The essentials of a travel writing kit are really very simple.
Ask any traveler what her most essential item is and she will very likely to tell you it’s her hat. Ask a writer that same question and she’ll tell you that a pen and notebook must be on her person at all times.
I already told you about my Tilley TH9 traveling hat and my Fisher Space Pen. The only thing missing was a notebook. I wanted one that was up to the challenges of writing on the road. Then, a tweet from @FisherPenCo recommended I check out “Rite in the Rain” and their all-weather writing paper to complete my travel writing kit. And well, you just have to see this:
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Rite in the Rain has a variety of environmentally friendly stationary products that can stand up to being out in the environment. Spiral bound, stapled, hardcover journals, pocket sized notebooks, full sized notebooks, index cards, even copier paper. There are also several pre-made kits in canvas pouches (you know, for those of you who have something against hats.)
I wanted something that would fit into the secret pocket of my Tilley Hat and stand up to the demands of wander-writing as well as my Fisher Space Pen does. I tried the standard size index cards, the 3″ x 4.5″ notebook with the field flex cover, and the 3.5″ x 5″ tactical notebook with the field flex cover They all fit the Tilley pocket! I tend to use index cards when plotting a novel. I quickly discovered I could tuck a few into either notebook to keep them on hand. I tested all three products in the rain, in the shower (where I get some of my best ideas) and down a rivulet. It’s amazing. You can write on them wet or dry, you can wet and re-wet them over and over and the pages never lose their strength or stick together. Once dry, there is barely any warp to the pages even after repeated soakings.
The index cards and smaller notebook fit easily and completely inside the Tilley hat pocket with plenty of room to seal the Velcro. The larger notebook can be tucked in completely with a touch of maneuvering or you can just slide it in leaving the leading edge free for an easy grab when an idea strikes.
If you are not partial to the yellow, green or tan that Rite in the Rain notebooks come in, you can purchase a clear vinyl cover for the 3″x 4.5″ notebook and slip your choice of artwork between the cover and your notebook to make it truly your own.
I have found the most faithful traveling companions I could ask for. The Tilley TH9 hat is an ideal travel hat. Those belt loops that hold the hat band in place are the perfect place to slip my Fisher Bullet Space Pen. And that pocket in the crown, is now home to my Rite in the Rain notebook, or index cards, or both.
Oh! And that dress I’m wearing in the video? It’s the Tilley Travel Jersey Cowl Neck, Cap-Sleeved dress in dark taupe. It was soaked through during that shoot and still draped and moved naturally. There was no embarrassing “reveal” that often occurs when a traveler gets wet. So let it rain!
Hat, pen, and notebook – with these three things, you can explore worlds and create them too.
Read ~ Write ~ Wander
~Angie