Experimenting with a traveler’s notebook (again)

I have a soft spot for these unique notebooks.

A traveler’s notebook is basically a piece of leather with a cord down the middle, which is used to hold one or more paper inserts. There’s an official version, made by the Traveler’s Company, and many other versions from a variety of makers.

Several years ago I tried a newestor version that I got from Amazon (you can see it in this post discussing the merits of paper vs. digital notes). I liked it but for whatever reason it didn’t stick. Now my daughter uses it and loves it. These things will last a lifetime.

Recently I was inspired to try the TN again and picked up an “official” version in the olive color (header image of this post). I’ve been testing it out for a week or so.

I’m currently using it as a productivity tool to plan work and track tasks, keep meeting/discussion notes, scrapbook, and journal.

pros

• portability—I love that it fits in my back pocket
• multiple inserts in one notebook
• great paper
• it’s fun and sparks joy

cons

• it doesn’t lay flat
• narrow format can be limiting
• the bump from multiple inserts at the spine can get in the way of writing

Overall the jury is still out, but I’m enjoying the experiment.