Hey All

Don't know about you, but I am finding it very frustrating trying to find a good travel journal. One that is a decent size, has a band to hold it closed, a plastic pocket to shove things, plenty of pages etc.....

I was wondering what your thoughts were on "the perfect travel journal"

Have you found a size you prefer
With or without the pockets to stuff things
Band to close it
Lined or unlined or combination

Tell us about your travel journal and where you took it....

Trekker

I'm planning on getting one of these.

http://www.riteintherain.com/ItemForm.aspx?item=146&Cat...a8-88c0-fd66f23433c0

It's not too expensive, and (supposedly) completely and utterly waterproof.

yeah I have used those write in rain in University, they work pretty well, but pencils work best for writing on them, pens tend to run when it is wet, also it won't hold up in a solid downpour

Don't you want pockets or sleeves to store various bits and pieces???

For me, the perfect travel journal has nothing to do with the journal and more to do with the motivation to write in it.

jet

I always loved those kind you could find at the drug store. They were cheap, just the right size to carry and sturdy. They have some kind of bland cover in black or blue. They are labeled "Record" on the spine. They are filled with lined pages. For some reason, I can't find them anymore.

I have many many old journals filled with wonderful memories of my travels in those "record" books. I also used to paste beer labels in there too and any other stuff I found that would stick inside.

It's really put a crimp in my journaling since I don't find those kind anymore...

I stumbled across one of these (green not pink) at Target before I left and was very happy with it. Its has a plastic front and back cover and a piece of nylon or something going over the spirals so they don't catch on anything. There is a pen holder on the front cover and two plastic pieces inside with pockets. One them has a little pouch that closes like an envelope and is the perfect size for your passport (I can't be bothered to keep mine on me all the time).

What else, mine is still in fine shape after about a year on the road. I also printed an 18 month calendar onto a sticker and stuck it on the inside back cover which was a handy thing to have. Not sure where you find them now or what you consider a decent size. Its 9.5 x 6 inches with 100 lined pages in it.

The only thing it doesn't have that you mentioned is a band.

With a little glue and paper, you can mod the journal to add pockets (it's not plastic, but works!). And with a bit of creativity, you can also add a band to keep it closed. I almost always mod journals that I buy to suit me.

yea...i found mine finally! it is 8.9 inches in dimensions...weighs roughly 2.2 pounds and has a rechargeable battery...can you guess what it is?

thats right my friends its the Asus EEpc 900 series...even though my hard drive just went caput and I had to get it replaced luckily the 900 series comes with expandable SD drive so when I write my blog on my upcoming trip to europa I will just be saving it directly to the SD as well as the hard drive before uploading it to my site...

Why not go with the real thing?
http://www.moleskine.com/index_eng.php

Fully support the moleskine. I am currently filling one with notes and things as I travel...back and forth to work. But I bought it when I moved here, so that counts as a travel journal, right?

They're handy size (whichever size you choose), are lined or unlined or graphing paper, have a pocket AND a band, are mostly sturdy but flexible enough that you can jam stuff in the pages without doing serious damage to anything.

I love my moleskine, and I don't think I'll ever go back...until I find the next fabulous journal at a bookstore or a windchimes-and-enya store or wherever.

(I do tend to buy a lot of journals.)

quote:

Originally posted by Marisa:
With a little glue and paper, you can mod the journal to add pockets (it's not plastic, but works!). And with a bit of creativity, you can also add a band to keep it closed. I almost always mod journals that I buy to suit me.

I tend to mess about with mine too. Usually the ones that come with pockets or whatever aren't exactly what I want to I find the paper and binding that I like and add pockets, pen holder, strap, etc as needed.

I haven't yet shelled out the big bucks but my ideal would be a nice soft leather wrapped journal with narrow lines. (Why are the lines in journal paper so freaking huge? We aren't in kindergarten any more.)

What I want in a travel journal:
- cheap
- durable
- with lines

I don't need an elastic band...indeed my habit of fidgeting with such things would probably make this a detractor. Nor do I need pockets...things stay between pages just fine. Smallish is also good.

I think the best travel journal is more the product of horrendous weather or some unforeseen delays. If you're having a great time, you're probably not terribly interested in keeping a journal.

After many filled Moleskins I'm in the process of switching to my iphone using idiary app. Thought I would hate it because typing journal-like stuff on a computer doesn't work for me but on the iphone I actually kind of like it. It's always handy & I don't have to carry that extra weight. I'm not 100% sold on it yet, but it's something to consider.

Corvinus, I know what you mean when you say that when you're having a great time, you're typically not writing.

However, that said, I really like to build in some reflection time in my day. Especially in the evening or when waiting for transit, I like to sit down, gather my thoughts and write down impressions. Some times I even draw something as well as write words.

It means so much to me when I come back years later and read my thoughts from that time. It brings back the experience so vividly.