Packing inks and pens

I am about to head off to the US for three weeks and was asked if I'd packed. Well I have filled my little travel watercolour palette, and my sketching palette, and my demonstrating palette to give them time to dry.

I've decided which sketch books to take for my demonstrations and for my own sketching, and printed out some maps for my travel journal.

I've filled my ink bottles and made sure they are all properly labelled.

I use the terrific little Nalgene storage bottles to carry ink - just 15ml. I also have a spare cartridge for the pens in which I use cartridges.

I'll take another set of 8ml bottles with the other Document Ink colours and the thinner for mixing custom colours.












I've filled my fountain pens, made sure they are all named, and double checked which ink is appropriate for each one.

Here are all my pens with their ink. I am using De Atramentis Document Black for the Lamy Joy, Pilot Desk pen and Pilot Falcon EF (top right). The Pilot Falcon F on the left has Document Brown ink. I just love that ink! The Carbon pen has a spare Platinum Carbon Ink cartridge. The copper Lamy Al-star in the middle on the right has a spare brown Monte-verde cartridge - I like this as a water-soluble brown ink. In the middle the Pentel Brush pen has a spare cartridge. At the bottom left the Pilot Falcon F has my custom Document Grey Ink and on the right the Lamy Al-star and the Hero are both filled with the original DA fog Grey ink - the non-document version which is a lovely soft grey but not waterproof. the lines will slightly soften in a wash.

The rest of my sketching kit is also named and pencils sharpened with extra leads. 

So am I packed? Well I have the important stuff sorted :-)