It's by a company called Rite in the Rain -- and, if you're looking for a go-anywhere field notebook -- this is the best one I've ever found. And I'm pretty picky about my notebooks.
It's waterproof. Not water-resistant. Water-freakin'-proof. I know. I was a little skeptical, too -- until my notes survived a rough ride in an open boat on the way to the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park in the Bahamas. When we finally got to park headquarters on Warderick Wells Cay, I (and everyone else traveling with me), looked like we'd been dragged behind the boat all the way from Norman's Cay. My notebook was wet, but my notes were completely intact. Not a smudge. And the paper didn't dry with that weird crinkliness.
So far so good. I was starting to think I'd found a replacement for my other field notebook. (I love my Moleskine, but I really need something that doesn't fall apart when it gets the least bit damp. And I got tired of always having to stuff it in a dry bag at the slightest sign of rain -- sometimes I need to take notes in the rain. Botanists don't stop collecting seed just because it's raining...)
At the end of the trip -- a whirlwind 11 days in the field -- the notebook was in better shape than I was. All of the pages were still tight in the binding, they were all completely intact, no tears, and I could still read all of my notes clearly. (Well, most of my notes, and the ones I couldn't decipher had more to do with me trying to scribble while riding in a car through the streets of Santo Domingo than with the journal. Those of you who have been in any kind of motor vehicle in the Dominican Republic know what I'm talking about.)
The functionality was exactly what I was looking for. But, since I use my field notebook primarily to work on conservation stories for an environmental non-profit -- and since it's important to do my best to live the values I encourage in others -- functionality comes secondary to sustainability.
I'm very happy to say that Rite in the Rain uses FSC-certified paper and unlike poly-coated and other all-weather papers, it is completely recyclable. (You do need an all-weather pen or a regular pencil to ensure no smudging. I usually use a pencil in the field anyway -- I can't fix a pen that runs out of ink by sharpening it with my knife.)
Rite in the Rain has many different varieties of notebooks. (They even have paper you can use underwater. Goodbye, dive slate.) If you need a hardy, all-weather journal that won't make you worry every time it rains, or water gets in the bottom of the canoe, or, you know, your backpack is soaked by sea water in the Bahamas, check out their site.
Disclaimer: I am not a Rite in the Rain affiliate or otherwise associated with the company. Nor do my views reflect the endorsement of any of my non-profit, conservation clients.
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