Writing in a
journal may or may not be your thing,
but it's always handy to have some type
of pen and paper while on your travels
to jot down notes. You can also
find several apps available for download
to your Smartphone that will allow
you to log journal notes as well.
On this page, we
talk about both writing in a physical
journal as well as using a phone app as
we think they go hand-in-hand.
Use your
physical journal to quickly jot down
notes as reminders of a particular
experience. Later when you
have transferred photos to your
Smartphone or Tablet for backup, use
a mobile app to write more detailed
entries and reference any notes you
have made in your physical journal.
Still later when you have returned
from your travels, use your detailed
journal entries to update other
locations such as travel blogs or
websites.
For us, as we travel
along, we find it
much easier and quicker to jot down a quick note in our
physical travel journal than it is to use our
Smartphone, Tablet or Laptop. Plus, we
think the small leather bound journals
are insanely cool (in an Indiana Jones
kind of way); having that old-world
look and feel. When we
have downtime such as riding on a
train, flying or in the evening
relaxing, we often go through our notes
adding details and additional thoughts
so nothing is forgotten. We can
later use our detailed notes to help
with our website write-ups.
There are countless
types of travel journals available,
ranging from the inexpensive to very
expensive and of course you can makes
notes on a simple spiral notebook with
any ordinary pen or pencil. The
items listed here are more of an
inexpensive-luxury when it comes
to purchasing something specifically for your
travels. The Bullet Space Pen is pricier than
your typical ballpoint pen; but well worth
it and the leather travel journal is
relatively inexpensive. Digging
out our special journal help brings back
memories of previous trips and puts us
into the travel mood.
Pocket Travelers
Notebook
As you
travel along, you may want to jot down
quick notes about some experience you
had that will help you to recall it
later, especially if you are keeping a
more detailed journal that you will
update later.
We recommend this
Pocket Travelers Notebook due to it's compact size and lightweight. It's important to note the
thickness of this journal compared to
others. Some journals can be very
think and heavy, so be sure to consider
size and weight when purchasing a
journal. This one is a minimalist
notebook with no bells and whistles,
simply a nice leather cover to protect
up to three inserted Field Notes
Booklets.
As a single booklet contains 48 pages so
one should be enough for
any single trip you are taking.
This premium leather cover
is supple
while sturdy enough to provide
support and protection for your notebooks
and will develop a beautiful patina
over time.
The cover fits Field Notes
inserts or other notepads that are
roughly 3.5 in. x 5.5 in. in size.
Premium
leather
Durable
elastic band closure
Use the
spare attached elastic band to insert up to
three Field Notes Booklets
Cover
Size:
4.2 in. x 5.8 in.
Sheet Size:
3.5 in. x 5.5 in.
Weight:
4.8 oz.
A great place to shop for leather
goods, especially leather journals similar
to this one is at the City Market in
Florence Italy, located close to the
Duomo (the main basilica) at the city
center. The market is open most
days and you will find deals on leather
purses, wallets and other leather and
non-leather items. Years ago, this
is where we purchased our first leather
travel journal similar to the one shown
here. I also purchased a couple
leather wallets by 'Giudi', one of which
I use daily and have been using for over
15 years.
City Market -
Florence, Italy
At the Florence market, be sure to haggle
with the vendors before you pay the
asking price. If you feel the
price is too high, make an offer.
Only purchase items when you are
happy with the price you have
negotiated.
Fisher Bullet Space
Pen with Clip
The Space Pen
is the ultimate travel pen due to it's
size and rounded ends that are less
likely to puncture anything in your
pocket or pack. The pen has some
interesting history and even has a
Seinfeld Episode centered around it.
I can remember
seeing this pen is some local stores
years ago when I was a young kid. I
remember seeing it at the counter of a
particular store and always wanting one,
but at the time, it was far too expensive
for me and purchasing baseball cards was
a bigger priority. It was not until years
later that I finally purchased one.
Writes at any angle, even in Zero
Gravity
Writes in extreme temperatures from
-30F to 250F
Each pen is precision
assembled, hand tested, and carries a
lifetime guarantee against all
manufacturing defects
Includes removable clip
Multiple colors
available
Open Length: 5.3 in.
with cap placed on the end
Closed Length: 3.7 in.
Diameter: .3 in.
Machined
brass with chrome finish
Prior to your departure, insert a fresh
ink cartridge into your pen to be sure
you do not run out of ink while you are
away.
History
The original Bullet Space Pen was
conceived in July of 1948 by Paul
Fisher, who was soon machining a new pen
design shaped from solid aluminum. This
became the first Fisher ball point pen,
the #400 Bullet Pen, and arguably the
most popular pen of the twentieth
century. This pen is now composed of all
brass with a chrome finish. Cited as an
outstanding example of industrial art,
the classic design of the Fisher Bullet
Pen has been exhibited for years in the
New York Museum of Modern Art. The
Bullet's timeless styling has been the
topic of many art books and magazine
articles. Often imitated but never
duplicated, the Fisher Bullet Space Pen
continues to be a very popular pen.
Fishers Pressurized Cartridges
The secret behind the unique
capabilities of the pens lies in the ink
cartridge itself. The refills are
hermetically sealed, pressurized with
nitrogen gas, and feature a tungsten
carbide ballpoint tip, the same extra
hard metal that is used to make
armor-piercing ammunition. No longer
relying on gravity to write, the pens
are able to function at any angle, even
upside down! In order to prevent leaks
from the gas pressure, the ink has to be
thick, thixotropic to be exact. Fisher
ink is actually more of a gel than a
liquid when it is at rest, with a
consistency similar to that of
toothpaste. It is only when pressure is
applied to the ballpoint that the ink
will take on the spreadable properties
of a liquid, while still retaining the
stickiness needed to adhere to nearly
any material.
Thixotropy
is a time-dependent shear thinning
property. Certain gels or fluids that
are thick, or viscous, under static
conditions will flow (become thin, less
viscous) over time when shaken,
agitated, sheared or otherwise stressed
(time dependent viscosity).
Seinfeld -
The Pen
Hide & Drink, Leather Pen Case
While on our travels with our Pocket Travelers Notebook shown above, we did not have a good location to store our pen. We had attached the pen clip to the elastic band wrapped around the notebooks which worked well, but never it seemed secure, and we did not want to lose our pen. Looking around, we stumbled onto this leather pen holder and decided to give it a try.
For this sized notebook that fits the Field Notes insert shown above, it's actually slightly large to fit snuggly around the book. With a little thought, we used some scissors to cut off the elastic strap from the pen holder and then purchased a strip of Velcro from Hobby Lobby for less than $2.00 to replace it. Using a Velcro strip, you can easily cut it to fit any size notebook. This solution worked great and we are extremely happy with it.
We highly recommend this pen holder for attaching your pen to your travel journal. The great thing is, it fits the Space Pen perfectly and can be purchased at Amazon for less than $10.00.
WARRANTY: Each one of Hide & Drink’s rustic, durable leather products is made with care and craftsmanship, with every item handmade to the highest standard. Our confidence in our products knows no bounds, so we include each product that you purchase with a 101 Year Warranty. We aim for nothing but 100% satisfaction when it comes to our products, so if you’re not satisfied, just get in touch with us and we’ll help you as quickly as possible.
HANDMADE FROM SOFT & ATTRACTIVE FULL GRAIN LEATHER: All of Hide & Drink’s products are hand cut and handcrafted using the highest quality of leather that you will find, namely Full Grain Leather. The quality of this leather ensures a long-lasting life and durability. After time and use, the leather will attain a beautiful and unique patina that will show age and grace.
FINELY HAND STITCHED: We are proud that each and every one of our products is handmade by expert local artisans of Pastores, Guatemala, a town wholly dedicated to the crafting of leather goods. Each item is hand cut and finished with a fine stitching method than not only looks good, but also makes for a durable finish that will give you a lifetime of use. Any loose ends are passed over with an open flame to ensure no unravelling during its lifetime.
Daybook -
Diary, Journal, Note
If you search
Google Play Store
you will find several apps allowing you
to perform a variety of functions
related to journaling.
If you would like to use an app, check
out some different ones to find one with
the features you are interested in.
Some
things to consider
Free of advertising
if possible
Allows you
to select one or multiple photos
Contains a
calendar where you may select the
date and time (will probably auto
default to the current date/time)
Allows you
to enter paragraphs of text attached
to your photo selections
The
Daybook App on Google Play
is the one we are currently using and we
like it due to it's features and ease of
use.
Daybook Usage
On the main
screen, select the red circle with
the plus sign to add a new entry
To edit an
existing entry, select anywhere on
the entry text or photo
Click the
camera icon to easily select one or
more photos from your photo gallery
or take a new photo
Click on the
date or time to change the values
Click the
text area where you can type or
speak your entry
When you have downtime such as riding on
a train or relaxing in your room,
transfer photos from your camera to
your Smartphone or Tablet. Once
the photos have been transferred, start
the Daybook app. Select
photos and update your journal entries.
If you have made entries in your
physical notebook, use them to recall
information you want to track in your
detailed journal entries.
Another good reason to create a journal
as you travel is that it will help you
recall your adventure when you return
home, especially if you plan to make
more detailed entries on travel blogs or
websites about the the places you
visited and your experiences.
*Above images
from Google Play
Foldable
Bluetooth Keyboard
Foldable Bluetooth
Keyboard, IKOS Ultra Slim BT Folding
Keyboard for iPhone X 8 7 6S 6 Plus,
iPad Mini/Pro / Air, Samsung and All
Other Android Smartphones and Tablets,
and Windows System Device
If you are keeping a Travel Journal,
having a keyboard makes making entries
much faster and easier.
We like this keyboard for several
reasons. It's easy to use and
connect to your Smartphone or Tablet
using Bluetooth. The thing we
really like is how compact it is.
When folded in half, it's only slightly
larger than a mobile phone, so it's
easily stowed away in your pack until
you need it.
As you
travel along, you may want to jot down
quick notes about some experience you
had that will help you to recall it
later, especially if you are keeping a
more detailed journal that you will
update later.
We highly recommend this pen holder for attaching your pen to your travel journal. The great thing is, it fits the 
