The Best (Cheapest) Way To Make Your Camino Blog (Plus some T&T)

[JJinWI]

Greetings All,

I finished my first Camino (French Way) on June 22, 2018 and I did a daily blog (https://jjscamino.wordpress.com/) (Thanks for all the kind words for those who have viewed it!!!!)

Along the way, many pilgrims (and some forum members) asked "how can I do a blog?"

Sooooo, I offer my recommendations and "Tips & Tricks" based on my experiences (I'm no "expert", but I have created 9 travel blogs through the years @ jjshields.com )

The first question is "Why do a blog?". Here are a few reasons why I did my blog (YMMV):

• After a week or so on the Camino, everything starts to blend together. It was hard for me to remember all the details. My blog was a great way to document all that I experienced on the Camino.
• It was a GREAT way to have my friends and family follow my adventures. (BONUS... I didn't have to keep repeating all the same stories to my friends and family when I returned, because it was on the blog )
• Years from now, I can relive my Camino experience by just visiting my blog.
• My/your blog might inspire someone to do the Camino and it might change their life forever.
• ????

IF you decide to do a blog, I would recommend that you use wordpress.COM LINKY (NOT wordpress.ORG, which is shelf-hosted and is more complex AND costs you money) for the following reasons:

• It is 100% FREE (and free is good!)
• WordPress.COM handles all the hosting stuff (if you don't know what this means... then you definitely want to use WordPress.COM. All you need to know is, it is free & will be on the web for a long time... If you want to know the differences between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG, watch this LINKY )
• It will be on the web forever, or until WordPress goes out of business (is that possible? FYI >20% of ALL websites use WordPress!) NOTE: I used to use Google's BlogSpot for my travel blogs, but Google likes to kill lots of their products, so I switched to WordPress.com a couple of years ago.
• It is easy to use... HEY, even I can use it !!!

YES, there are a few limitations (because it is free) including:

• You "only" have 2GB of storage for your photos. NOTE: I have ~600 photos on my Camino blog and still have >60% free storage!
• You can't do a lot of customization on your site. (I actually like this, because it makes you focus on your content and NOT on customizing your site a million different ways)
• If you want to use use videos on your site, you have to first upload them to your YouTube account first and link them... no big deal.
• There might be a few ads on your website... no big deal.
• Your website will end in ".wordpress.com" and NOT in ".com" ... no big deal!!!

If you decide to do a blog and use WordPress.COM, here are a couple of Tips & Tricks:

• Because you are limited in customizing your site, make sure you find a template/theme that is really close to what you want.
• There are 100's of free templates/themes. Here are a few that might get you started:
  • Sapor
  • ReBalance
  • Dyad
  • Colinear
  • Resonar
  • Gateway (maybe remove the static home page??)
  • Ixion (Very cool... BUT you might have more work to tweak it)
  • Chateau (Could be one of the best? But you will need to manually add “Read More” break)
• You can also buy "Premium" templates/themes which can be "fancier" and have more options/customizations. My blog uses the Maisha template/theme ( LINKY ) that cost me ~$70 (a one-time fee)
• Make sure you resize your photos before uploading to your blog. I used a maximum of 2,000 pixel, which is more than sufficient for the web. If you don't resize your photos, you might use more than the free 2GB you get for your website.
• If you have access to Lynda.com, here is a GREAT tutorial on using WordPress.com LINKY Lynda.com is expensive BUT, you can get a 30 day free trial.
• Here is good (not great) intro on setting up a WordPress.COM website: LINKY
• Here is a bunch of tutorials on Wordpress.COM: LINKY

Finally, I'm a professor at Carthage College and every year I take 18 of my student to Goteborg, Sweden (where I used to work for ABB Robotics) for a 2 week class on International Business & Marketing. Every student is required to do a daily blog and I created a "Blogging Survival Guide" (attached) for my students that might be helpful to you if you decide to do a blog.

(NOTE: it is written for my students, but much of the stuff should be helpful for you if you decide to do a blog) FYI... here is a sample blog created in WordPress.com from one of my students: https://natesswedishadventures.wordpress.com/

Bottomline... YES, I did regret (for the 34 days I was on the Camino) having to carry a little extra weight (my iPad, keyboard, cables...) to do my blog AND to spend about 45-60 minute everyday to blog. BUT, I would have regretted NOT doing a blog for the rest of my life (YES... I know everyone is different...)

My hope is that MAYBE someone thinking about doing the Camino will see my blog and that will convince them to do it.
(and maybe this post will help convince someone to do their own blog... which might convince someone to do the Camino... which might...).

Hope this was helpful to all those who might consider doing a blog!!!


Cheers,

-jj

PS... Sorry this was sooooo long, but I wanted to have everything in 1 post.

 

[Hilarious]

Greetings All,

I finished my first Camino (French Way) on June 22, 2018 and I did a daily blog (https://jjscamino.wordpress.com/) (Thanks for all the kind words for those who have viewed it!!!!)

Along the way, many pilgrims (and some forum members) asked "how can I do a blog?"

Sooooo, I offer my recommendations and "Tips & Tricks" based on my experiences (I'm no "expert", but I have created 9 travel blogs through the years @ jjshields.com )

The first question is "Why do a blog?". Here are a few reasons why I did my blog (YMMV):

• After a week or so on the Camino, everything starts to blend together. It was hard for me to remember all the details. My blog was a great way to document all that I experienced on the Camino.
• It was a GREAT way to have my friends and family follow my adventures. (BONUS... I didn't have to keep repeating all the same stories to my friends and family when I returned, because it was on the blog )
• Years from now, I can relive my Camino experience by just visiting my blog.
• My/your blog might inspire someone to do the Camino and it might change their life forever.
• ????

IF you decide to do a blog, I would recommend that you use wordpress.COM LINKY (NOT wordpress.ORG, which is shelf-hosted and is more complex AND costs you money) for the following reasons:

• It is 100% FREE (and free is good!)
• WordPress.COM handles all the hosting stuff (if you don't know what this means... then you definitely want to use WordPress.COM. All you need to know is, it is free & will be on the web for a long time... If you want to know the differences between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG, watch this LINKY )
• It will be on the web forever, or until WordPress goes out of business (is that possible? FYI >20% of ALL websites use WordPress!) NOTE: I used to use Google's BlogSpot for my travel blogs, but Google likes to kill lots of their products, so I switched to WordPress.com a couple of years ago.
• It is easy to use... HEY, even I can use it !!!

YES, there are a few limitations (because it is free) including:

• You "only" have 2GB of storage for your photos. NOTE: I have ~600 photos on my Camino blog and still have >60% free storage!
• You can't do a lot of customization on your site. (I actually like this, because it makes you focus on your content and NOT on customizing your site a million different ways)
• If you want to use use videos on your site, you have to first upload them to your YouTube account first and link them... no big deal.
• There might be a few ads on your website... no big deal.
• Your website will end in ".wordpress.com" and NOT in ".com" ... no big deal!!!

If you decide to do a blog and use WordPress.COM, here are a couple of Tips & Tricks:

• Because you are limited in customizing your site, make sure you find a template/theme that is really close to what you want.
• There are 100's of free templates/themes. Here are a few that might get you started:
  • Sapor
  • ReBalance
  • Dyad
  • Colinear
  • Resonar
  • Gateway (maybe remove the static home page??)
  • Ixion (Very cool... BUT you might have more work to tweak it)
  • Chateau (Could be one of the best? But you will need to manually add “Read More” break)
• You can also buy "Premium" templates/themes which can be "fancier" and have more options/customizations. My blog uses the Maisha template/theme ( LINKY ) that cost me ~$70 (a one-time fee)
• Make sure you resize your photos before uploading to your blog. I used a maximum of 2,000 pixel, which is more than sufficient for the web. If you don't resize your photos, you might use more than the free 2GB you get for your website.
• If you have access to Lynda.com, here is a GREAT tutorial on using WordPress.com LINKY
• Here is good (not great) intro on setting up a WordPress.COM website: LINKY
• Here is a bunch of tutorials on Wordpress.COM: LINKY

Finally, I'm a professor at Carthage College and every year I take 18 of my student to Goteborg, Sweden (where I used to work for ABB Robotics) for a 2 week class on International Business & Marketing. Every student is required to do a daily blog and I created a "Blogging Survival Guide" (attached) for my students that might be helpful to you if you decide to do a blog.

(NOTE: it is written for my students, but much of the stuff should be helpful for you if you decide to do a blog) FYI... here is a sample blog created in WordPress.com from one of my students: https://natesswedishadventures.wordpress.com/

Bottomline... YES, I did regret (for the 34 days I was on the Camino) having to carry a little extra weight (my iPad, keyboard, cables...) to do my blog AND to spend about 45-60 minute everyday to blog. BUT, I would have regretted NOT doing a blog for the rest of my life (YES... I know everyone is different...)

My hope is that MAYBE someone thinking about doing the Camino will see my blog and that will convince them to do it.
(and maybe this post will help convince someone to do their own blog... which might convince someone to do the Camino... which might...).

Hope this was helpful to all those who might consider doing a blog!!!


Cheers,

-jj

PS... Sorry this was sooooo long, but I wanted to have everything in 1 post.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. JJ. Both for your Camino Blog which I am about half way through and really enjoying both in content - words and glorious photos and the professionalism of the site. The maps, elevations, video content etc. I have decided that I will do my Camino Frances in September next year to raise vital funds for the CQ (Central Queensland) Rescue Helicopter service. They save so many lives each year over a huge area and need to raise $5m per annum. Of course I will pay all my travel costs and get companies to sponsor me. I was thinking that the best way to keep them updated would be a blog. After enjoying yours so much I feel emboldened so your resources will be well utilised.

 

[JJinWI]

Thanks for the kind words!!!

Raising money for the heli service... NICE!!!!!

FYI, I raised a little money for charity during my Camino and used the the Maisha template/theme ( LINKY ) that cost me ~$70 (a one-time fee). It worked great for my needs. Might want to give it a look.

"After enjoying yours so much I feel emboldened so your resources will be well utilised. " I love it!!! My evil plan worked

Good luck with your adventure!!!

Cheers,

-jj

 

[tomnorth]

Greetings All,

I finished my first Camino (French Way) on June 22, 2018 and I did a daily blog (https://jjscamino.wordpress.com/) (Thanks for all the kind words for those who have viewed it!!!!)

Along the way, many pilgrims (and some forum members) asked "how can I do a blog?"

Sooooo, I offer my recommendations and "Tips & Tricks" based on my experiences (I'm no "expert", but I have created 9 travel blogs through the years @ jjshields.com )

The first question is "Why do a blog?". Here are a few reasons why I did my blog (YMMV):

• After a week or so on the Camino, everything starts to blend together. It was hard for me to remember all the details. My blog was a great way to document all that I experienced on the Camino.
• It was a GREAT way to have my friends and family follow my adventures. (BONUS... I didn't have to keep repeating all the same stories to my friends and family when I returned, because it was on the blog )
• Years from now, I can relive my Camino experience by just visiting my blog.
• My/your blog might inspire someone to do the Camino and it might change their life forever.
• ????

IF you decide to do a blog, I would recommend that you use wordpress.COM LINKY (NOT wordpress.ORG, which is shelf-hosted and is more complex AND costs you money) for the following reasons:

• It is 100% FREE (and free is good!)
• WordPress.COM handles all the hosting stuff (if you don't know what this means... then you definitely want to use WordPress.COM. All you need to know is, it is free & will be on the web for a long time... If you want to know the differences between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG, watch this LINKY )
• It will be on the web forever, or until WordPress goes out of business (is that possible? FYI >20% of ALL websites use WordPress!) NOTE: I used to use Google's BlogSpot for my travel blogs, but Google likes to kill lots of their products, so I switched to WordPress.com a couple of years ago.
• It is easy to use... HEY, even I can use it !!!

YES, there are a few limitations (because it is free) including:

• You "only" have 2GB of storage for your photos. NOTE: I have ~600 photos on my Camino blog and still have >60% free storage!
• You can't do a lot of customization on your site. (I actually like this, because it makes you focus on your content and NOT on customizing your site a million different ways)
• If you want to use use videos on your site, you have to first upload them to your YouTube account first and link them... no big deal.
• There might be a few ads on your website... no big deal.
• Your website will end in ".wordpress.com" and NOT in ".com" ... no big deal!!!

If you decide to do a blog and use WordPress.COM, here are a couple of Tips & Tricks:

• Because you are limited in customizing your site, make sure you find a template/theme that is really close to what you want.
• There are 100's of free templates/themes. Here are a few that might get you started:
  • Sapor
  • ReBalance
  • Dyad
  • Colinear
  • Resonar
  • Gateway (maybe remove the static home page??)
  • Ixion (Very cool... BUT you might have more work to tweak it)
  • Chateau (Could be one of the best? But you will need to manually add “Read More” break)
• You can also buy "Premium" templates/themes which can be "fancier" and have more options/customizations. My blog uses the Maisha template/theme ( LINKY ) that cost me ~$70 (a one-time fee)
• Make sure you resize your photos before uploading to your blog. I used a maximum of 2,000 pixel, which is more than sufficient for the web. If you don't resize your photos, you might use more than the free 2GB you get for your website.
• If you have access to Lynda.com, here is a GREAT tutorial on using WordPress.com LINKY
• Here is good (not great) intro on setting up a WordPress.COM website: LINKY
• Here is a bunch of tutorials on Wordpress.COM: LINKY

Finally, I'm a professor at Carthage College and every year I take 18 of my student to Goteborg, Sweden (where I used to work for ABB Robotics) for a 2 week class on International Business & Marketing. Every student is required to do a daily blog and I created a "Blogging Survival Guide" (attached) for my students that might be helpful to you if you decide to do a blog.

(NOTE: it is written for my students, but much of the stuff should be helpful for you if you decide to do a blog) FYI... here is a sample blog created in WordPress.com from one of my students: https://natesswedishadventures.wordpress.com/

Bottomline... YES, I did regret (for the 34 days I was on the Camino) having to carry a little extra weight (my iPad, keyboard, cables...) to do my blog AND to spend about 45-60 minute everyday to blog. BUT, I would have regretted NOT doing a blog for the rest of my life (YES... I know everyone is different...)

My hope is that MAYBE someone thinking about doing the Camino will see my blog and that will convince them to do it.
(and maybe this post will help convince someone to do their own blog... which might convince someone to do the Camino... which might...).

Hope this was helpful to all those who might consider doing a blog!!!


Cheers,

-jj

PS... Sorry this was sooooo long, but I wanted to have everything in 1 post.

You and others have inspired me to blog while on my next Camino. This is really helpful. I’ve already downloaded your guide. I’ve been testing Wordpress. In my testing I found I was able to post a video straight from my iPhone. I’ll have to try this again. My main media will be photographs, but I would like to post the odd video.

I plan to blog from my iPhone X. I bought a lightweight keyboard (6.6 ozs/187 grams) that includes an iPhone stand. I would bring my Nikon camera regardless, so the weight price I am paying to blog is that 6.6 ounces. I could blog just using the iPhone, but I find thumb typing wears me out for anything longer than short emails or texts.

I have a question for you. Do you recommend setting up separate blogs for each trip/event you are blogging about or would you just use one blog for everything? By that I mean would you create a new blog for your next Camino or would you start with the one you’ve already published?

 

[JJinWI]

Tom,

Thanks for the kind words!!!

"You and others have inspired me to blog while on my next Camino." My evil plan is working

A couple of answers/comments:

1. I would suggest setting up a unique blog site for each of your trips/events for the following reasons:
   1. Each blog site only allows you 2GB of storage. This should be more than enough for 1 trip. But if you put several trips/events on just 1 site, you might run out of room.
   2. I think it is easier to keep things organized by having unique sites for each trip/event.
   3. With unique blog sites, you have the opportunity to use different themes/templates for each trip/event. Putting everything on one site does not allow you to do this.
   4. With each unique blog site, you can get a unique name for each. For example, my Camino blog address is "jjscamino.wordpress.com" and my trip to Iceland is "JJinIceland.wordpress.com".
2. I would then create a "HOME" site where you then link each of your other unique sites. This is what I did for all 9 of my travel blogs. I have my main site "jjshields.com" and have links to all of my different travel blogs (one for each trip) See below...
   
3. Lynda.com has a GREAT 2.5 hour training video on WordPress.COM. Lynda.com is expensive BUT, you can get a 30 day free trial.
4. Sounds like you got a good plan for equipment. I think the extra weight for the keyboard is worth it!!!
5. After you have your blog set-up, I would suggest creating a couple of "dummy" posts with the equipment you will bring on the Camino... to make sure it all works properly. (You can delete them after the test)

Hope this helps!!!!

Cheers,


-jj

 

[Bob Logan]

Greetings All,

I finished my first Camino (French Way) on June 22, 2018 and I did a daily blog (https://jjscamino.wordpress.com/) (Thanks for all the kind words for those who have viewed it!!!!)

Along the way, many pilgrims (and some forum members) asked "how can I do a blog?"

Sooooo, I offer my recommendations and "Tips & Tricks" based on my experiences (I'm no "expert", but I have created 9 travel blogs through the years @ jjshields.com )

The first question is "Why do a blog?". Here are a few reasons why I did my blog (YMMV):

• After a week or so on the Camino, everything starts to blend together. It was hard for me to remember all the details. My blog was a great way to document all that I experienced on the Camino.
• It was a GREAT way to have my friends and family follow my adventures. (BONUS... I didn't have to keep repeating all the same stories to my friends and family when I returned, because it was on the blog )
• Years from now, I can relive my Camino experience by just visiting my blog.
• My/your blog might inspire someone to do the Camino and it might change their life forever.
• ????

IF you decide to do a blog, I would recommend that you use wordpress.COM LINKY (NOT wordpress.ORG, which is shelf-hosted and is more complex AND costs you money) for the following reasons:

• It is 100% FREE (and free is good!)
• WordPress.COM handles all the hosting stuff (if you don't know what this means... then you definitely want to use WordPress.COM. All you need to know is, it is free & will be on the web for a long time... If you want to know the differences between WordPress.COM and WordPress.ORG, watch this LINKY )
• It will be on the web forever, or until WordPress goes out of business (is that possible? FYI >20% of ALL websites use WordPress!) NOTE: I used to use Google's BlogSpot for my travel blogs, but Google likes to kill lots of their products, so I switched to WordPress.com a couple of years ago.
• It is easy to use... HEY, even I can use it !!!

YES, there are a few limitations (because it is free) including:

• You "only" have 2GB of storage for your photos. NOTE: I have ~600 photos on my Camino blog and still have >60% free storage!
• You can't do a lot of customization on your site. (I actually like this, because it makes you focus on your content and NOT on customizing your site a million different ways)
• If you want to use use videos on your site, you have to first upload them to your YouTube account first and link them... no big deal.
• There might be a few ads on your website... no big deal.
• Your website will end in ".wordpress.com" and NOT in ".com" ... no big deal!!!

If you decide to do a blog and use WordPress.COM, here are a couple of Tips & Tricks:

• Because you are limited in customizing your site, make sure you find a template/theme that is really close to what you want.
• There are 100's of free templates/themes. Here are a few that might get you started:
  • Sapor
  • ReBalance
  • Dyad
  • Colinear
  • Resonar
  • Gateway (maybe remove the static home page??)
  • Ixion (Very cool... BUT you might have more work to tweak it)
  • Chateau (Could be one of the best? But you will need to manually add “Read More” break)
• You can also buy "Premium" templates/themes which can be "fancier" and have more options/customizations. My blog uses the Maisha template/theme ( LINKY ) that cost me ~$70 (a one-time fee)
• Make sure you resize your photos before uploading to your blog. I used a maximum of 2,000 pixel, which is more than sufficient for the web. If you don't resize your photos, you might use more than the free 2GB you get for your website.
• If you have access to Lynda.com, here is a GREAT tutorial on using WordPress.com LINKY Lynda.com is expensive BUT, you can get a 30 day free trial.
• Here is good (not great) intro on setting up a WordPress.COM website: LINKY
• Here is a bunch of tutorials on Wordpress.COM: LINKY

Finally, I'm a professor at Carthage College and every year I take 18 of my student to Goteborg, Sweden (where I used to work for ABB Robotics) for a 2 week class on International Business & Marketing. Every student is required to do a daily blog and I created a "Blogging Survival Guide" (attached) for my students that might be helpful to you if you decide to do a blog.

(NOTE: it is written for my students, but much of the stuff should be helpful for you if you decide to do a blog) FYI... here is a sample blog created in WordPress.com from one of my students: https://natesswedishadventures.wordpress.com/

Bottomline... YES, I did regret (for the 34 days I was on the Camino) having to carry a little extra weight (my iPad, keyboard, cables...) to do my blog AND to spend about 45-60 minute everyday to blog. BUT, I would have regretted NOT doing a blog for the rest of my life (YES... I know everyone is different...)

My hope is that MAYBE someone thinking about doing the Camino will see my blog and that will convince them to do it.
(and maybe this post will help convince someone to do their own blog... which might convince someone to do the Camino... which might...).

Hope this was helpful to all those who might consider doing a blog!!!


Cheers,

-jj

PS... Sorry this was sooooo long, but I wanted to have everything in 1 post.

JJ,
I whole heartedly agree with your encouragement for Pilgrims to create a blog. It is a great way to create memories and to remember what you experienced. Also, giving friends the blog site allows them to follow along while you were gone, or, if you see someone upon your return, send them to the site as well.

I used Wordpress as well and it is VERY easy to learn how to post and add photos and videos. I would also suggest paying a little more so you have enough space to post as many photos as you like. Also, I had my blog set up where each new post would automatically hit my Facebook and Instagram feed. I had many people that followed along purely because they saw a new post on Facebook.

Finally, you can go crazy picking which Wordpress theme to use. I felt more photos and less text was better. Most people are visual. So I used a theme that had all photos on the front page. Check it out:
www.logancamino2018.wordpress.com

Good luck to all you pilgrims! You will enjoy having something to look back on...

Bob and Judy Logan
Tucson, Arizona

 

[JJinWI]

Bob/Judy,

Great blog!!!!

WHAT theme did you use??? I might use that on a future blog.

ALSO... You get 2GB of storage for free. My blog has ~600 photos and I still have ~60% free space. The key is to resize your photos before uploading ... 2,000 x 2,000 pixels is more than a enough for blog. My photos are ~500kb each in size. Uploading a 20mb photo for a blog is a waste of space (plus it will slow your page load time)

Cheers,

-jj

 

[spagirl]

Great advice. Thank you so much for the effort.

 

[VNwalking]

Thanks, @JJinWI . Bookmarked.
I would never need this for the Camino, but your advice is very useful for work.

 

[Bob Logan]

Bob/Judy,

Great blog!!!!

WHAT theme did you use??? I might use that on a future blog.

ALSO... You get 2GB of storage for free. My blog has ~600 photos and I still have ~60% free space. The key is to resize your photos before uploading ... 2,000 x 2,000 pixels is more than a enough for blog. My photos are ~500kb each in size. Uploading a 20mb photo for a blog is a waste of space (plus it will slow your page load time)

Cheers,

-jj

JJ,

I actually am not sure. I went to the Wordpress site and I think it is called PhotoBlog. At least it looks like what mine is. Regarding the photos, I am not really sophisticated, so whatever photos I had, I just uploaded them. Not sure how to resize. Oh well, life goes on!

Bob and Judy Logan

 

[Hilarious]

JJ,
I whole heartedly agree with your encouragement for Pilgrims to create a blog. It is a great way to create memories and to remember what you experienced. Also, giving friends the blog site allows them to follow along while you were gone, or, if you see someone upon your return, send them to the site as well.

I used Wordpress as well and it is VERY easy to learn how to post and add photos and videos. I would also suggest paying a little more so you have enough space to post as many photos as you like. Also, I had my blog set up where each new post would automatically hit my Facebook and Instagram feed. I had many people that followed along purely because they saw a new post on Facebook.

Finally, you can go crazy picking which Wordpress theme to use. I felt more photos and less text was better. Most people are visual. So I used a theme that had all photos on the front page. Check it out:
www.logancamino2018.wordpress.com

Good luck to all you pilgrims! You will enjoy having something to look back on...

Bob and Judy Logan
Tucson, Arizona

Congratulations Bob and Judy on your Camino and your blog. I am really enjoying your journey!

 

[Robo]

Excellent tips here!

But....a Confession. I'm a very lazy blogger.
And I also have to confess that I use my support team back at work to do all the posting

But.........

There are a couple of tips I hope that others might find useful even if you are doing it all yourself on a zero budget.

Typing up a blog at the end of the day is hard if you are tired and also you can forget some of what happened.
You also miss the spontaneity of the moment and the powerful emotions you might have felt at the time.

So I tend to shoot a lot of short video clips.
And at the time, make audio recordings on my phone. Right there and then.

The video clips are easy to upload at the end of the day.
And the audio recordings can be either emailed to someone back home to transcribe onto your blog (get a friend or relative involved) or I'm sure there must be an easy voice to text App that will do it.

IMHO A Blog needs to be really easy to record, and to update or it could become a chore. I only carry a phone, so doing lots of typing is not that easy. Though I often do it as well.

I would agree 100% with @JJinWI on the good reasons to do a blog, particularly the last one.

But I would add, don't be afraid to be 100% honest on your Blog. Tell it like it is, how you feel, the good and the bad.

Not only will this provide you with a great record to look back on, to relive your journey, but it makes it much more interesting for other readers too.

 

[tomnorth]

Tom,

Thanks for the kind words!!!

"You and others have inspired me to blog while on my next Camino." My evil plan is working

A couple of answers/comments:

1. I would suggest setting up a unique blog site for each of your trips/events for the following reasons:
   1. Each blog site only allows you 2GB of storage. This should be more than enough for 1 trip. But if you put several trips/events on just 1 site, you might run out of room.
   2. I think it is easier to keep things organized by having unique sites for each trip/event.
   3. With unique blog sites, you have the opportunity to use different themes/templates for each trip/event. Putting everything on one site does not allow you to do this.
   4. With each unique blog site, you can get a unique name for each. For example, my Camino blog address is "jjscamino.wordpress.com" and my trip to Iceland is "JJinIceland.wordpress.com".
2. I would then create a "HOME" site where you then link each of your other unique sites. This is what I did for all 9 of my travel blogs. I have my main site "jjshields.com" and have links to all of my different travel blogs (one for each trip) See below...
   View attachment 44526
3. Lynda.com has a GREAT 2.5 hour training video on WordPress.COM. Lynda.com is expensive BUT, you can get a 30 day free trial.
4. Sounds like you got a good plan for equipment. I think the extra weight for the keyboard is worth it!!!
5. After you have your blog set-up, I would suggest creating a could of "dummy" posts with the equipment you will bring on the Camino... to make sure it all works properly. (You can delete them after the test)

Hope this helps!!!!

Cheers,


-jj

Thanks for the advice. This is really helpful.

 

[alaskadiver]

Something about The Camino, and travel in general, that brings out the creative part in all of us

 

[kmrice]

I bought a lightweight keyboard (6.6 ozs/187 grams) that includes an iPhone stand.

Which keyboard are you using?

 

[JJinWI]

Which keyboard are you using?

I got this one & it worked just fine...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X5P8BJO/?tag=casaivar02-20

Cheers,

-jj

 

[kmrice]

I got this one & it worked just fine...

Thanks!

 

[C clearly]

don't be afraid to be 100% honest on your Blog.

I don't think I entirely agree with this! Remember that whatever you post will be visible to the world, for a long time. However, I agree that a sanitized description can get boring quite fast.

 

[Deleted member 39850]

If you want a lovely record of your travels but do not want to write a blog, I highly recommend the POSTALE app for tablets and smartphones. The app uses GPS data from your camera to time/location stamp postcards that you make from your photos. Space is provided for a few paragraphs and you can send them to specific recipients (and make a book when you return home). I found it a way to balance my desire for great reminders, an easy way to be in touch with home, and the privacy of having specific recipients.
Blogging is great, of course, and JJ's tips are wonderful.
My suggestion is merely for those who may not want to blog but want some of the same kinds of perks.

 

[Robo]

I don't think I entirely agree with this! Remember that whatever you post will be visible to the world, for a long time. However, I agree that a sanitized description can get boring quite fast.

Fair point. 99%

 

[tomnorth]

Which keyboard are you using?

This is the one I ordered. It appears it is no longer available on Amazon. I’m sure there are others like it that are available. I wanted one that was super light.

Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard