Modern-day travelers have a world of technology at our fingertips: computers, netbooks, smartphones, digital camers, iPods, iPhones, iPads. In the most remote corners of the furthest reaches of the planet, we can whip out our phone, take pictures or video, and upload it around the world. We can dash off a blog post and have it live in seconds. Technology can be a wonderful thing, but we propose that sometimes, nothing beats good old-fashioned pen and paper.

Whether you are traveling simply for the joy of traveling or if you’re researching for a travel article or blog post, there are times when nothing but a notebook will do. For recording your thoughts and experiences, for remembering the sights, sounds, smells and tactile memories of a place, and for jotting down important details, a Moleskine journal is one item that should be packed in every travelers carryon.

Oh and by the way, have you been pronouncing it mole-skin? Yeah, us too. But  it is actually pronounced mol-a-skeen’-a (it was created in France, and is now made by an Italian company) and that’s just more fun to say anyways.

Travel light

Even if you’re a traveler who never leaves the computer at home, you’re still not going to want to lug it everywhere you go while on a trip. Hiking up Uluru in Australia, horseback riding on the beach in South Africa, and biking through the vineyards of Italy are not activities you can really do while burdened with a 10 pound piece of technology. But this may be exactly when the moment of inspiration strikes and if you don’t write down that perfect sentence now, you’ll probably lose it forever.

Moleskines are light, compact and go just about anywhere with you.  So whether you need to write down your thoughts on reaching the summit or just make sure you don’t forget the name of your new favorite Brunello, you’ll have a handy spot to record your notes without having to pack a heavy bag.

Unplug

One of the joys of traveling is getting away from our everyday routines – logging off, checking out, unplugging, and just being in the moment.  And it’s pretty much impossible to do that with the distraction of the internet. You can’t really soak up the cafe culture of Paris with your eyes locked on a computer screen, compulsively hitting the refresh button on your Twitter stream.

Step away from the laptop. Pull out your Moleskine, listen to the lilting sounds of French being spoken against an aural backdrop of clinking glasses and heels on cobblestone, and jot your reflections in your Moleskine.

Never miss a detail

Whether you are traveling purely for pleasure or with a mind to blog about your adventures later, you may want to remember small details about your trip: the address of that wonderful hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Chicago, the name of the hotel manager who helped you get a room in Madrid when every other place was sold out, or the exact words the tour guide used to describe how he felt about his city.

Sure, you could grab your phone and text a quick note, but unless you have superfast thumbs (or are a 16-year old girl), it’s probably faster to scribble a note in your Moleskine, or just paperclip a card, brochure, or map to one of the pages. Moleskin reporters notebooks are made to fit into your backpocket, so you can always have one at the ready….just don’t lose your pen.

Computers crash, paper doesn’t

Now we’re not suggesting you give up on electronic record-keeping in favor of paper. Paper, after all, eventually breaks down, so you’ll obviously still want to save your most important notes electronically as well. But when you’re on the go, a technological glitch can quickly put a damper on any note-taking plans.

When it counts, don’t be the one scrambling to find a pen and some napkin bits to jot your thoughts on. Come prepared with a Moleskine and pen and you won’t have to worry about trying to figure out what the word under the red wine stain says later.

Be in good company

For over 200 years, Molekines have been used by famous authors, poets, and artists to record thoughts, ideas and inspiration. Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh used Moleskines. So did travel writer Bruce Chatwin. In Ernest Hemingway’s memoir, Moveable Feast, a story about Paris in the 1920s, he talks about his memories of sitting in Paris cafes, writing in his notebook. He even wrote some of The Sun Also Rises in his trusty Moleskine. And if it’s good enough for Hemingway…..

BootsnAll Moleskine Giveaway

At BootsnAll, we love our Moleskines and never travel without them, and we want you to discover the benefits of these awesome notebooks too. That’s why we’re giving away a Moleskine journal on each of our WhyGo travel Facebook pages! Just leave a comment on the Moleskine photos on the following pages: WhyGo Australia, WhyGo Chicago, WhyGo France, WhyGo Italy, WhyGo Las Vegas, WhyGo Spain, and Travel Gear Blog and we’ll pick winners next week! Good luck!

Photos by:  ldanderson,  Lost in Scotland,  adulau, Mike Rohde,  pittaya