Eco travel journal

We’re all looking for the perfect way of preserving travel memories but if you’re anything like me, finding the time to sit and write a journal can be hard. Especially when you’re in a new city and just want to explore until the night is over! Instagram is a great way but everyone knows that a huge percentage of wants on Instagram isn’t the true experience. I wanted something easy but also something that could document our adventures in a way that in years to come we can look back and be instantly bought back to that raw moment, not a filtered version day dream version. Through some kind of miracle, I think I came across the perfect eco-friendly travel journals for backpackers and ironically, I found it on Instagram.

We paid full price for this eco-friendly travel journey but this post does contain affiliate links and discount codes, meaning we’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you choose to purchase one of these amazing travel journals with our code.

Who are Bear in Mind eco-friendly travel journals?

Bear in Mind journals are designed by backpackers, for backpackers after the creators went through the same struggle as the rest of us; not having the concentration span to write a diary entry each night. I couldn’t resist, so whilst we were back in England I treated myself to one ready for our east coast road trip. Now this trip has begun I’ve finally been able to use it I have to say, I love it and want to share it with you guys. Not only do I think you should buy one for yourself but Bear in Mind also make there perfect travel journal gift, so here’s 10% off your first order!

use ‘officertravels10’ for 10% off your first order at the Bear in Mind logbooks website!

Bear in Mind have eco-friendly journals for every kind of traveller: The Backpacker, road trippers, divers, hikers and foodies. Each one is different to cater to that style of trip and help give you the perfect way of preserving travel memories. It was a difficult choice for us; did we choose the road trip logbook which is specific to places you’ve stopped, miles you’ve travelled etc. or the backpacker journal that focuses on a little bit of everything from the transport you took, the people you met and what you did. We decided to go with the backpacking one as it seemed to fit with our plans a little more. Each journal is  US$19.99or you can pay a little extra for one with a pouch at the back (US$21.99). They also come in a wide range of colours.

What’s inside Bear in Mind eco-friendly travel journals?

The reason we decided on a Bear in Mind eco-friendly travel journals

For our first year in Australia, we did had a simple lined paper journal, it wasn’t the best travel notebook as it only lasted us about 3 months before paper started to get tatty and we started forgetting to write in it. We were always worried that the rain would seep through our bag and get the pages wet, or that we’d rip it. That’s why the Bear in Mind journals stood out to us, they advertised to be completely durable and by that, I mean rip-proof, waterproof the lot. They’re designed to live through your adventures from start to finish; what’s not to admire about that?

Looking at my tatty but much-loved paper travel notebook I knew I had to try this durable, eco-friendly journal. It all seemed too good to be true though. Not only is Bear in Mind Journals made with the user in mind, but their very first thought is also with the environment. Made from rock paper and bleach free these journals don’t harm a single tree and are completely environmentally safe.

A waterproof journal? I would only believe it when I saw it.

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First thoughts on Bear in Minds eco-friendly travel journals

It took less than a week for our new waterproof journal to arrive, which I thought was impressive especially as we weren’t going to be in England for long. Once out of it’s bubble wrap I was really impressed with how they’re presented. Their embossed logo on the front is really cute and the little rock paper band around it describing their product adds a nice touch to it that actually, I can’t bring myself to throw it away because I’m a hoarder… remember.

When I read that Bear in Mind journals use rock paper, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never heard of this process before so I assumed the paper would be rougher than normal or perhaps have a similar texture to thick craft paper. Well, it’s actually really soft, sort of velvety smooth. This paper is super eco-friendly as it involves zero trees to produce and hardly any water, made from the waste of stone quarries it’s a much more environmentally friendly alternative to the usual paper journals. I don’t know why more things aren’t made from it!

Flicking through the pages, it’s clear that Bear in Mind have thought of everything. I love the world map at the front as it’s perfect for tracking your route, especially if you’re doing a lot of one-way flights with layovers. The design of these journals means they take very little time to fill in yet capture all the essential details you’d want to remember; perfect when you’re busy travelling from one place to the next on all kinds of transport or wanting to move on to your next adventure asap. The layout just makes sense too so there’s a certain flow to it when you’re filling it in.

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Thoughts after using these eco-friendly travel journals

I’m not lying when I say I honestly think they are the best eco-friendly travel journals for backpackers and would make a great travel journal gift to a friend (Get 10% off your first order with ‘officertravels10’) I couldn’t wait to get this filled in when we started our east coast trip. I’d already had it sat in our bag for a month and it needed christening. Is there a more perfect place to start than in the Blue Mountains?

The spare space on the opposite page is really handy and a great addition if you’re creative. I’ll be using it to doodle quotes from the day and draw. There really is plenty of space to get your thoughts down in a quick and easy way, however, if for whatever reason that’s not enough space, there are spare pages towards the front of the travel journal too. I know already that when this is full, I’ll be buying another one of these eco-friendly travel journals for when we’re in New Zealand.

I think the cute design of the Bear in Mind eco-friendly travel journals will make it easy for me to remember to fill them in each night, they’re compact and light enough to fit in a small bag or even a coat pocket so it can go anywhere with us, being waterproof I’ll not have to worry about looking after it as such and the pocket on the back is a great addition! It means I can keep all my little tickets and bit that I collect along the way without stressing about losing them. If you’re subject to hoarding tendencies like me then 100% get the pocket.

Just how durable are they?

So the question is, are they really waterproof and rip-proof?

You bet they are!

I was super worried about testing it out, I’m not going to lie. You can tell as soon as you touch the journal that it’s different, the paper doesn’t feel like paper at all. It’s soft to touch and super smooth which made me think it wouldn’t withstand the wear and tear that comes with backpacking…

Did it rip? NOPE!! It did sort of stretch a little bit and left a little bend in the corner where I tried but that’s heaps better than the ripped tatty edges of our first journal.

Is it waterproof? I’ll let the photo speak for itself. Amazing.

We simulated dropping the diary in the sea… not a soggy, smudged page in sight! It took a little while for the water to dry but once it did the pages were good as new, no creases, no crispiness no weak spots – it didn’t even rip when I tried it again whilst wet!! 100% A* from us!!

Are you a sustainable traveller? Rebel Traveler has all the answers in her latest post!

Are there any downsides to Bear in Mind travel journals?

The only downsides for me are the spaces for writing in are very small if you have very big writing, like me. I think this can be fixed if I buy a slimmer pen and practice my small writing, honestly, it’s such a small ‘negative’ that it won’t put me off my next purchase, I would rather a small compact travel journal that I have to adapt my writing to than carry something that’s mahoosive.

The second thing is that there are only 32 pages. I know not every backpacker/traveller is full time like us, so they won’t necessarily need a travel notebook with lots of pages but it would be nice for the option to be there. Until then I’ll just settle for a new one each time, there’s certainly enough colour options for that!

It’s really hard to find a product that fits your needs 100% and helps you in preserving travel memories but I think Bear in Mind does just that! Overall I’m really happy that I treated myself to A Bear in Mind journal and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them as the best eco-friendly travel journals I’ve seen on the market. So are you hunting for a new waterproof travel journal, or looking for a travel journal gift for a friend? We have an exclusive 10% discount on your first order, just for our readers!! Simply use officertravels10 at the checkout!

To find out what we got up to in the Blue Mountains, check out this post!