. My first was Baztán and Norte, so there are three FindPenguins caminos in my link.

The basic, free version allows 6 pictures and unlimited text per post. No limit on numbers of posts that I have bumped into. Their customer service is quite good, too, as I was bumbling along trying to figure it out as a tech-challenged peregrina.

Plan, track, and blog your trips

Automatically and effortlessly track your travels, simply with your phone in the pocket. Create a beautiful travel journal and enjoy the benefits of our leading travel app.

findpenguins.com

I recommend it 100%. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Viva Terlingua]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

Why not just use Facebook?

 

[BobY333]

Thanks for the replies - Laurie, you are a true resource. Thank you once again!

Facebook - for whatever reason, I'm not a fan of posting there. Call me crazy. I may put a few things on there, but for my "inner thoughts" I'd rather keep it to the family/friends that I share the link with as opposed to my broader Facebook friend group. I do, however, realize nothing posted on the web is private...

 

[Viva Terlingua]

Thanks for the replies - Laurie, you are a true resource. Thank you once again!

Facebook - for whatever reason, I'm not a fan of posting there. Call me crazy. I may put a few things on there, but for my "inner thoughts" I'd rather keep it to the family/friends that I share the link with as opposed to my broader Facebook friend group. I do, however, realize nothing posted on the web is private...

You can restrict the visibility of your posts to specific people in Facebook. I'm not in love with Facebook by any means, I just think it's so ubiquitous that it's the simplest way to go and the people following you don't need a special link or app.

 

[SeñorJacques]

The travel journal app field has become very crowded over the past few years and I’m still looking for the one that works best for me. Lately I’ve been using Polarsteps, which is similar to FindPenguins in that it lets you set up a trip log/diary with photo and text entries, and then share it via a web link with friends and family.

Polarsteps

Polarsteps is the personal travel log in your pocket.

www.polarsteps.com

It also allows you the option of automatically tracking and recording your journey via GPS, which I anticipate will come in handy during my Camino wandering. (Wish it had a better name though - Polarsteps is a little better than “FindPenguins”, I guess, but only a little.)

There are several reasons why I don’t use Facebook (and avoid Instagram and WhatsApp as much as I possibly can), but they have more to do with personal ethics than their actual utility. I suppose they’re an easy and convenient enough option for most people. I just don’t like being beholden to a destructive monopoly - but that’s a subject for another post on a different forum

 

[trecile]

I have used Find Penguins for all of my Caminos. It has tools that Facebook posts lack, like creating a map of your journey.


Plus your friends and family don't need to be Facebook users to view it, but if you also want to to post to Facebook there's an option in Find Penguins to do that.

I haven't used Polar Steps, but it works similarly.

 

[Viva Terlingua]

I'm debating how much I want to post when I go in May. On one hand, I'm sure friends and family would be very interested to follow my Camino. On the other hand, I fear that if I get too caught up in documenting things I won't be able to enjoy the moment.

 

[VNwalking]

Why not just use Facebook?

Because it requires everyone to have it. And not all of us want to contribute to its damage to the world.

And (not incidentally) because it's not meant for that. But FindPenguins is brilliant - and much more benign.

 

[BobY333]

I'm debating how much I want to post when I go in May. On one hand, I'm sure friends and family would be very interested to follow my Camino. On the other hand, I fear that if I get too caught up in documenting things I won't be able to enjoy the moment.

We found that during the walking (and immediate cool down beer) each day we just took pictures and chatted with fellow pilgrims. It was during our down times each day that we took time for ourselves, including some journaling and a nearly daily siesta

So, we never felt like it took away from our experience. The huge benefit from this was that I was then able to take the entries and use them within a photo book that I made of our CF. It was many hours of joy to put it together (using Mixbook) for my wife and is an amazing keepsake from our journey.

 

[trecile]

I'm debating how much I want to post when I go in May. On one hand, I'm sure friends and family would be very interested to follow my Camino. On the other hand, I fear that if I get too caught up in documenting things I won't be able to enjoy the moment.

That's one of the reasons why I like Find Penguins. I can just post a few pictures and don't need to include much text, and the app automatically creates a map showing my progress.

If you do set up a blog let your friends and family know that you may not be posting much.

 

[trecile]

The huge benefit from this was that I was then able to take the entries and use them within a photo book that I made of our CF. It was many hours of joy to put it together (using Mixbook) for my wife and is an amazing keepsake from our journey.

My daughter created a book for me from my Find Penguins posting that she gave me for my birthday.

 

[annealder]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

A friend used polarsteps app and it was really great. I could track her, get her posts and see her pictures.

 

[catperson]

in 2017 I used Wordpress, it was easy , simple and worked, my blogs were cross posted to Facebook per my instructions, I emailed beforehand a link to blog to family and friends
I know since then Wordpress has had some changes but perhaps it would still work for you.

 

[AJGuillaume]

I used Polarsteps in 2018. I didn't use it well, in that I had one trip for the whole 2178 km we walked, and added too many photos. This meant that by the time we had arrived in Spain after walking the Gebennensis and the Podiensis, it was taking ages for posts to load.
I have since used it a number of times for walks around Australia, and those following me, mostly family, enjoy the feature with the map.
One of the interesting features of Polarsteps is that even before the user has entered text or photos, Polarsteps shows the trace of the journey. So family could see where we were nearly in real time. Of course, this required connectivity while walking, to allow the app to update our position.

 

[NJohn]

in 2017 I used Wordpress, it was easy , simple and worked, my blogs were cross posted to Facebook per my instructions, I emailed beforehand a link to blog to family and friends
I know since then Wordpress has had some changes but perhaps it would still work for you.

For some reason I’m having a real mental block getting a Wordpress blog to ‘look right’. I’ve started over a few times. Did you access it through their app or website?
On other long distance walks I also used TrailJournals, but like you @BobY333, I found it limiting. I’m very happy to learn about Find Penguins and Polarsteps.

 

[BobY333]

I have a question - can I use FindPenguins or Polarsteps at the same time that I use Wikiloc (which I also have never used) to keep me on track? Or, can you only use one GPS-based app at a time?

 

[AJGuillaume]

I have a question - can I use FindPenguins or Polarsteps at the same time that I use Wikiloc (which I also have never used) to keep me on track? Or, can you only use one GPS-based app at a time?

In my recent walks, I had Wikiloc running, with Polarsteps in the background. I updated Polarsteps in the evening with text and photos. There were no issues with having the two apps on at the same time. The only issue was that the battery of my phone drained faster, and at the end of the day, I often had to plug in a power pack.

 

[Jackieduda]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

i blogged every day from my ipad using Wordpress. Like you, i had never blogged before and i was a little daunted by the thought. But i needed to keep family and friends updated....(they were
so worried i would be eaten by a bear!). Wordpress is inexpensive enough. I found the free blog tools much too difficult to learn in a hurry. I have kept the wordpress program, and added subsequent trips to it. I usually travel alone, so its a good way to keep everyone in touch. ( And if you are interested in reading my Camino blog, you can find it at jacscamino.wordpress.com, but you will need to screen all the way to the bottom to get to the beginning of the camino part, sorry)

 

[peregrina2000]

Though I fell into FindPenguins without doing any research and am a happy camper, so no need to change, I think that people starting out might want to compare Polarsteps, FindPenguins, and Relive (used by @alansykes).

I don’t use Facebook much, but if you are interested in creating a cohesive document with which you can re-live your trip, I don’t think Facebook is a good place for that. On FindPenguins I have a home page with a list of each of my separate trips, and the posts are embedded in that link in reverse chronological order. It’s easy to get to Day 1 and then scroll up day by day. Maybe you can do that on Facebook, but that has not been what I see when people post about their caminos. I see a bunch of scattered posts that seem to fall off in unorganized fashion, but maybe that’s my ineptitude with the app rather than a feature of Facebook.

 

[islandwalker]

I have a question - can I use FindPenguins or Polarsteps at the same time that I use Wikiloc (which I also have never used) to keep me on track? Or, can you only use one GPS-based app at a time?

Bob, since you mention that you are going to be using Wikiloc, another option to consider is that you could post photos on your Wikiloc page with your track. Wikiloc will do this for you automatically. It is also possible to add text to your page, as much or as little as you like. It's not meant to be a journal site, but it could possibly be a quick and easy way for you to put up a daily record. Here's an example.

 

[catperson]

For some reason I’m having a real mental block getting a Wordpress blog to ‘look right’. I’ve started over a few times. Did you access it through their app or website?
On other long distance walks I also used TrailJournals, but like you @BobY333, I found it limiting. I’m very happy to learn about Find Penguins and Polarsteps.

Thru the app, I only had my iPhone with me on camino

at days end I’d. Write , find pictures and post
only limiting was. Internet speed and available ,

I wrote a few posts before I left. To practice.

 

[Dennis Pack]

I used the relive app and posted a video link each day on Facebook. You can test a free version.
I found the whole experience of creating a story for others diminished the experience for myself, but it was great for my family and friends in the US, since so few people in the US ever see the rest of the world.

 

[gailsweb]

i blogged every day from my ipad using Wordpress. Like you, i had never blogged before and i was a little daunted by the thought. But i needed to keep family and friends updated....(they were
so worried i would be eaten by a bear!). Wordpress is inexpensive enough. I found the free blog tools much too difficult to learn in a hurry. I have kept the wordpress program, and added subsequent trips to it. I usually travel alone, so its a good way to keep everyone in touch. ( And if you are interested in reading my Camino blog, you can find it at jacscamino.wordpress.com, but you will need to screen all the way to the bottom to get to the beginning of the camino part, sorry)

Great blog - btw to get to the beginning on the phone people could just use WordPress search bar and type “next big adventure” or “st Jean”

 

[Jackieduda]

Great blog - btw to get to the beginning on the phone people could just use WordPress search bar and type “next big adventure” or “st Jean”

Thank you! And i never knew that search trick, so thank you again!

 

[peregrina2000]

I have a question - can I use FindPenguins or Polarsteps at the same time that I use Wikiloc (which I also have never used) to keep me on track? Or, can you only use one GPS-based app at a time?

I think I understand this question, but maybe not. Neither FindPenguins or Polarsteps has GPS tracks. Their GPS function is limited to following you and then printing YOUR track. So there is nothing for you to follow on either of those sites.

As IslandWalker notes, one of wikiloc’s coolest features is that if you go to your camera “through” your wikiloc app, the picture will appear on your GPS tracks at exactly at the spot on the track where you are walking. The pictures are also loaded onto your general “pictures”, so they are totally accessible.

I like the idea of adding notes to the wikiloc track, but it would be a pretty cumbersome way to make a journal-type document, IMO, because each track you record is separate from the other so it would be hard to make a chronological document, unless I am missing something.

 

[islandwalker]

... it would be a pretty cumbersome way to make a journal-type document, IMO, because each track you record is separate from the other so it would be hard to make a chronological document, unless I am missing something.

I agree that Wikiloc is not ideal for a blog. But if a pilgrim wanted a very quick way each day to post a track with photos taken along the way (ie, not devoting time each day to writing a blog), one way to connect the stages would be to post a link to the next day's track in the text box of the Wikiloc editing page. (There used to be a nice little box labeled external URL that could be used for this very purpose, but when I checked just now, it appears to have been removed.) It is awkward because you would have to add that link after you made the next day's track, but doable and quick, I think.

 

[JCarpenter]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

I also like Find Penguin. I even used it so that my husband back home could assist me in getting myself un-lost out on West Texas county roads after a wrong turn. He could see me on a detailed map and directed me to a highway. You should see the twirls on that route prior to getting myself straightened out!

 

[SeñorJacques]

It's not a blogging platform or tool per se, but I just remembered that I've been using an app called 1 Second Everyday (aka 1SE) for the last few months that might be of interest here:

1SE — Your Video Diary

1se.co

The name of the app pretty much tells you how it works: you choose a photo or short video clip every day to post to your calendar/timeline, which you can then share with others, export as a video covering a particular time frame, or simply keep for yourself. It's a great way to record favorite trip memories, and life memories in general.

It's also easy to use and a lot of fun. You can buy a pro version that allows you to post multiple clips and music to each day's record, but a big part of the appeal to me is its simplicity and the process of choosing just one moment to represent an entire day's activity. Might be of particular interest to those who value staying in the moment on their Camino and keeping their digital fiddling to a minimum, but can also be used in conjunction with Find Penguins or Polarsteps to create a different kind of record of one's journey.

 

[BobY333]

It's not a blogging platform or tool per se, but I just remembered that I've been using an app called 1 Second Everyday (aka 1SE) for the last few months that might be of interest here:

1SE — Your Video Diary

1se.co

The name of the app pretty much tells you how it works: you choose a photo or short video clip every day to post to your calendar/timeline, which you can then share with others, export as a video covering a particular time frame, or simply keep for yourself. It's a great way to record favorite trip memories, and life memories in general.

It's also easy to use and a lot of fun. You can buy a pro version that allows you to post multiple clips and music to each day's record, but a big part of the appeal to me is its simplicity and the process of choosing just one moment to represent an entire day's activity. Might be of particular interest to those who value staying in the moment on their Camino and keeping their digital fiddling to a minimum, but can also be used in conjunction with Find Penguins or Polarsteps to create a different kind of record of one's journey.

Thanks! I've been a 1SE user/fan for years. I have six 365 second videos of the last six years of my life. As you say, it's very simple and fast, and at the end of the year you get a quick recap that brings back memories of that year's adventures (and the many ordinary days).

 

[Rod Murray]

My goal is to post updates throughout my camino and include a few photos along the way. I used Trail Journals in the past, but to be honest, I found it to not be that user friendly.

Has anyone had a good experience with a specific tool? Something that I can easily use to jot things down on my iPhone and post so my family can see what I'm up to on my solo (!) camino. Thanks!

We used Wordpress for our first Camino and Find Penguins for our second.

We liked them both! Find Penguins was fun and had the feature where a book could be published from the entries, although we never did create the book!

2019- https://findpenguins.com/758bxzkf86j0x/trip/portuguese-coastal-camino-2019

2016- https://wordpress.com/view/murraycamino.wordpress.com

On or second Camino, in 2019, we added the Find Penguins link into our Wordpress Blog.

 

[Juliawalking]

I have used FindPenguins since my blogspot.com app on my phone totally crashed and I was already on the Camino. It was @NualaOC who suggested FindPenguins, I think. Totally user friendly, and you can see what the finished product looks like by clicking on some of the links in my signature below. My first was Baztán and Norte, so there are three FindPenguins caminos in my link.

The basic, free version allows 6 pictures and unlimited text per post. No limit on numbers of posts that I have bumped into. Their customer service is quite good, too, as I was bumbling along trying to figure it out as a tech-challenged peregrina.

Plan, track, and blog your trips

Automatically and effortlessly track your travels, simply with your phone in the pocket. Create a beautiful travel journal and enjoy the benefits of our leading travel app.

findpenguins.com

I recommend it 100%. Buen camino, Laurie

Did you use your phone for blog posts? I am wondering if that is possible. Of course at home I just use my desktop but was wondering if it was possible to post from the Camino?

 

[trecile]

Did you use your phone for blog posts? I am wondering if that is possible. Of course at home I just use my desktop but was wondering if it was possible to post from the Camino?

I used my phone to post to my travel blog on Find Penguins. It's easy to do because my pictures are already on my phone.
I don't tend to write long posts, but let the pictures tell the story.

 

[peregrina2000]

Did you use your phone for blog posts? I am wondering if that is possible. Of course at home I just use my desktop but was wondering if it was possible to post from the Camino?

Yes, I just dictate to my phone and then may have to go back and correct a few mistakes.