Travel Necessities
Slow Travel Living - It's The Little Things
NOTEBOOKS
There are 10 notebooks in the collection: Brussels, Berlin, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Europe, and World
PENCILS
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I like writing with pencils and want mine to be a real wood pencil, that is encased with a dark, solid graphite lead, that feels soft and smooth as you write and lets your hand feel relaxed without having to exert a lot of pressure to see the lead on the paper. In addition, I want the pencil to sharpen to a nice point that doesn't snap off when writing. I also want my pencil attached to an eraser that erases everything without smudging. The ideal pencil is one that will do double duty writing in my travel notebook as well as sketching in my art book.
The Dixon Ticonderoga company, founded in 1794, produced the traditional yellow №. 2 pencil that we've all come to know. It's still a very good pencil, made with premium wood and graphite, and is endorsed by schools and teachers across America. However, over the years, their pencil production moved to Mexico and China. 2005 marked the company's acquisition by F.I.L.A., a school and art supply manufacturer based in Milan, Italy.
The Musgrave Pencil Company was founded in 1916 in Shelbyville, Tennessee. From 1916 to 1923, the company made red cedar wood pencil slats that sold to European pencil manufacturers. Ahead of their time, the company initially implemented a smart recycling program with farmers; exchanging weathered wood cedar rail fences for comparable wire fencing. By 1929 they were a full pencil manufacturing company. The family business has seen it's ups and downs but is proudly still making quality pencils in America.
The original Blackwing 602 pencil began production in 1934 by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company. It was discontinued in 1998, yet one could still find the vintage pencils on e-bay with an escalated price of $40.00. The Blackwing pencil brand was acquired in 2008 and the Blackwing 602 pencil was reintroduced in 2011.
PENS
My favorite pen is the black ink uni-ball Micro-Roller. From the moment you start writing, it consistently delivers free-flowing ink which makes for smooth and fluid writing. The 0.5mm tungsten carbide ball delivers a 0.03mm thin line width. This particular pen is made with 80% post-consumer waste (mostly from recycled electronics). It's light weight, has a minimalist design, and a smooth slim barrel, which makes for a good feeling being held in your fingers and hand. Of special note is the archival quality acid-free ink. The special formula is highly valued for use with important documents as the ink becomes trapped in the paper, which helps prevent document alteration. The ink is water-resistant and also quick-drying, which helps prevent smearing.
The uni-ball Roller is made in Japan by the Mitsubishi Pencil Company and is distributed in the USA by Sanford.
Messenger Bag
Retro Backpack
Sleeping Mask
Ear Plugs
Travel Coffee Maker
ELECTRONICS
Small Pocket Camera
iPhone
iPad
12" x 9" laptop
Canon Pixma iP110
Cables
Adapters
