How to set up your Traveler's Notebook

There is so much to love about the Traveler’s Company notebook. It is a simple idea that is so well executed and this guide will take you through three simple steps to customise and create your perfect Traveler's Notebook.

What is a Traveler’s Notebook? The Traveler’s notebook is made by the TRAVELER’S Company in Japan. It is a rough cut leather cover with a rubber band that threads through to secure a wide variety of refills and accessories. It is the feel of the leather cover sourced from Chiang Mai in Thailand and the quality and versatility of the Midori paper refills and accessories that make it so distinctive and customisable.

The leather cover is where it all begins. It is a soft leather cover made from a vegetable tanned leather. This is an environmentally friendly process that enables the leather to soften and age as you use it so it becomes even more a part of your story.

The Travelers notebook has a distinctive size that sits comfortably in your hand. The regular size is slightly taller than an A5 journal and a little narrower at 22cm tall x 12 cm wide. While the passport size is - well,  the same size as your passport - 13.4cm tall x 9.8cm wide.

This is where it gets exciting as each notebook becomes part of your leather cover with a supplied rubber band. This means you can add and remove refills or accessories to your notebook as your needs change.

So how do I put together my Traveler’s notebook? The starter kit comes with all you need to begin - the leather cover, a blank refill, spare rubber band and a cotton bag.

I like to add the Monthly Diary so that I can see at a glance what is happening in each month. The Light Paper refill is a great option with 128 pages compared to the standard 64 pages, for writing my notes and ideas. The Dot Grid then helps me translate any plans or actions I need to take for the day and week. I find the Slip Case handy for any loose bits of paper I collect during my day - It's wide enough to hold an A4 sheet folded and I can also slide in an extra notebook if I want to draw something using the Sketch Paper. Oh, and the slide Pen Holder - so much easier than rummaging through my bag to find one.

So what are you waiting for? Start putting together your notebook to suit your lifestyle and see how much more you’ll enjoy your time while you're out and about.

Step 1: Choose your size and colour

Traveler’s Notebook - Regular size dimensions are about the same as an A5 but not quite as wide. The right size to hold in your hand and convenient for writing at a table or while you’re on the move.

The Traveler’s Notebook - Passport size is more compact, about A6 or as the name suggests, the same size as your passport. So no surprise it is perfect for holding your passport and other travel essentials.

The starter kits for both regular and passport size come with the leather cover, blank notebook, spare rubber band and cotton bag. All you need to get started.

Step 2: Choose your refill

Choose your preferred midori paper insert with options in blank, grid, dot and lined or for drawing there is blank sketch and kraft paper. Kraft paper is also suitable for scrapbooking due to its heavier weight.

For organisation: If you like to use your journal to stay organised, choose a daily, weekly or monthly planner to help you plan and manage your time. The light weight paper is also a great option with double the pages for note taking.

For creativity: Consider the Dot grid (026) which is great for bullet journaling, the water colour paper (027) suitable for using water colours and each page is perforated so can be easily detached to share or frame. The sketch paper (012R, 008P) also comes with perforated pages so you can easily separate your page.

Step 3: Choose your accessories

Use Connecting Rubber Bands pack to attach multiple refills onto your cover, add a pen holder, slip case or brass clip to further personalise your notebook.

 All laid out