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When I was a younger man—even dating back to my high school years—I tended to have a little moleskin journal with me at all times. Even then, I wrote fairly often (a young writer in the making!), and those journals were home to all my nascent ideas for the next story, poem, or short film. This was in the days before smartphones became ubiquitous, so paper and pen/pencil were still the primary way to make such notes. Also, this was back when cargo pants were totally cool, so carrying a journal around at all times was no big deal.

Flash forward to today, and I no longer wear cargo pants; I constantly add notes via my iPhone, and until recently, I had abandoned the practice of journaling because technology seemed much more efficient and less cramp-inducing than hand-written notes.

When I got my hands on a journal from Lochby, I remembered something: it was never just about the efficiency with which I could dash out my thoughts; it was also about the tactile experience and the meditative act of pausing to put a thought on paper. All it took was a rugged waxed canvas notebook to remind me of that simple joy.

Lochby offers several different products, including a pen case, a small tool roll, a catch-all sort of pouch, and two sizes of journal. I’ve used both the smaller Pocket Journal and Lochby’s larger Field Journal, and, while the smaller journal may be the more logical product for many people, it’s the Field Journal that got me excited about journaling again.

Lochby Field Journal, Planner, & Sketchbook

Held closed with a metal clasp secured to a fabric strap, the luxe Field Journal looks from the outside just like something you’d expect to find in your grandpa’s backpack or briefcase, especially if he was an Indiana Jones-like world traveler. The handsome, water-resistant waxed canvas journal comes in brown, black, or navy.

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Despite its old-school charm, pop open the Field Journal, and you’ll find a slightly more modern interior. Within the journal is a strap that secures a replaceable paper notebook in place, along with several little pockets into which you can tuck notes, cash, cards, and other smaller items, and a larger pocket that can accommodate a pen, passport or a faded polaroid photo of a mysterious woman who went missing in 1986 but who just might be the answer to the riddle of the stolen golden urn.

With a Lochby journal tucked into your suitcase or backpack, you’ll feel inspired to pause and actually jot things down... and even compelled to. Besides, the fact that you’re writing something down instead of tapping out a text or email is compelling alone.

There is something undeniably comforting, inspiring, and centering about the physical act of writing out ideas. If you’ve forgotten that sensation, I recommend you get a Lochby journal yourself and reclaim it.

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