What Stationery Should I Take to the Woods?
It’s never a question of should I take any stationery, it’s simply a matter of what I will carry with me on any given trip. As most of my travel more recently has been stationery/pen related I generally packed quite a lot. However, this time I am going camping for the first time in quite a few years. I’m trying to pack light since I’ve been informed that space will be at a premium in the car, so I will only be taking a duffle bag and a backpack. The backpack is new to me. It’s made by a local company and I picked it up at a used gear store. I haven’t had an exploring backpack in quite some time (I am really picky). I wanted a bag that will be sturdy, but also gain personality over time. Simple was better. While mine is made out of wool (in very Minnesota buffalo plaid), it’s this model from the Frost River Company.
There’s always time to breathe on camping trips (something I appreciate) so I intend to do some journaling and maybe finish up some of the short stories that I’ve been working on recently. Therefore, having my writing tools with me will be an important part of my experience.
The best travel buddy.
Of course I will be bringing my trusty TN, that’s not even a question. It goes with me everywhere even if I have to stuff it in a dry bag during a canoe trip. I know that I will, for certain, be taking my A6 Stalogy as it’s morphed into a random everything journal, with a lot of brainstorming. I will also take the A6 Profolio Oasis Note that I have been using as a writing notebook. The book I’m debating on whether I should keep my planner inside, or just carry my other notebooks. In theory, I could continue daily logging like I always do, but I could also just keep notes in another notebook to fill into the planner later. It may be valuable to cut down the bulk so it’s not as heavy in my backpack. Decision will probably be made at the last minute.
I added another washi card to the pocket in the back of my TN, and have made sure I have plenty of stickers. These will be useful for tucking ephemera into my notebook pages. I have a few pieces of Plotter paper tucked into the front pocket along with some blotter paper. Things that always seem to come in handy. To go along with the TN, I will take some spare ink cartridges (still deciding on what colors to take), a tape runner, and some white out into a Kaweco tin.
Sticker sheets and small stickers (in the mini bee envelope) in the pocket. Washi cards are from InkyConverters on Etsy.
Another thing I’m debating is how many pens to take with me. On the one hand, pens don’t take up much room. On the other hand, I have some pens that I would worry about on the trail. My two Art Sports are usually in tow as part of what I take with me every day. However, one of them, the Tiger’s Eye, is pretty much irreplaceable. I got lucky when I found it on eBay and haven’t seen one since. Although acrylic isn’t probably as delicate as I sometimes think, I wouldn’t want to put it through the temperature fluctuations that they may experience on the trail. I can’t bear to leave my liliputs behind (they are my emotional support pens after all, haha) and they are both metal, very difficult to harm. I could bring some of my regular Sports, but the more I think about it, the fewer pens that I want to carry. Fewer choices at the beginning can lead to more writing.
Probably the team - debating on changing nibs to steel ones.
Another thing I considered bringing was my Writewell lap desk, however, I quickly dismissed it as an at-home lap desk. I have a small lap desk that I’ve used for quite a while (the smallest size of this lap board) and I’m excited to report that it does fit in my new backpack. While I may not carry it long distances on the trail, it will be easily tucked in there for going on short walks or for sitting around the campfire.
That’s what I have so far. I’ll be back in a few weeks to report what I did bring and what adventures I had along the way! Any suggestions?
Currently Inked
Diamine Communication Breakdown - Kaweco liliput fireblue 14K M ‘journaler’ - Still working my way through this fill. The longer I’m using this one, the more I am liking it. It’s a really rich red color.
Anderillium Adonis Butterfly Blue - Kaweco liliput copper 14K B - I swapped to a broader and wetter nib for this week. This ink shows off a lot more of its pink undertones in this nib than it did in the narrower nib that I had it in previously.
Papier Plume Cafe Diabolique - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo B ‘imperial’ - Not really feeling this ink this week. It’s a great dark brown-black, but I think I want something brighter to play with.
Van Dieman’s Neptune’s Necklace - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye M stub - Another ink sample that I’ve had for a while and yet never tried. Which was a shame, because I really enjoy this golden color. It’s gold without leaning too far into golden brown. I think it captures the theme of “treasure” pretty well.