Whether you’re taking a backpacking trip through Europe or a road trip across the United States, one of the main functions of a travel journal is that is travels with you. Which means, you’ll inevitably be carrying it from place to place. Unless it’s too heavy, and then it might stay in the hotel room your whole stay. Which would defeat the purpose of the travel journal! It’s important to consider weight and how much you want to carry in your purse or daypack. Every journal weighs a different amount, but based on my research, most journals weigh between 3.5 oz all the way up to 13.5.
Here are a few examples of popular travel journals and how much they weigh:
Moleskine Voyageur 8.5 ounces
Moleskine Passion Travel Journal 13. 4 ounces
Rifle Paper Co. Wanderlust Journal 8 ounces
Vinta Supply Co. Explore Notes Travel Notebook 3.68 ounces
Since there’s so much variation, it’s important to consider a few factors when choosing an appropriate travel journal for your trip.
Consider the Size
Of course, the bigger the journal, the heavier it is. Our eyes can tell us this immediately. Also consider how thick it is, how many pages. All journals should say on the cover or price tag the dimensions and the number of pages in the journal. When you’re at the store or online, take a good look at these numbers and then consider your needs for the trip. If you’re taking a shorter trip, you don’t as many pages. Also what are you carrying your journal in? Do you have a backpack or a small purse? For weight purposes, the smaller if often better.
- The REI Rite in Rain journal is 3.2 oz/7×4.6”/32 pages
- The Moleskine Medium Classic Notebook (Soft Cover) is 11.4 oz/5″ x 8-1/4″/192 pages
I did a quick search on two of my favorite travel notebooks. As you can see, the Rite in Rain journal is smaller all around, with less weight and fewer pages. That would be a great notebook to take backpacking (also it will stand up to the elements, plus!) and the moleskin is better for a trip where you’re not carrying around your notebook all day.
Consider The Cover
Leather journals are arguably the most beautiful types of journal, but compared to journals with a paper cover, they’re heavy! Not only does the leather weigh more, it often comes with metal hardware inside the journal which adds to the weight. When choosing a journal. Consider the insides as well as the outsides. If you want to go light, consider a fabric or paper cover with stapled or stitched binding. Trust me, after a day of walking, you’ll feel the extra weight!
What Type of Trip are you taking?
Why is weight important? Because when traveling we are always mobile, but some trips are more mobile than others, so it’s important to consider how much you’ll be carrying your travel journal around with you and that will dictate how light or heavy your journal should be. There are all types of trips: ones where you fly in, go to your hotel and your luggage stays there till you leave or you could be carrying all your luggage to twelve different locations. Each type of trip requires different considerations.
Another consideration is the length of your trip. If your trip is short, you could get a smaller journal with fewer pages. Fewer pages = less weight. Win! If your trip is longer, think about a medium size journal with removable pages. Keep reading for more ideas on DIY removable page journals.
Backpacking: Choose Lightweight
If you’re going on a backpacking trip or any trip that requires you to carry around all your possessions from place to place, it’s important for you to choose the lightest option. Yes, leather journals are beautiful, but before you buy it, think about the scene in Wild where the heroine has packed so much stuff in her backpack for her hike across California and into Oregon, she can’t lift it off the ground!
For you backpacker, choose function over form and go with the lightest option. Think small, paper or fabric cover and then go crazy with filling it with beautiful sketches of the beauty that surrounds you.
Road trip or One Destination: Two Journals
If you are on a trip that doesn’t have you carrying all your possessions around with you, like a road trip, consider having two journals, one bigger/heavier one that stays with your luggage and one smaller lightweight journal that you can easily carry around with you as you sight see. This might seem like a hassle, but when I’ve done it, it’s been fun to see how these two capture my experiences differently on the same trip. I like to use the bigger one for my daily reflection, and scrapbook style of keeping my mementoes. And then the smaller one for when I’m capturing my daily adventures while I’m out and about.
Road Trip or One Destination: Journal With Removable Pages
This is a solution I loved and used on a trip to Ireland. I made my own journal with an old paper cover from another journal and O rings. It was a bit of a DIY project, but the end result was great. It was a longer trip and I had an extra set of O rings in my bag. Every week I would transfer the previous weeks journal pages from my main journal into my ‘archive’ journal, which stayed in my suitcase. With this system I didn’t have to worry about weight or losing my work if I accidentally left my journal on a park bench.
No Matter What: Choose Something you Love
Considering logistics is important. If your journal is too heavy, it will stay in your hotel. But, beauty is also important. If you don’t love your journal or think it’s ugly, you won’t use it. So when considering weight, also keep beauty in mind. Whatever that means to you. For me, it means thick paper and a bright, colorful paper cover. Whatever size or weight, if I have those two things I know I’ll use it and be able to look back on it with happiness for years after the trip.