As far as paper goes, I’ve really narrowed down what I am using regularly. I’ve carried the Midori Travelers Notebook (regular size) with me for months just waiting to bond with it and I think I’ve finally turned that corner. I’ve been using it for planning and general writing, like the newsletter draft I wrote in the picture above. I really like the format and layout of the MTN and see it as a continuous partner.
I also love the two most recent Nock Co. paper products, the black DotDash Pocket Notebook and the DotDash Spiral Pad (Spoiler alert: I own the company.) The Pocket Notebook is the perfect portable companion for short notes and sketches, and the Spiral Pad is great on the desk at home, office, or remote work space.
Between these three notebooks all of my bases are covered. I was carrying two other A5 sized books and two other pocket notebooks along side these three up until a few weeks ago, but found this setup to work best for what I need.
The pen case is the no-brainer of the bunch. The Brasstown offers six individual pen slots, plus a pocket to add a few more if needed. That’s where the Safari rides, for example. When I start carrying the Brasstown plus one or two more filled pen cases with me is when I start to get in trouble. I do that more than I like because I frequently carry new products for testing, and have to be sure not to overwhelm myself with choices, especially redundant ones.
I learned a lot about my likes, dislikes, and needs over the past month. While to most people this seems to be an insane amount of goods to carry at once, to me it is a simplification and refinement of what I had been carrying. We will see how this translate over the coming months as more new (and old) products are shuffled in and out.
