Travel Journal - What Do You Want?

[inkypete]

I have long thought about designing my own travel journal as I have struggled to find what I want. And when I did the paper failed miserably. I usually found it had too much other detail that I didn't need - maps, addresses of embassies etc.

 

So what would you want in a travel journal if I went ahead with this project? I understand this can't be all things to all people.

 

Here are my givens.

 

Size: A5

Flexible material binder - offer protection but not too solid and heavy.

Loose leaf inserts pre punched - lined, quad and blank.

Pre formatted pages for addresses, itinerary.

 

What else would you include?

[AustinMalone1999]

For sure a pen loop!

[bitterwonder]

A decent size in dimension and in page number. Perhaps a stiff ish cover so one can draw standing up, or maybe spiral bound would be better.

Nice laid, blank paper in off white or ivory, can be thin if it is tough.

Would be nice to have end papers.

[bitterwonder]

And absolutely no leather.

[zuerincolour]

A pocket in the back cover. Whenever I travel I use Paperblanks notebooks and love the little pocket they include in every one. I use it to store business cards, tickets and nice little receipts I get as memorabilia.

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/250jl3q.jpg

[napalm]

After trying many variations I decided that I like A5 notebooks with plain (non-lined) paper and a pocket attached to the back cover (inside which you can slip plenty of folded A5 sheets to use as "detachable" paper). The Rhodia A5 web notebook comes to mind, but if you don't like ivory paper you'll have to check the offerings from a different manufacturer.

[inkypete]

Keep the suggestions coming. What about loose leaf versus bound? To me loose leaf gives you the best range of options.

[Bookman]

I use this. It isn't practical. But practicality isn't everything.

[zuerincolour]

I prefer bound to loose leaf but I guess that's up to personal preference, really.

[inkypete]

I prefer bound to loose leaf but I guess that's up to personal preference, really.

Me too generally speaking but a loose leaf system gives you many more options with something that should be flexible like a travel journal. my problem was that bound travel journals on ofer always had inclusions I didn't want. Loose leaf removes that risk.

[zuerincolour]

Me too generally speaking but a loose leaf system gives you many more options with something that should be flexible like a travel journal. my problem was that bound travel journals on ofer always had inclusions I didn't want. Loose leaf removes that risk.

I agree with you! Sometimes I wish there were one lined page on one side and one blank on the other so you could stick a photo in or draw a picture. I guess you could totally do that with a loose leaf system.

[Cryptos]

I use a Midori Traveller - the full sized one. Currently it sports 3 separate booklets: a grid book that I use for a sort of a bullet journal, a lined book for dated journalling (the dates are in order but not necessarily daily as I write when I want to, not because I must), and a blank book that I have just started to use as a sketching journal (even though I suck at drawing, I do like to have a go). Together with this there is a kind of folder thing that I made from a re-purposed A4 card folder, and one the Midori plastic sleeve things with a zipper pouch on one side.

 

Overall I have noted that the quality of Midori paper is excellent, and certainly suited to fountain pen use. Also it is not only the practicality of content-type that is important, but the practicality of physical presence. What I mean is that I find the Midori suits the way I use it, often writing on my knee or held in one hand. I find I cannot do that with an A5 notebook, and smaller sizes limit me in other ways. If I was mainly seeking a table or other flat surface to support my activity then an A5 would be great, but in general my travelling life does not lend itself easily to such situations!

 

I also like the fact that if I want a pocket or maybe more I can easily add them, and I can create totally original custom designed layouts for the booklets (access to a University print shop is a wonderful thing!).

 

Of course this sounds like an advertisement for Midori, and it is in a way, just like anyone else extolling the virtues of the their favourite system .My Midori suits my needs. If I was writing a novel it wouldn't be of great use to me, but I am not.

 

YMMV

[BillZ]

I don't think that there is one travel journal that would suit all. Sorry. First off, I prefer the pocket-sized 3.5"x5.5". If I am going out walking in a city I can make notes as to where I'm going ahead of time. I've had good luck with the Moleskinie Info Books although the paper sometimes leaves a lot to be desired. The included stickers for the page edges and other stuff helps to personalize it. A pocket in front or back is a must. Of course, this line of thought applies when I have a specific destination like a major city. I keep a general travel journal for anytime I am away from home overnight. At the present time I'm using a Midori-style leather cover that I got from Pelle before they folded. I have used some different brands of pocket-sized notebooks in the past. I now have a full-sized Midori cover and will probably use it for some sort of travel journal but since it's not pocket-sized I haven't decided yet. These are my personal thoughts.

[SallyLyn]

+1 on the Midori. Flexible in the body if needed to stuff in pack or jacket, flexible to add or remove items. The slightly more narrow format allows you to hold, write on a bus or train without bumping shoulders. Great paper. Extras you can make or buy from Midori or plenty of Etsy folks make things that fit well. You can even find a canvas like cover if you really hate leather. Function is the same.

Can have extra sheets in my Midori slipped under the cord and carried for a special need, drawing or such, but the regular paper is great for drawing even a light watercolor.

 

The passport size is shorter tall wise and bit narrower. Only thing I don't like on that model is the tin circle binder. it is on both models but bothers me on the Passport as can prevent from slipping into a Levi pocket. Easy to it remove and restring.

 

Another great option already mentioned is the 3.5x5.5" notebook. I like Fieldnotes. They fit pockets very well and the covers will last the life of the notebook. Easy to Always! have with you. The Expedition version doesn't work with fountain pens but is great with a ballpoint and stands up to water and hard abuse.

 

I have taken with all my traveling notebooks to photographing important pages soonest. They can be sent to Dropbox, Evernote, OneDrive, etc. If the notebook gets dropped in a puddle, flies over a cliff, my memories, notes, drawings are not lost.

 

Know some may turn away from Midori or Fieldnotes because of the cult like following. Well if I went down that road I'd give up fountain pens. Both are good useful products or concepts.

 

I use other notebooks at home or work but Midori/Fieldnotes are great for local or distant travel and I have a Fieldnote with me all the time.

[Auspice]

What I really want currently? Is a loose-leaf binder to put in my Midori. Best of both worlds type deal. I found a YT tutorial on making one and did... except I can't quite get the holes in the paper to be far enough from the edge and still fit. ;.; I enjoy bound, but I want some removable pages from time to time without tearing things. I quite like how many Moleskines have a few perforated pages in the back. I suppose one could get around this by keeping some loose paper in a pocket in the Midori.

 

But as someone else said- there's no 'one size fits all' option. I enjoy my full-size Midori TN. My husband is quite happy with his Field Notes size 'faux'-dori.

[inkypete]

Keen to hear any more suggestions and comments on travel journals.

[bogiesan]

I hope you get the suggestions you need to make this work. But I don't understand what makes any notebook or journal device into something specifically appropriate for traveling. A looseleaf system (Franklin compact) has been my choice for my agenda and subject notes (work, cycling, house projects, health) for thirty years. For the last fifteen years or so, I have always carried a pocket-seized molie, or a clone, in my bag for my more personal observations.

 

Your looseleaf requirement is a great foundation but the mechanism adds mass and imposes an inflexible spine to your concept. Six-ring mechanisms can be removed from agendas and notebooks found at thrift stores so it's easy and inexpensive to build your own binder. Filofax, DayTimer, Franklin, DayRunner and several other mfrs offer wide ranges of pre-formatted and blank inserts. You can create and customize your package easily.

[wykeite]

I hope you get the suggestions you need to make this work. But I don't understand what makes any notebook or journal device into something specifically appropriate for traveling. A looseleaf system (Franklin compact) has been my choice for my agenda and subject notes (work, cycling, house projects, health) for thirty years. For the last fifteen years or so, I have always carried a pocket-seized molie, or a clone, in my bag for my more personal observations.

 

Your looseleaf requirement is a great foundation but the mechanism adds mass and imposes an inflexible spine to your concept. Six-ring mechanisms can be removed from agendas and notebooks found at thrift stores so it's easy and inexpensive to build your own binder. Filofax, DayTimer, Franklin, DayRunner and several other mfrs offer wide ranges of pre-formatted and blank inserts. You can create and customize your package easily.

Filofax A5 works fine for me too, I can't exactly see what it is that is wanted that an ordinary A5 system can't do. I love the quality of leather too.

Edited June 21, 2014 by wykeite

[Mari1013]

I keep, store and consult my travel journals, so the first requirement is durability. A water resistant cover is desirable, preferably with pockets front and back. It should be a muted color, not black, to make it easy to find among all the stuff one carries but not attention-grabbing. Also indispensable is some kind of closure -- some people really like the Moleskine system with top-to-bottom elastic; I prefer the Midori's side-to-side closure, since my stuffings are likelier to be tall than wide. For a travel notebook, the elastic needs to be sturdy and able to take a lot of over-stretching. Pen loop a plus, with elastic to accommodate whatever writing stick one has.

 

As to size, I like smaller notebooks at home, but I always carry some kind of tote or pack while traveling, so A5 or a little smaller works better: portable enough to hold in one hand but large enough to write in at length. Number of pages can vary, but I prefer 80 or more. While I use staple-bound at home, bound or spiral work better for travel, given the number of pages.

 

Paper should be thick enough to use both sides and to take to pencil, ballpoint, gel, or fountain pen, since one never knows what will be handy on the road. A dream notebook would have lined pages on the right and dot-grid pages on the left (or alternating sections of lined and dot-grid pages), followed by a section of blank pages. [i had a smallish (4x6 in. or so) spiral-bound notebook once that had three sections of pages: one lined, one graph and one blank, and a page marker. The blank and graph pages and the page marker were removable and reinsertable. Except for its size, which was about an inch less than I would have preferred, in terms of configuration it was the best travel notebook I've had to date.]

 

Inserts: In addition to the front and back pockets, I would also like a few pocket inserts among the pages -- plastic or waxed-paper jackets for paper clips, rubber bands, train tickets, metro passes, stamps, receipts... the sorts of items one wants handy or ephemera one wishes to keep. A removable plastic page marker/ruler is useful; a second one in a different color would be great. As to maps, "useful" phone numbers, etc., don't bother; we're all going different places by different means. The one item I've always found helpful is a time zone map or chart, ideally fold-out to make it large and detailed enough.

 

That -- at great length, for which I apologize -- is my dream travel journal. They say dreams sometimes come true.

[da vinci]

I keep, store and consult my travel journals, so the first requirement is durability. A water resistant cover is desirable, preferably with pockets front and back. It should be a muted color, not black, to make it easy to find among all the stuff one carries but not attention-grabbing. Also indispensable is some kind of closure -- some people really like the Moleskine system with top-to-bottom elastic; I prefer the Midori's side-to-side closure, since my stuffings are likelier to be tall than wide. For a travel notebook, the elastic needs to be sturdy and able to take a lot of over-stretching. Pen loop a plus, with elastic to accommodate whatever writing stick one has.

 

As to size, I like smaller notebooks at home, but I always carry some kind of tote or pack while traveling, so A5 or a little smaller works better: portable enough to hold in one hand but large enough to write in at length. Number of pages can vary, but I prefer 80 or more. While I use staple-bound at home, bound or spiral work better for travel, given the number of pages.

 

Paper should be thick enough to use both sides and to take to pencil, ballpoint, gel, or fountain pen, since one never knows what will be handy on the road. A dream notebook would have lined pages on the right and dot-grid pages on the left (or alternating sections of lined and dot-grid pages), followed by a section of blank pages. [i had a smallish (4x6 in. or so) spiral-bound notebook once that had three sections of pages: one lined, one graph and one blank, and a page marker. The blank and graph pages and the page marker were removable and reinsertable. Except for its size, which was about an inch less than I would have preferred, in terms of configuration it was the best travel notebook I've had to date.]

 

Inserts: In addition to the front and back pockets, I would also like a few pocket inserts among the pages -- plastic or waxed-paper jackets for paper clips, rubber bands, train tickets, metro passes, stamps, receipts... the sorts of items one wants handy or ephemera one wishes to keep. A removable plastic page marker/ruler is useful; a second one in a different color would be great. As to maps, "useful" phone numbers, etc., don't bother; we're all going different places by different means. The one item I've always found helpful is a time zone map or chart, ideally fold-out to make it large and detailed enough.

 

That -- at great length, for which I apologize -- is my dream travel journal. They say dreams sometimes come true.

A well thought out post and a +1 from me.