expedition pen

[petra]

Let's say you were going to trek through Peru for a few months, travelling light... Which couple of pens would you take? Your pens might get bounced around in your backpack while they're getting a ride on the back of a mule... or you might accidentally drop one along the muddy banks of the Amazon while you're piranha fishing. Your pens might pick up some grit in the coastal desert and bake in the heat. Then they have to travel from sea level as you hike across an Andean pass at 14,000 feet.

 

But you can't POSSIBLY go without your journal and pens! Which pens would you bet on as totally reliable writers and survivors of a rugged trip? Would the pens be plastic or metal? Would the nibs be gold or steel? Would you depend on ink bottles or cartridges?

 

...one of these days I'll quit spending money on pens and actually plan the "great

escape," and hey, you know, I wanna be prepared with the right pens and everything!

 

Petra

[garythepenman]

VP plus a couple of Sheaffer nononse.

[handlebar]

My Waterman Phileas (is that appropriate or what"Phileas Fogg" !) and my parker Vector.If one falls in the water or mud: Wash it off and not worry about losing a lot of money!

As for ink,i would take a Noodlers Black and a blue since the bottles are larger.

 

 

Jim

Edited January 10, 2006 by handlebar

[French]

I'd take my Lamy Safari, although the trip you describe is more of an expidition than a safari

 

As far as ink goes I would bring bottles of one of the Noodler's eternals...black and some sort of blue.

 

I am hard pressed to imagine anything better than exploring the jungles and mountain passes and each night sitting out by the campfire or in the tent or whereever and recording my memories with my fountain pen on a favorite journal (or at least one that would hold up to the trip...any suggestions for that?)

 

french

[saintsimon]

Allthough I don't own one, some plastic-bodied Lamys would be appropriate (Sky, s2, Safari etc, they are all the same) , together with some spare nibs, as those steel nibs are easy to replace.

 

Some converters should be with me, too.

 

AND, the other important component:

 

The ink would be Noodler's 'Polar Black' 2006 edition, as it wouldn't freeze in the Andes and is permament and waterproof anyway.

 

Edited January 10, 2006 by saintsimon

[Blade Runner]

Hi Petra,

 

According to journal entries of my last high altitude trek, my Parker 75 (the kind with the aerometric style filling system) leaked all over my gear somewhere between 11,500 ft and 13,500 ft. ( due to pressure change). From then on my entries are in ballpoint. I don't know how fps with other filling systems would work at high altitude, but since that experience I've only carried a bp with gel refills. As much as I love fps, i wouldn't carry them on rigorous expedtions, especially at high altitude, if you are hopping around vigorously, wading streams, etc.

If you do, something cheap that you don't mind losing,

and have someone else carry your ink.

J

Edited January 10, 2006 by jeen

[chris burton]

Lamy Safari, which is a great writer, and a Rotring 600, whic is great for personal defense.

[nmb]

A Sheaffer NoNonsense with a converter and a bottle of Noodler's black. One pen friend of mine swears by the NN for multi-day horse packing adventures.

[saintsimon]

Hi Petra,

 

According to journal entries of my last high altitude trek, my Parker 75 (the kind with the aerometric style filling system) leaked all over my gear somewhere between 11,500 ft and 13,500 ft. ( due to pressure change). From then on my entries are in ballpoint. I don't know how fps with other filling systems would work at high altitude, but since that experience I've only carried a bp with gel refills. As much as I love fps, i wouldn't carry them on rigorous expedtions, especially at high altitude, if you are hopping around vigorously, wading streams, etc.

If you do, something cheap that you don't mind losing,

and have someone else carry your ink.

J

May be you should try the Parker 61 Capillary filler. That sytem should easily compensate for pressure and temperature changes, as there are two open ends of the ink compartment (nib side/filler side) and (I p resume) no air within the ink itself to expand.

 

At least that's what I infer from the properties of that capillary system, and also read about. I'm eager to get one Parker 61 myself

[saintsimon]

edited for error

Edited January 10, 2006 by saintsimon

[Oso]

I would bring my Lamy Al-Star and possibly buy a Safari as an extra. I would think cartridges would be more convenient, but I also would think one would want a waterproof ink like some of Noodler's. A place that might have humidity and dampness would obliterate a journal if the ink got wet and it was not waterproof.

 

I would bring ink in bottles and a good case like the Pelican 1150 (not Pelikan).

 

I don't mean to go totally off topic or hijack your thread, but almost as important as the pens would be a good case for them.

Pelican Cases (no affiliation other than being a happy customer) are crush proof, water tight, float and have a great warranty (more on that in a bit). They make a micro case which would be lighter (model 1030) that would fit 2-3 pens if you put foam in it to keep them from bouncing around. You can get them from the many different suppliers on line, just do a search.

 

My German Shepherd puppy was sitting quietly in the back of my car on a four hour drive. When I got to where I was going I found that the dog chewed a latch off a larger Pelican case and the seal was no longer intact, but the contents were still safe. When I went to get the case replaced I noticed they stated on some of the sites "You break it we replace it." I took them up on their offer. I just had to send them the chewed case back and a $5 check for shipping and they are sending me a new case.

[southpaw]

Namiki VP, Lamy AL-Star & Safari

[Richard]

According to journal entries of my last high altitude trek, my Parker 75 (the kind with the aerometric style filling system) leaked all over my gear somewhere between 11,500 ft and 13,500 ft. ( due to pressure change).

For the record, there is no such thing as an aerometric converter. The Parker squeeze converter, just like the Waterman and Sheaffer squeeze converters, is just that: a squeeze converter. The aerometric filling system requires a breather tube, and there ain't a converter been made that has a breather tube.

 

May be you should try the Parker 61 Capillary filler. That sytem should easily compensate for pressure and temperature changes, as there are two open ends of the ink compartment (nib side/filler side) and (I p resume) no air within the ink itself to expand.

Actually, that's a non-starter, too. When the barrel is in place on a 61, the back end of the capillary cell is sealed by a spring-loaded valve that is buried in the tail end of the barrel.

 

What would I take? Two aerometric Parker "51"s. There is no more reliable or more bulletproof pen, and the early aerometric "51" was specifically designed to behave better at high altitude than other pens.

 

Given that life is too short to carry an ugly pen, maybe this would be one of 'em:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/51_plum.jpg

 

[M4R1N4]

I'd take a buncha r0tring Cores.. If they fell in a mud hole I wouldn't be too worried... ditto for getting "bounced around" in my backpack, back pocket or wherever. RUGGED!!

[krz]

Well... I'm not much fun on expeditions but if I'm going I'd also bring one of my Rotring Cores, some Noodler's Black ink and my llttle Speeno tucked away, incase the Banditos make off with my Rotring.

Edited January 10, 2006 by krz

[saintsimon]

May be you should try the Parker 61 Capillary filler. That sytem should easily compensate for pressure and temperature changes, as there are two open ends of the ink compartment (nib side/filler side) and (I p resume) no air within the ink itself to expand.

Actually, that's a non-starter, too. When the barrel is in place on a 61, the back end of the capillary cell is sealed by a spring-loaded valve that is buried in the tail end of the barrel.

 

Thanks for the enlightment, Richard - I still want a P61

 

Just a question to the expert: am I right that the there are no air bubbles and interruptions in the ink fluid inside the capillary and feed unit (to expand)? Or does the capillary system not provide a compact fluid?

Edited January 10, 2006 by saintsimon

[petra]

Wow, I think there are some folks who would go along! I ought to plan a group trip just for the sake of seeing everyone's pen gear!!!

 

A couple of Januarys ago I took a group of art students to the jungle area of Mexico to visit the Mayan sites of Palenque, Bonampak and Yaxchilan. In fact my no-name Japanese FP went overboard during the boat trip to Yaxchilan...there it was, floating briefly down the Usumacinta before it disappeared...

 

After that I had to rely on my Sharpie

 

I'm definitely going to have to check out the Pelican cases, as the cap on my Dani was squished in my briefcase here in the urban jungle, and I've been looking for a rigid pen case ever since. And I guess I'll finally have to get one of those bullet-proof Parkers...

 

I just ordered some Noodlers. Now I'll need to find the perfect journal. And Baggies, lots of baggies...

 

Petra /:)

[TMann]

Since you seem to be implying that the pens would be in some danger, I have to admit that I would probably leave my "good" pens at home and take along my Waterman Phileas with a bunch of cartridges. My favorite inks are the Waterman blues and blacks, so it wouldn't be any hardship having to use their ink.

 

And yes, I would bring along a little ziplock baggy to carry all of used cartridges.

 

TMann

[JeffTL]

I'd have to second the Aerometric 51 -- though I'd probably under the circumstances specified switch out my usual Quink for waterproof Noodler's. For the second pen, I'd think about a Parker Reflex, but more likely would acquire a Lamy Safari -- and pack both a converter (maybe also a spare) and a few cartridges just in case.

[Goodwhiskers]

Hooded-nib, truly-aerometric-fill pens are better for high altitudes? I thought they tend to keep lots of ink in the feed like a "second reservoir," even while being stored nib-upward. I would appreciate being proved wrong on this.