In my last post, I spoke briefly on the joys I find while creating my travel journal pages. I keep my travel journal and my journal kit with me on each journey. Next month, I will be taking a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico with a friend for my biggest trip in years, so I have streamlined my kit for air travel. This is the journal kit I will be sharing with you here, but I will include all of my "must haves" for journaling in this post.
Before creating your tool kit, it is important to decide which what type of journal you wish to have. Will it be a scrapbook, an art book, a journal, or simply a Bullet Journal comprised of lists? Only you can decide which journal meets your needs and your desires. For me, I wanted all three journals in one book. I like to create art, journal on various prompts, make lists, look at maps, display photos, and gather ephemera to tell a story... my story. My journaling kit needed to include supplies for all of the above. I needed a journal that could multi-task in the same way I do. I chose a medium sized Moleskine Art Sketchbook. There were several reasons why I chose this journal for everything. 1- The size was perfect. It is small enough to fit in a day pack but large enough to hold all of my souvenirs and pictures without compromising substance. 2- The paper is thick enough to support painting, sketching, and glue without bleeding. 3- This journal has 88 pages which means I can use it for lots of trips without being too bulky to carry. 4- It has a pocket in the back of the journal where I can keep ephemera and stickers if I forget to carry my designated folder. (Ephemera is a term that means any small paper, sticker, or momento that can be used to trigger a memory and can be placed in a scrapbook without creating too much bulk. Examples include receipts, ticket stubs, menus, matchbooks, business cards, and paper wrappers.)
My second non-negotiable item was a Bluetooth printer that would print photos directly from my cell phone. I used to use digital cameras for my trip photos, but cell phones are ubiquitous, and they now take better pictures than cameras. Why should you pack another bulk device when one does so much? I chose the Canon Ivy 2 after much research. My only issue with it is that it has a tendency to wash out people in photos, and I haven't quite figured out the balance of light and dark. However, it suits my purposes well. An HP Sprocket is cheaper and scores just as highly as the Canon Ivy 2, so it is completely up to user preference. Although the printer will fit in the journal kit I created, I do not recommend taking this printer for trips involving airfare. It is rather heavy and delicate, so I am not going to risk it for my upcoming trip to Puerto Rico. I can easily print photos to adorn my scrapbook when I get home. I use the zinc paper with the sticky back for this printer. I can cut my small photos apart and put them all over the final scrapbook spread.
The other items in my travel journal kit are all dependent on your preference, your budget, and your interests. Remember that your items must be easily transported and functional. Don't waste your space and money on items that you will never use. When I decided to order a pencil pouch for travel journaling, I purchased 2 separate pouches. After reading a recommendation on Pinterest, I decided to use one that opened like a book. This Lihit Lab pencil pouch can be ordered in 3 different sizes. I am glad that I chose the smallest size because it really limits my space and and forcedd me to choose its contents carefully.
The contents of the pouch demonstrate your journaling type. I include tools to help me create whatever hits me in the moment. In a later post, I will show how each item is used to create various spreads. I like to balance quality with price for each item I include in the kit. I have no problem paying for quality as long as I know I will use it. Most items listed below were purchased at Michael's or through Amazon. Don't spend a zillion dollars on a Faber-Castle pen when you can buy a Micron fineliner for $3 online. I chose to splurge on watercolor sets. Currently, I have a beautiful travel watercolor set, but it is too large to carry on an international trip. I also just purchased a third travel watercolor set for myself for Chanukah. Finally, I landed on a dot watercolor chart at Michael's for $10. I cut it in strips using my paper cutter so that it would fit in this functional kit. If you have questions about items in this kit, feel free to send me a message in the Comments section.
1 -
Water brush pen (No specifice brand, but Koi makes a travel water brush pen that I may be giving to myself for Chanukah')
3 -
A masking pen (This lets you cover spaces that you don't want to be affected by watercolors. Molotow is a great brand for this, but I chose a cheaper version.)
I -
Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser
J -
Strathmore Watercolor Artist Trading Cards (I use these to capture scenes that may be too large for a journal but too small for a Strathmore Watercolor Postcard, which I also keep in my journal but failed to show here.)
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Grid Ruled Index Cards (I use these for journaling responses in my journal. If you buy the Quadrille Grid Ruled ones, they will be too big to use in a medium sized journal.)
I hope that this post gives you many of the tools that you can use in a travel journal. When I totaled the cost of all of these supplies, it came to about $150 (not including the journal itself or the Canon Ivy 2 printer or its sticker paper). Remember that an artist (or journalist in this case) is only as good as her supplies. I am not a stickler for having the best tools for each job, but I do like to have quality supplies where it really counts. However, a travel journal should fit the needs of its keeper. If you are a person who loves to travel as well as keep a journal (or six in my case), then I highly recommend creating this ultimate piece of travel memorabilia. Every journal is a masterpiece in its own right, and it is uniquely one-of-a-kind. Now that I have given you a reason to keep a travel journal and a list of my favorite supplies, I plan to create my next post on various pages that a person may compile in her journal. Please stay tuned to see some of my more unique spreads. Safe and happy travels!
