Field Notes | Expedition Edition 3-Pack | Waterproof Notebook

TL;DR: The notebooks are amazing, but you can't use any pen to write on them successfully. Some will smear, and that sucks. Read on for more. As the title states, I love it, but with slight hesitation. To clarify, I love Field Notes as a brand. They make amazing little notebooks that are durable (not just this edition, all of them are durable, at least, in my experience) that enabled me to do something I've never been able to do: journal. I have tried for years to journal regularly. I don't know what it is about these small notebooks that make it less daunting of an experience. If I had to guess, it's due to the smaller amount of pages. When I was trying to use a Moleskine, I felt like I had to fill it. It seemed like a huge, daunting commitment that I wasn't ready for so I'd get like two days in and quit. With these, I've journaled a solid week, for every day, and have yet to slow down. What makes these great for journaling is that they are small and light enough to sit in your back pocket. You always have it, and it is within reach. I love that about Field Notes. Currently I use one for journaling and the other is just for random notes or doodles when I'm bored. Moving on to this Expedition edition specifically, it was hard to find a pen that worked on them. If you go to this link: [...] Field Notes explains how this isn't 'normal' paper and that not every writing instrument will work, which is annoying, but it's a trade off for the amazing feature of waterproof notes. I recommend buying these notebooks along with this pen: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E103CY?[...] This pen is amazing and the ink doesn't smear on this version of Field Notes like my beloved papermates.

I'm an archaeologist, and I like to keep a field journal. It's a little old fashioned, but it's nice to be able to refer back to the journal to include information that you wrote in the field for your final report such as the weather during excavation and things like that. I've had these notebooks for a while and they're probably the most rugged pocket notebooks on the planet. I've wallowed through the mud and dirt with one of these in my pocket with no issues. I've also sweated all over them and nearly lost one in a swamp, but you can just hose them off and keep using them. The bright orange coloration makes them easy to find if one does escape from your shirt pocket. They also have a few small but useful features on their covers, such as fields to enter your contact information and a table for coordinates on the front cover, as well as a 12cm ruler on the back page, which is actually kind of handy for measuring small artifacts as I pull them out of a test unit. As an added bonus, these Expedition notebooks are also dot-ruled, which is far more useful than lined or graph paper. It effectively serves as lined paper when you need it, or graph paper when you need it. It makes creating tables of information extremely easy. I wish even more notebooks were printed with dot-rule rather than regular lines, as it's infinitely more useful. It should be noted that a regular pen may not write very well on the pages of these notebooks. A Fischer Space Pen gets the best results. A Space Pen combined with these field notebooks makes a fairly bulletproof writing system that you can use to record field data without having to worry about it getting destroyed by something like water. All in all, these are my favorite field pocket notebooks, and I highly recommend them.

First off this notebook is amazing, it is waterproof it's like it was coated with a permanent Rain X or something! I haven't tried to see if the pages are Tearproof yet because that seems like when people tell you your phone has a built in scale... and then you stand on your phone(don't do that btw). I'd rather just be doing something adventurous and some animal claws at my notebook and I'm like "wow that didn't tear!" Than being in my house and trying to tear a notebook I just bought haha. So I just want to eleviate all of the pen concerns. As this is my first amazon review because I tried the pens they said and you still have to wait forever for the ink to write on this amazing outdoor pocket thinkpad right?! Like when your writing down an amazing idea outrunning an avalanche or feeding a family of bald eagles on a mountain peak do you really have time to wait 8 minutes for the ink to dry?! By then you have another thought or you have to solve word hunger or something right?! These notebooks are built for the adventurer or someone on the go. They are waterproof so I tried a pen that writes underwater and it dried almost instantly on this paper. Try the Gerber Impromptu Tactical Pen. It's wonderful for this book and a great form of self defense that passes as a regular pen. Also, if you ever need to jot down an idea under water(I'm not sure why you would but you could also be Indiana jones reading this review so whatever balances your boat I guesshaha), then this duo of the field notes notebook and that Gerber pen are wonderful together. I loved the pen btw this is a dual review. Write thoughts, fight off bears with the pen and feed the eagles. If you are going to write a review don't be dull lol. * if it is now illegal to feed eagles because of some odd law somewhere I claim no responsibility if you choose to feed the eagles nor do I claim any of you get attacked by an eagle. Find your adventure and write it down on this amazing notebook.

What I expect from a field notes book and more. I really love the feel of the cover and pages in regards to other types of notebooks since the paper always felt too flimsy and I lived in fear that I would get my book wet and ruin the contents inside. This book definitely has a rugged feel to it, and has been able to stand up to daily use in a front, back, and shirt pocket with only the color from the front starting to wear away after a couple of months. I wouldn't ding a star for that though, as I can't expect it to look good AND function as well as it does, that's just crazy. I DID ding it a star because I tried to write on the paper with a Fisher Space Pen, the same pen used alongside most field notes books, and it smeared and transferred over the first few pages. Understanding that the book has plastic pages, I make sure to let the ink dry before there is any possible exposure to smearing or water in general. But as a test I wrote in a few pages, mostly scratches and doodles, and left it to dry for a few days. Afterwards I ran the booklet's pages underwater and looked for issues with the ink; I saw none. I slid the notebook back into my pocket and when I opened it up a few days later, the few pages of notes that I had scribbled in had transferred to the backs of the opposite pages and the ink had smudged everywhere. This would really be an issue if I wrote on the fronts and backs of each page like I'm sure some people do. It doesn't take a genius to realize that you probably shouldn't be writing underwater then putting a notebook away wet, but it should be at least addressed for those who actually might be wanting to do that for whatever crazy reason. Otherwise the books are fantastic and it was a great little 3-pack for the purchase. Chances are I will be buying the same type next time around just because I love how well they hold up, ink aside. I'll just keep writing with a pencil instead!

I am in meetings for work pretty often, these fit in breast pocket and handle day to day use pretty well. I am on my third set in 2 years. The paper material/coating for waterproof is picky about ink. I use the uniball 0.38mm gel inserts and just ensure i give it about 5-10 seconds to dry before touching the ink. Bonus if your kid is learning laudry chores like mine, they do not fall apart when washed.

There are mostly good things to say about these. Pros: 1. These are thin and lightweight. They fit nicely in pocket and I like to carry a notebook on me everyday. 2. Waterproof. The paper is somewhat plastic feeling to keep the water off. It hasn't been tested yet in that capacity but I'm sure it will be soon enough. I can say that it resists sweat quite well. I keep it in my pocket and lots of times sweat gets through when i go up stairs or something and it hasn't affected the notebook at all. 3. Dots. I thought the dots would be weird. They are actually quite nice because they allow you cowrite as if it were lined or if you like to draw then you can. I'm not a good drawer though. 4. Price. 3 for 10 bucks. That is a lot better than what you pay for rite in the rain and some other brands. So it is hard to beat on that front. Cons: 1. Can't use pencil all that well. You still write in pencil but the pencil rubs off on to the other pages pretty easily. It's a small price to pay though for the waterproof capability. And to be honest, pencil is more likely to wash off in water anyways.

Terrific product. Perfect pocket-sized notebook that is as indestructible as a notebook can get. I use this thing for everything under the sun. I have used this as an idea jot-downer, as a journal, sketchbook, and as an address book. I have loved field notes for a long time and was really excited about this waterproof edition. It really does just repel water and refuse to be destroyed. I have been using one for several months now and take it everywhere. My only advice would be to use a basic ball point pen or pencil with these notebooks. Anything that has flowey ink will really make a mess in here. The paper is water proof so some types of ink just have a hard time penetrating the paper and sticking. I use a mechanical pencil all of the time so it is no biggie for me.

The Field Notes Expedition Edition promises rugged durability, and in that regard, it mostly delivers. These little notebooks are built to withstand the elements, boasting a bright orange, high-visibility cover and a promised waterproof paper. For outdoor enthusiasts or anyone needing a notebook that can handle a bit of rough treatment, they seem like a solid option. However, the "waterproof" paper is where this product falters for me. It's essentially a synthetic, plastic-like sheet, and the writing experience is...unique. While it does repel water as advertised, it feels slick and unnatural to write on. Pens, particularly ballpoints, tend to glide across the surface with minimal friction, which can lead to messy handwriting. Pencils fare slightly better, but the overall feel is still far from the satisfying feedback of traditional paper. The notebook's compact size and robust construction are definite pros. It fits easily into a pocket or pack, and the cover feels tough enough to handle scrapes and bumps. The bright orange color is also a nice touch, making it easy to spot in a cluttered bag. Ultimately, the Field Notes Expedition Edition is a mixed bag. If your primary concern is durability and water resistance, and you're willing to sacrifice a pleasant writing experience, then these notebooks might be worth considering. However, if you value the tactile feel of paper and a smooth writing surface, you'll likely find the synthetic pages disappointing.