What to Use as a Travel Journal
This is a page from an old ledger that I used as travel journal for a while. (c) Lee E. Kellogg
There are a multitude of other blank books out there. Grab a midsized book, too small and you will be cramped or be creating a smash journal that doesn’t close. Too big and the blank page will overwhelm you. When traveling I tend to avoid wire bound books as the wires catch and can get bent, making it hard to open the book. Wire binding seems to be awkward in tote bags.
I love the Pentallic Aqua journals, in 8”x5” and 10”x7” sizes. This has been my go-to journal for years now. I thought long and hard about making my own book for my trip to England last year and ultimately decided to take the hard bound journal. I didn’t think I would get the pages bound when I returned.
Moleskine makes great accordion and watercolor journals in various sizes.
Handbook by Global Art Materials is also nice.
I could go on and on but there are far too many for me to cover individually. Do some research and maybe purchase a couple of different books to see what works for you both in size and paper content.
Other potential travel journals: an old ledger or an old book and use gouache vs watercolor to paint with. Know that old paper can be fragile.
Make your own journal, bookbinding is relatively simple. You can make the sections first then binding when you get home if that is easier. By making your own journal you have control over the paper, how many pages and size. You can also make it so it fits perfectly in your tote bag. Check out Ann Laurie aka White Rabbit on YouTube. She has some great ideas on making your own journal and portable board for sketching on location.
In the end, it’s about what book speaks to you and has the type of paper that you are comfortable working with. Be sure to give several a test drive before you leave so you know your materials! Remember, if you spend $20 - $30 on a travel journal that will give you pleasure page by page in drawing and filling the book with memories, that’s a great value!