Traveler's Notebook: A Guide To Getting Started

The Traveler's Notebook is a refillable notebook created by the Traveler's Company. It is a simple leather cover with elastic bands that hold thin paper notebooks. The notebook comes in two sizes: regular and passport. The regular size is 220mm x 120mm (about 8.6 x 4.7), while the passport size is 134mm x 98mm (approximately 5.3 x 3.9). The notebook has a variety of insert options, including lined, grid, and blank pages, as well as different paper weights. The elastic bands hold the inserts inside the cover, and there is also a band that holds the notebook closed. The Traveler's Notebook is customizable and portable, making it a popular choice for bullet journaling, planning, and documenting travels and adventures.

Choosing a cover

The cover of the Traveler's Notebook is a flat, thick piece of leather with holes punched in it for elastic bands. Over time, the cover will develop a patina and the scratches it picks up will make it look well-travelled. The cover will also form itself to your particular notebook configuration as you break it in. The longer you use it, the more personalised it will become.

The Traveler's Notebook comes in two sizes: regular and passport. The regular size is 220mm x 120mm (about 8.6" x 4.7") and the passport size is 134mm x 98mm (approximately 5.3" x 3.9")". Both are only around 10mm thick. The passport size is perfect for travel as it fits nicely into your pocket, while the regular size provides a little more room to write or sketch.

The cover comes in four colours: black, brown, camel, and blue. When you purchase your notebook, the default elastic bands are usually the colour of the cover, but you can buy a set of bands in different colours and replace them.

The company also sells "connecting bands", which are thin, oversized rubber bands that you can use to connect inserts to each other so you can fit additional components inside your notebook.

If you're looking for a knock-off kit that is still pretty good, the Sagoo Travel Diary from Amazon comes in multiple sizes.

Adding inserts

The Midori Traveler's Notebook is a popular choice for those who want to combine different refills and customise their notebook. The notebook is secured by an elastic cord, which runs through the centre of the notebook and holds the primary refill in place. This acts as an "anchor" for the entire system, allowing you to add additional refills and accessories using connecting rubber bands.

To add inserts to your Traveler's Notebook, you will need connecting rubber bands, which are available in Regular and Passport sizes. The number of refills you can add will depend on the thickness of the paper and the capacity of the notebook cover.

To add two refills, place the first refill between the rubber band and the cover, attaching it to the notebook cover using the elastic cord. Set the connecting band to the refill, then pass the second refill through the connecting band. Open both refills to their centre pages and combine the two notebooks, with the connecting band holding them together.

For three refills, the process is similar. Line up two refills of your choice and open their central pages, bringing them together back-to-back. Put the refills through the connecting band, then place them on the cover and pull the original rubber band out. Finally, pass the third refill through the original band.

You can also use the extra elastic bands from the repair kit, using one band for each insert. Another method is to slip the first insert under the first band, and then slip the second and third insert (connected through a connecting band) under the second band.

Accessories

In addition to refills, you can add various accessories to your Traveler's Notebook, such as a PVC zippered pouch, sticky notes, or a Kraft Paper Folder to carry flat items, documents, and daily tools. You can also use zipper cases to create compartments for small items, and a pen holder to ensure you always have a writing instrument on hand.

Paper preference

The core element of any journal is the paper. The inserts for the Traveler's Notebook come in a variety of styles (lined, grid, or blank pages) and weights (watercolour, lightweight, kraft, and sketch). The paper is thin and light, but suitable for writing, so feel free to use your favourite fountain pen. The paper is also sturdy, great for fountain pen writing, and doesn't bleed through. The Midori papers are fabulous. The paper is really thin but I really like it for my scratch paper journal. The paper is also light and smooth, and handles fountain pen inks extremely well.

The original paper used for the Traveler's Notebook is the famous MD (Midori Diary) Paper, which is the smoothest, highest-quality paper for most mediums. The paper is thin enough so the notebook is lightweight, but inks don't bleed or ghost. The paper is also sturdy, with minimal ghosting, and a joy to write on.

The paper quality is good. The paper is thinner than card stock but much thicker than regular loose-leaf paper. The paper is durable enough for basic writing, and the covers are sturdier than the originals. The paper is also thick and has a good feel when you write on it. The paper is also wonderful, great for fountain pen writing, and lovely for journaling.

Accessories

The Traveler's Notebook is a highly customisable system, with a wide range of accessories available to adapt the notebook to your needs. The company sells connecting bands to connect inserts to each other, allowing you to fit additional components inside your notebook. The elastic bands that hold the inserts inside the cover, and the band that holds the notebook closed, are available in different colours.

The notebook's inserts come in a variety of styles and weights, including lined, grid, or blank pages, and watercolour, lightweight, kraft, and sketch paper. The Traveler's Company also offers other kinds of inserts, such as pre-printed daily/weekly/monthly planners, kraft file folders, a zipper case, a card file, double-sided stickers, a film pocket holder, and a pocket holder.

The Traveler's Notebook comes in two sizes: regular and passport. The regular size is similar to an A5 size, but with a slightly slimmer width, making it easy to carry. The passport size is perfect for travel, as it fits nicely in your pocket.

There are a variety of starter kits available, which generally include a leather cover, elastic band, and blank notebook, and sometimes extras like pens, stencils, or rulers.

Customisation

The beauty of the Traveller's Notebook is its customisability. The notebook is a simple, component-based system, allowing you to design a notebook tailored to your needs.

The notebook comes in two sizes: regular and passport. The regular size is 220mm x 120mm (8.6" x 4.7"), while the passport size is 134mm x 98mm (5.3" x 3.9"). Both are only around 10mm thick, making them highly portable. The passport size is perfect for travel, as it fits easily into your pocket, while the regular size provides a little more room to write or sketch.

The cover is a flat, thick piece of leather with holes punched in it for elastic bands. It comes in four colours: black, brown, camel, and blue. The longer you use your notebook, the more of a patina the cover will develop, giving it a well-travelled look. The cover will also form itself to your particular notebook configuration as you break it in.

The elastic bands are integral to the Traveller's Notebook system. There are bands that hold the inserts inside the cover, and another that keeps the notebook closed. You can buy replacement bands in different colours. The company also sells "connecting bands", which allow you to connect multiple inserts, adding more components to your notebook.

The inserts are the core element of the notebook. They come in a variety of styles, including lined, grid, or blank pages, and weights, such as watercolour, lightweight, kraft, and sketch. You can also make your own inserts by cutting paper to the right proportions, folding it in half, and stapling it together. In addition to paper notebooks, the Traveller's Company offers other kinds of inserts, such as pre-printed planners, folders, a zipper case, a card file, double-sided stickers, and various pocket holders.

The notebook is also customisable in terms of accessories. You can add brass elements, such as brass plates or charms, to the cover. You can also decorate your refills with photos, patterned paper, or embroidery. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even paint your leather covers with acrylic or leather paint.

Frequently asked questions