Blog · Analog Planning
Techo Kaigi 2026: My Complete Analog Planner Setup
A planner, a pocket notebook system, and a memory keeper for 2026.
I've watched tons of 2026 planner and journal setup videos, and now I'm ready to share my own. I've been planning on paper for about three years.
Watch the full video for everything shown on camera. I also walk through this notebook lineup in a second video.
The planner: a LOCHBY Voyager with Sterling Ink N1 booklets
I'll start with the planner, a LOCHBY Voyager. Of everything I use, it's probably the system that has changed the least. The cover itself is very simple, and plenty of people use one. What makes it special to me is what goes inside.
This year, I'm trying Sterling Ink's 2026 N1 booklets, both the monthly and the weekly. They're new to me. A few things made me want to try them: the paper quality is great, the pages have grid lines, and there are extra pages in the back for collections I'll keep long term.
What I used before: Traveler's Company inserts
Before this year, I used the official Traveler's Company monthly and weekly inserts, plus a separate notebook for notes, which Field Notes have since replaced. That system worked well. The Midori MD paper is super nice, and I have nothing against the layout. It works great and looks beautiful.
I did struggle a bit with the monthly having no grid lines, but it wasn't a big deal. I used the weekly horizontal plus memo for a long time without any issues. I simply wanted to try something new this year.
| Planner format | What worked in use | What did not work | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traveler's Company monthly | Midori MD paper and a clean layout | No printed grid lines | A simple monthly layout |
| Traveler's Company weekly horizontal plus memo | Grid visible under the weekly side | Nothing; I wanted something new | Horizontal planning with memo space |
| Sterling Ink N1 monthly | Grid, open side and bottom space, pages for collections | Habit tracking in the quarterly pages | Monthly planning and yearly collections |
| Sterling Ink N1 weekly vertical | Major events, memory keeping | Habit and meal tracking | Flexible weekly planning |
How I use the Sterling Ink monthly
One of my favorite uses for the monthly booklet, something I also did in my 2024 and 2025 planners, is tracking PTO and travel. It gives me a nice overview as soon as something is booked, and as the year goes on I can look back at where I've been and what I was able to do that year, which is super fun.
The monthly booklet also has quarterly overviews, where I've been writing priorities and goals. I tried habit tracking on those pages too. I thought it would work great, but I didn't like it, so I stopped pretty quickly.
The monthly calendar boxes are almost identical to the Traveler's Company ones. The Sterling Ink boxes may be a little smaller, but the side and bottom of the page are open for anything. The monthly spread is a staple for me. At the beginning of each month, I use it to lay out what's coming: Do the kids have any tournaments? Do I have any big appointments or anything else I need to watch for? It gives me a space to look at my calendar, plan the month, and make sure nothing catches me by surprise.
The monthly booklet also has about 17 grid pages at the back. Right now the only collections there are a book tracker and a list of things to read. Since this booklet stays with me all year, those pages are a great home for collections I want to keep for the whole year.
The weekly vertical, three months in
The weekly vertical is new for me this year. I had drawn up a vertical weekly layout by hand in my previous planner and really enjoyed it, and I've liked the Sterling Ink version so far. I tried a little habit tracking in it, and that didn't work. I also tried logging meals at the bottom of each day, and that hasn't clicked yet.
Mostly, I write down major events at the start of the week while I plan. As the week goes on, I do a little memory keeping. I've been using the weekly vertical for about three months now, and it has been fantastic.
Best for flexible weekly planning: the Sterling Ink N1 weekly vertical. It has worked well for planning and memory keeping, even though my habit and meal tracking experiments in it did not.
The pocket system: Field Notes in a LOCHBY Mini Field Journal
The LOCHBY Mini Field Journal is what I carry no matter where I go. Right now it's too chunky to fit in a pocket, so when I need to, I grab only the Field Notes I need and take those with me. It holds four notebooks.
The first is a notebook for my mind: a commonplace book for quotes and anything else that catches my eye. It gets filled up and replaced as needed. The second is for my body, a health tracker I've been experimenting with. The latest version is a weekly dashboard where I track my habits and the things I need or want to do to stay healthy, with a short reflection each day and a check-in at the end of the week on how I'm feeling and doing.
The third is my catch-all bullet journal. I don't usually carry my full planner, so this notebook is handy to reference on the go. It holds random thoughts, airline stickers, ideas, sketches, tasks and some more personal things. Anything can go in it.
The fourth is the notebook for my soul. Anything related to my faith life, like notes from church or from prayer, goes in it, and it's nice to watch those notebooks fill up. Together, that's one notebook each for my mind, body and soul, covering all aspects of my life, plus a catch-all.
The memory keeper: one notebook in a Traveler's Company cover
The last piece is my Traveler's Company notebook cover. It has been with me for a long time, and the patina and character it has developed over the years are part of why I enjoy carrying it.
The only notebook inside it is my memory keeper, a LOCHBY notebook with Tomoe paper that came with the Voyager. I paste things into it, reflect on travels, trips and family events, and keep a record of things in my life that I otherwise wouldn't be able to recall in the future.
Because I paste things into it, I expect the memory keeper to get pretty chunky, and I don't like a super bulky cover. That's why I dedicated one cover to this notebook alone, so I can keep it as slim as possible.
The gear worth a look
- LOCHBY Mini Field Journal: holds the mind, body, soul and catch-all Field Notes.
- Field Notes: one notebook per job in the pocket system.
- Traveler's Company Notebook (Regular): the cover that holds the memory keeper.
- Midori MD Notebook: the same MD paper as the Traveler's Company inserts I used before.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What planner inserts are in the LOCHBY Voyager for 2026?
For 2026, my LOCHBY Voyager holds Sterling Ink's 2026 N1 booklets: the monthly and the weekly vertical.
How long has the Sterling Ink weekly vertical been in use?
I've been using the Sterling Ink N1 weekly vertical for about three months, and it has been fantastic.
What goes in the back pages of the Sterling Ink monthly?
The Sterling Ink N1 monthly has about 17 grid pages at the back. Right now I use them for a book tracker and a list of things to read.
Why keep the memory keeper in its own cover?
I paste things into my memory keeper, so I expect it to get pretty chunky, and I don't like a super bulky cover. Giving it a Traveler's Company cover of its own keeps it as slim as possible.