Useful work while traveling, organizing observations

During travel, many tourist groups take an active part in socially useful work, carry out tasks for various organizations, and conduct observations of nature. This makes the hike more interesting and exciting.

The decision to perform one or another public service along the route is a voluntary matter for tourists. For some, it is interesting to conduct a tourist exploration of a new travel area, others are ready to give a lecture, an amateur concert or help in forest planting, others are interested in some specific aspect of nature - minerals, flowers, insects. The section provides some background information on organizing useful work and observing certain natural phenomena in field conditions.

FORMS OF PUBLIC USEFUL WORK

Of the many types and forms of socially useful activities of tourists, the most common are the following:

labor assistance to the local population;

agitation, propaganda and cultural work;

nature conservation, landscape improvement;

local history studies;

fulfillment of target tasks of scientific, economic and other institutions and organizations;

fulfillment of tasks of tourist and excursion institutions, organizations and public bodies;

incidental, occasional socially useful activity without specific tasks.

In certain accordance with this division are the main methods that are recommended for tourists to use during work: physical labor, propaganda, education, upbringing, inspection, search, observation, inventory, research, collecting activities, etc.

Help for the local population

Helping the local population is one of the main forms of tourist socially useful work. A campaign trip around the sponsored area, delivery of literature to a remote village during the election campaign, assistance in the production of wall newspapers and photo montages, amateur art concerts, lectures and conversations, sports meetings with local youth, assistance to the collective farm in weeding seedlings, harvesting hay, collecting vegetables or fruits and much more that all travelers can do. This work does not require complex training or special equipment.

All-Union campaign

The main goal of the All-Union income of Komsomol members, youth and tourists to places of revolutionary, military and labor glory of the Soviet people is the patriotic education of youth. Participants in the All-Union Campaign, walking along partisan paths, visiting places associated with revolutionary events, military and labor exploits, collect information about the heroes, recreate little-known pages of history, install obelisks and memorial plaques, organize exhibitions and museums. This movement is led by the Central Committee of the Komsomol together with the Central Council for Tourism and Excursions of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions and the Central Committee of DOSAAF.

Those wishing to take part in the All-Union campaign should contact directly the campaign headquarters, organized at the district and city committees of the Komsomol. Here they will be told interesting routes, advised on how to conduct searches, told where they can restore a partisan dugout, collect materials for a museum of military glory, or complete another assignment.

Carrying out tasks of organizations

Many interesting impressions can be given to a traveler by completing tasks of various organizations and institutions - scientific, design, survey, economic.

These include snow surveys and searches for medicinal wild plants, observations of small river regimes and exploration of new mineral deposits, and collection of ethnographic materials.

The instructions of institutions and organizations involved in nature conservation are especially close to the traveler’s heart.

Target assignments for tourists can be given by: local history and others, museums; branches, sections and commissions of the All-Union Geographical Society; branches of nature conservation societies; branches of societies for the protection of historical and cultural monuments; geological departments, expeditions and parties; hydrometeorological service department; forestry and forestry departments; management of hunting and reserves, hunting inspection; natural-biological and historical faculties and departments of higher educational institutions; research institutes (for example, the All-Union Scientific Research Geological Institute, the Institute of Geography of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal Plants, etc.).

Young tourists, in addition, are recommended to contact the local history and tourism departments of the Palaces and Houses of Pioneers and Schoolchildren, at the station, and young tourists for assignments.

Completing tourist tasks

Work on a hike on a tourist topic includes observing the conditions of passing a particular area with various techniques and tactics of movement, determining the most rational sets of food products and the possibilities of replenishing them along the way, testing new types of equipment, reconnaissance of passes, valleys, rivers, development and description of new routes.

The subject of tourist tasks also includes hikes for the purpose of marking and cleaning tourist routes, identifying, restoring and protecting excursion sites, constructing tourist shelters, improving crossings, trails, observation platforms, equipping forest training grounds for classes in tourism techniques, hanging safety ropes and chains on passes, etc. This also includes work related to landscaping routes, holding a tourist forest day, with the participation of tourists in patrol raids in forest areas, extinguishing forest fires, clearing cluttered forest areas, reconnaissance, clearing and equipping water sources, etc.

Specific tasks can be obtained from local tourism and excursion councils, tourist clubs, tourist centers, and route qualification commissions.

Local history activities

The socially useful return from local history work is due to the fact that tourist local history involves the applied study of nature, working life, life and culture of the population in their interaction and focuses on the study of those features that are determined by the location of objects or phenomena within the boundaries of a certain, usually small, area along the tourist route.

Local history activities involve tourists studying the basics of knowledge such as geomorphology, botany, meteorology; it instills the skills of making simple observations (see p. 189). At the same time, the collection of material and the observation of certain objects become local history only when they are comprehended, generalized, obtain a useful result and bring their “micro-discoveries” to the general public. Therefore, for example, when studying the folk art of the local population, one must carefully record the most characteristic proverbs, sayings, ditties, and songs; photograph and sketch wood carvings (pediments, trim), lace, embroidery; write down the names and addresses of single craftsmen indicating the type of product (toy, ceramics, embossing, weaving, etc.),

Conditions for successful implementation of socially useful work

The effectiveness of socially useful work while traveling depends, among other things, on compliance with the following general rules;

completing tasks should not be detrimental to the educational value of the trip, interfere with active recreation or jeopardize the safety of the tourist group;

a preliminary agreement is required, coordination of the useful initiative of tourists with the relevant local organizations;

preliminary (educational, labor) preparation of tourists is needed, providing them with the necessary working tools, observation instruments, etc.;

it is necessary to set clear, specific tasks for tourists to complete;

it is desirable to create an interesting, festive environment for socially useful work, introducing competitive elements into it;

It is highly desirable to bring the work of tourists to its logical conclusion, encourage its most active participants, and ensure visibility of the results.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE CAMPAIGN

Meteorological observations

Meteorological observations during a tourist trip allow you to navigate the nature of the weather and anticipate its changes in the coming hours. In addition, they can provide interesting material for characterizing the microclimate of different areas.

Observations are carried out at precisely set times: at 1, 7, 13 and 19 o'clock local time from October to March and at 2, 8, 14 and 20 o'clock during the rest of the year. For beginners, you can limit yourself to the last three terms and carry out most of the observations without instruments, visually.

Cloud Observations. Cloudiness is determined from an open place by eye using a ten-point system. Cloudless sky—0. When cloudiness is 10 points, the sky is completely covered with clouds. If 1/10, 2/10, 3/10, etc. parts of the sky are covered with clouds, then the cloudiness is correspondingly equal to 1, 2, 3, etc. points.

Based on the height at which the clouds are located, they are divided into upper, middle and lower tiers. The upper level clouds are thin, white, do not provide shade or precipitation and usually herald a change in the weather. The clouds of the middle tier are light, bluish-gray, in the form of a continuous veil or waves, larger and more massive compared to the clouds of the upper tier, the sun almost does not shine through them. The clouds of the lower tier are low, gray, and consist of large, heavy ridges and shafts that cover the sky with a continuous cover.

Wind observations. They consist in determining its direction and speed. In the absence of instruments, wind speed is determined using the Beaufort scale.

Snow observations. During a winter hike, it is recommended to supplement meteorological observations with observations of the snow cover: the nature of its surface, thickness, uniformity of occurrence, etc. Observations are carried out visually and using a marked ski pole with an easily removable ring - a simple snow measuring rod. Using this stick, you can measure the thickness of the snow cover and the depth of the ski track, and knowing the supporting area of ​​the ski and the weight of the tourist with a backpack, determine (albeit very approximately) the moisture reserves in the snow.

It is imperative to note the so-called special meteorological phenomena: various precipitation, thunderstorms, optical and similar phenomena; dew, hail, frost, frost, lightning, rainbows, twinkling stars, blizzards, etc.

The simplest devices. These include a thermometer (preferably a sling thermometer, as well as minimum and maximum thermometers), an aneroid barometer (or aneroid altimeter), an Assmann psychrometer, and a hand-held anemometer.

A dial-type “unbreakable” liquid-free thermometer is convenient. You can make it yourself if you have a small bimetallic spiral. The spiral is mounted in a plastic case from under the compass, the pointer arrow is attached to the needle, the scale is graduated, and the thermometer is ready. While hiking, you can wear it like a compass on your hand (providing insulation from the body).

All meteorological observations should be recorded in a weather diary. It notes the place, date, timing of observations, as well as the results of observations (pressure, humidity and air temperature, wind direction and speed, cloud shape, cloudiness) and individual atmospheric phenomena. It is imperative to write down the weather forecast based on local conditions and then note whether the forecast corresponds to reality.

Weather prediction

Weather forecasts based on local meteorological characteristics can be carried out by tourists, taking into account the following phenomena:

Signs of partly cloudy weather, no precipitation (warm in summer, frosty in winter).

1. At sunset and sunrise the dawn is yellow, golden, pink. Its greenish color indicates long-term preservation of the weather pattern.

2. After bad weather, a gradual weakening of the wind, a cessation of precipitation, a decrease in cloudiness, and cooling at night in the summer.

3. As the sun rises, cumulus clouds appear. By noon their size increases. In the evening the clouds spread out and disappear completely after sunset.

4. After sunset, dew appears on the grass, which intensifies before sunrise, and disappears with sunrise. In spring and autumn, instead of dew, frost forms on the ground and roofs.

5. At night in summer, fog accumulates over low places (swamps, hollows, rivers).

6. In the evening and at night in the lowlands and valleys it becomes colder than in the hills, in the forest it becomes warmer than in open places.

7. In the mountains, haze covers the peaks.

8. In summer there is no wind at all at night. By noon it intensifies, and in the evening it subsides again.

9. During the day the wind blows from the sea, at night - from the land.

10. Air pressure increases.

Signs of inclement weather (cloudy, heavy rain or snow and wind).

1. Thin cirrus clouds appear on the horizon, elongated in the form of threads with curved ends. Such clouds indicate that severe weather is 900-1,000 km away from us and could occur in about 20 hours.

2. Thin cirrus clouds gradually cover the entire sky and turn into cirrostratus clouds, located in a dense layer. If these clouds cover the sun or moon, white circles appear around them. Further on, a continuous cloud cover is already approaching. The sun and moon become invisible. After a while it starts to rain or snow.

3. The evening or morning dawn takes on a red, sometimes even crimson-red color. The sun sets into a cloud.

4. The wind changes directions sharply and intensifies in the evening.

5. In the mountains at night the wind blows from the valleys to the mountains, during the day - vice versa.

6. Air pressure drops.

7. Dew or frost does not appear.

8. It is warmer in the evening than during the day.

9. In the lowlands and on the hills, in the forest, in open places - the air temperature is the same.

10. In the mountains the temperature drops in the morning.

11. The fog formed in the evening “melts” before the sun rises, does not spread over the water, but rises.

Signs of variable weather (with short-term precipitation, thunderstorms in summer and subsequent cooling).

1. Cirrocumulus clouds in the form of small ripples are visible on the horizon.

2. Elongated clouds appear, looking like huge grains of lentils.

3. In the summer, clouds in the form of teeth or towers form in the evening or morning.

4. Several layers of clouds are observed at the same time.

5. In summer, it creates a feeling of stuffiness - it soars.

6. The air pressure changes little at first, then suddenly begins to decrease.

Weather forecasting based on folk superstitions makes it possible to predict the weather for a relatively small area and for a period of usually no more than a day. For a forecast to be realistic, it must be made based on many natural phenomena, based on their complexes, and not based on two or three individual signs.

For good weather.

1. The moon (at sunrise) is surrounded by a red, quickly disappearing circle.

2. Stars flicker faintly with a greenish color.

3. The horns of the month are sharp.

4. Swifts fly high.

5. Ants are highly active.

6. Mosquitoes and midges fly in a swarm (“column”).

7. Dung beetles fly low to the ground.

8. In the evening, lapwings call, and the chaffinch sings loudly and frequently.

9. The bees fly to the field early.

10. There are abundant cobwebs on the grass, bushes, and trees.

11. All dandelions are open.

12. Open white lilies and yellow water lilies are visible on ponds and rivers.

13. Smoke (in the absence of wind) rises vertically upward.

14. The coals in the fire quickly become covered with ash and smolder dimly.

To bad weather.

1. Stars twinkle strongly with reddish or bright blue light),

2. The stars are difficult to see after a clear day.

3. Swifts fly low.

4. Finches “creak”, and scops owls call during the day.

5. Chickens and sparrows bathe in dust, sparrows chirp loudly.

6. Ducks, seagulls, and swans often dive, scream loudly, flapping their wings and splashing.

7. The fish jumps out of the water and grabs the midges.

8. Lizards hide in burrows.

9. Frogs crawl out of the swamp and croak hoarsely.

10. Bees lie down late and are very active in the evening.

11. Ants hide in anthills and close their passages.

12. No insects are visible on the ground, but earthworms crawl to the surface.

13. Dogs eat little and sleep a lot. rolling on the ground.

14. Cats “wash themselves” by rubbing their faces and ears with their paws.

15. Cattle greedily eat grass.

16. Horses snore and snort.

17. Chipmunks whistle animatedly.

18. Flowers of dandelions, white lilies, yellow water lilies are closed.

19. The audibility of sounds increases, smells intensify.

20. Wires are humming.

21. Smoke swirls and spreads along the ground.

22. The coals of the fire smolder brightly.

Topographic observations

The simplest type of topographical observations is route photography as the tourist group moves. To take pictures, the daily route is divided into a number of segments, the length of which is determined by the time of movement or the number of steps, and the directions are determined by a compass. All observations along the route must be linked to certain points, which are plotted on the area plan. Route survey also includes identifying the most important landmarks (using the serif method), sketching and photography.

The distance to the object of description and landmarks lying to the side of the route is determined by eye. It is recommended to draw the plan on graph paper using a ruler and protractor.

For individual objects of the tourist route, for example, an archaeological site, a mineral spring, a portage between two river systems, etc., it is necessary to draw up more detailed plans. They are made by hanging straight lines with poles, measuring distances with a measuring tape, and constructing right angles on the ground with an ecker (a lightweight, simple device for determining mutually perpendicular lines). When shooting, an outline is drawn - an eye drawing on which the objects being photographed are shown and the numerical results of measurements are recorded. Then, using these sketches and notes to scale, a plan of the filmed area is drawn up.

During tourist topographic observations, there is often a need to determine the relative heights of terrain points and compile a profile in a certain direction. In small areas, a profile can be drawn up using a spirit level (the so-called horizontal sighting) or an eclimeter - a device for measuring the angles of inclination of the terrain. It is more convenient to determine altitudes using a barometer-altimeter.

Topographic observations require a good understanding of the basics of topography and the ability to navigate the terrain.

Geological observations

Geological observations during travel are, as a rule, in the nature of route geological surveys. During them, tourists get acquainted with the rocks that make up the earth's crust, minerals and fossilized remains of the distant past, with the work of water, ice and wind. It is recommended to conduct geological observations of outcrops, rock outcrops (rocks), stones, spills from animal burrows, debris in the rhizomes of uprooted trees, etc. A tourist can collect minerals on a hike, make sketches of layers and veins, and photograph the most interesting geological objects.

When describing an outcrop, you should accurately indicate its location, note its length, height, make a schematic sketch, note the color, structure of the outcrop, list which minerals are found most, and take rock samples of each type.

Samples should be taken from bedrock on steep slopes, ridges and summits, taken from outcrops of these rocks (not from talus). The locations of finds and outcrops must be described in a diary and plotted on a map. Each sample must be accompanied by a label indicating the location where it was taken.

To carry out geological observations it is necessary; the following equipment: geological hammer, chisel, measuring tape (string), mountain compass (with eclimeter), bottle with 10% hydrochloric acid (for determining rocks for boiling), cloth bags.

Study of the relief

Geomorphological observations during the trip make it possible to obtain a description of individual sections of the relief along the route - valleys, hills, watersheds. It is easiest for tourists to carry out such observations using programs containing approximately the following questions.

1. Name of the object.

2. Its predominant direction.

3. Length and height above sea level.

4. Characteristics of the transverse profile (width, cross-sectional shape, number of river terraces, nature of the river floodplain, presence of moraines, etc.).

5. Characteristics of the longitudinal profile.

6. Types of cover vegetation in individual areas.

7. Economic use of the territory.

Thus, when describing slopes, it is necessary to note their position (slope of the right or left bank of the river), exposure, steepness, geological structure, cross-sectional shape, as well as the degree of ruggedness.

When composing a description of a watershed ridge or watershed plateau, one should note the direction of the ridge (plateau) relative to the cardinal points, the nature of its division, the presence of passes, the geological structure of the ridge (plateau), and the presence of remains of ancient surfaces. When planning observations over the relief, tourists should get an idea in advance about its features in the area of ​​travel, make, if possible, large-scale copies from maps and diagrams, and stock up on the same equipment as for topographic observations.

Hydrological observations

The purpose of hydrological research on a tourist trip is usually to collect information about small and little-studied rivers and lakes in order to compile their characteristics.

A hydrological survey includes a description of the river and the surrounding area, the river bed with measurements of its width and depth, the nature of the banks and bottom, measurement of flow speed and water flow, as well as collecting information from local residents about the regime of the river and its use.

When examining lakes, it is necessary to carry out a visual survey of the lake’s shoreline to draw up its plan, take depth measurements (from a boat), measure the water temperature, and collect information about the lake’s regime from local residents.

Among the simplest instruments for hydrological observations, tourists should have a cord marked by meters (20-30 m), a tablet with a compass and a sight line, a light pole, and a watch with a second hand.

Botanical observations

Observations of vegetation while traveling consist of describing its various types, identifying useful wild and ornamental plants.

When describing vegetation, the geographical position of the site, the terrain, moisture, the nature of the soil, the layering of vegetation, the most common plants in each layer, their height, phase of development, abundance, condition (normal or depressed), and economic use are recorded.

Before you start searching for useful plants, it is recommended to talk with the local population, find out the appearance of the plants, experience with their use, time and methods of collection, drying, and storage.

Plants should be collected to compile a herbarium upon receipt of permission or a special assignment from an environmental organization, forestry, or local history museum.

Specimens for the herbarium must be taken intact, with the root system. Each specimen, placed separately on a herbarium sheet, is given a label indicating the location, environment and altitude above sea level of the area where the specimen was taken. The number of the sample taken is marked on the route notes.

For better drying of samples, you need to have a second thick “notebook” made of newsprint. At rest stops, the samples taken should be transferred to this notebook. During sunny weather or near a fire, the herbarium is dried daily.

When studying vertical belts of vegetation (in the mountains). They collect small twigs with leaves, flowers or fruits, as well as samples of the bark of trees and shrubs.

In terms of equipment for botanical observations (if permission to collect a herbarium has been obtained), you must have a strong hunting knife for digging up plants, herbarium paper (“notebook” made from newspapers), thick cardboard folders, cotton wool, preferably a herbarium press frame with a metal mesh.

Florism

Florism is a peculiar combination of observations of vegetation with art.

Tourists who are interested in florism collect characteristic flowers, leaves, inflorescences, fancy cones, twigs, and roots along the route, from which they then create sculptures, panels, and paintings without a brush or paint.

It is important to be able to see hidden opportunities for creativity in a natural root or knot. Sometimes it is enough to remove excess processes, protrusions or add new parts. But the most valued are those funny figures in which the natural form is preserved, where nothing or very little is added.

In addition to collecting forest miniatures, while traveling you can collect and dry flowers while preserving their color and shape. If you have the skills and artistic abilities, you can use them to create still lifes, landscapes and even portraits. However, we must remember that there are plants listed in the Red Book. These plants, of course, cannot be collected. You must also treat all other plants with care, taking only a limited number of specimens.

Zoological observations

During tourist travel, zoological observations are usually carried out on insects, birds, and small mammals.

Collecting animals (as well as plants) is allowed with permission or instructions from the organization and is limited to collecting insects during a hike, as a rule.

It is recommended to collect thematic collections. For example: “Insect pests in such and such an area.” To collect insects, it is enough to have a net, a “stain” - a jar with a tight stopper, on the inside of which a cotton swab moistened with chloroform (acetic, sulfuric ether), tweezers, and a magnifying glass are pinned. An insect killed in “stain” is stored during travel in a hard box in layers of cotton wool. A label is placed nearby indicating the time and place of collection of the insect, weather conditions, and behavior of the insect.

Bird watching is possible both with the help of binoculars and by collecting “pellets” - particles of undigested food. The most interesting and accessible way to study the tracks of birds and mammals while on a hike, especially in winter. Noticed tracks can be sketched (indicating the distances between the animal's steps or jumps) or photographed, after sprinkling them with colored powder, such as ash, before shooting.

Phenological observations

Phenology is a science that studies the seasonal development of living nature. Phenological observations do not require special equipment and are accessible to any attentive tourist. To do this, you should have a diary in which you record the date of the onset of one or another seasonal phenomenon in the life of plants or animals: the flowering of bird cherry, the first song of a nightingale, the fall of leaves on birch trees, the departure of rooks, etc.

The greatest scientific value are those tourist phenological observations that are constantly carried out in the same places or in little-studied areas. The observations are also interesting for tourists themselves. They make the trip more meaningful and allow you to determine the best timing for your hikes, timing them to coincide with the most interesting phases of nature.

For orientation in phenological phenomena, the dates of some natural phenomena according to observations in the middle zone of the European part of the country are given below:

Other observations

There are other types of tourist research work along the route.

Glaciological observations. They consist of a reconnaissance survey of glaciers, their visual survey, a description of their surface, the end of the glacial tongue, moraine, glacial valley, and, if possible, determining the nature of glacier fluctuations.

Soil studies. It is carried out by laying out soil sections, describing soil profiles, taking samples, and drawing up soil maps.

Ethnographic observations. Observations on specific topics of culture, life, and labor skills of the population in the travel area.

Toponymic observations. Studying the geographical names of rivers, lakes, peaks, settlements and other objects along the route; research that provides interesting material for judging landscapes, minerals, game animals, human settlement, and the historical past of the region.

Economic-geographical observations. They are carried out on economic complexes, their spatial and historical development, connections, prospects, etc.

All these and many other observations in the conditions of tourist travel have their own characteristics, programs, and methods described in the specialized literature.

PHOTOGRAPHING AND KEEPING A DIARY

Photography while traveling

Photography provides tourists with an invaluable service and allows them to capture for themselves and their friends interesting places and moments of travel, objects of tourist observation and their features. And such a section of photography as photo hunting is also one of the most interesting types of observation.

Photographic equipment. Here is an approximate list of photography items that may be useful to tourists.

*Taken at the discretion of the group.

When it comes to travel cameras, it is advisable to choose those that are highly reliable, have a metal body, a shutter made of metal curtains and a removable back wall (cover). If you take two cameras on a hike, it is advisable that one be a SLR.

It is preferable to use cameras of the same type, for which interchangeable lenses are equally suitable. For difficult trips, you should not take expensive, fragile and heavy devices - they can be successfully replaced by small-format and half-format cameras.

The sensitivity of the film depends on the travel conditions, the aperture of the lenses and what objects are planned to be photographed along the route. Typically, for black-and-white photography, negative material with a sensitivity of 65-130 GOST units is used.

Just in case, it is useful to have 2-3 cassettes with film of the highest sensitivity (250-350 GOST units). For winter filming, the film must be fresh, since the old one becomes brittle and breaks in frost -10-15 degrees.

Features of photography. Before traveling, you need to carefully check your photographic equipment and think about its packaging; load films into cassettes, put them in metal cartridges and seal them with adhesive tape, purchase front and rear covers for interchangeable lenses, strengthen cases for cameras and stock up on waterproof bags for them (for example, made of rubberized nylon). Be sure to develop a plan, themes and shooting objects.

Photography conditions while traveling are different, and the quality of the resulting images largely depends on the ability to adapt to them. Here are some practical tips.

The camera and its accessories should always be at hand for the tourist photographer and be ready for work: the shutter is cocked, the aperture, shutter speed and distance are set in accordance with the expected shooting conditions. You need to have a spare charged cassette ready.

You should not put off shooting until the next day (hour, minutes) what you can shoot at the moment: many things on a trip are unique, and waiting for the best lighting, choosing a shooting point for a long time, and re-photographing the same object in the same situation along the route, as a rule, is not possible.

Winter landscapes with a lot of snow, if they are taken in cloudy weather, are usually “sluggish” and monotonous. Therefore, on a ski trip, you should take photographs in the sun (always with a lens hood) or use contrast-enhancing filters in bad weather.

It is advisable to shoot on a mountain route using a wide-angle lens. Exposure time with elevation decreases significantly: at an altitude of 1 km to 3/4 of the normal value, 2 km to 2/3, 3 km to 1/3, 4 km to 1/4 of the normal exposure on the plain.

Shooting on water routes also requires a lower shutter speed than normal. It is advisable to use a polarizing filter; a lens hood is required.

When shooting in the forest, the exposure time has to be significantly increased; you should shoot in the most open places: in clearings, forest edges.

When photographing landscapes, it is advisable to introduce people—group mates—into the frame for animation and versatility; when photographing individual objects of observation - plants, soil sections, geological outcrops - and introduce a well-known object into the frame for scale.

The device should be protected from adverse external influences: in severe frosts, hide it under a jacket; in summer, protect it from direct sunlight, dust, and water splashes.

When traveling in winter, you should remember that in the cold, metal and glass surfaces quickly fog up and freeze from breathing, so you should keep the device away from your face and reduce the shooting time to a minimum.

Immediately after shooting, the tourist photographer must enter into his notebook the information necessary for subsequent use of the frames: film number, sequence number of the frame, object and location of shooting, date and time of shooting, weather, exposure meter readings, name of the filter, shutter speed and aperture, notes. In the last column, the subject of the frame is noted, for what purpose it is being filmed, what people are depicted in the picture, etc.

Keeping a hiking diary

The diary is the main working document characterizing the implementation of the tasks assigned to the group. Therefore, all entries in it must be extremely clear, concise and at the same time comprehensive.

The form of the diary entry depends on the type of observation. In any case, it is desirable that the diary reflect the timing of the walking days.

The format and volume of the diary can be any. As a rule, tourists use a general notebook with a hard cover, which is stored in a waterproof case (plastic bag). The recording is made with a simple pencil. In bad weather conditions, it is recommended to use an additional notebook, transferring notes from it to the pages of the diary.

Records are made regularly during the observation process, and at the evening halt they are subject to additional primary processing. To this end, it is useful to leave wide margins on the pages for additions and conclusions. Regular recording is extremely important. The tourist must remember the old commandment of field researchers:

“Not recorded - not observed,” and consider observations not noted in the diary during the day as not taking place.