Reviews > Books > Blank Journals and Writing Implements > RITR - Extreme Journal > Todd Martin > Initial Report

Initial Report - Rite in the Rain, Extreme Journal

Journal Habits:
I have been maintaining a web site dedicated to trail descriptions for the past 5 years. In order to provide the most accurate descriptions as possible I take detailed notes on every hike. Lately I have been using a micro cassette recorder to capture trail notes. While convenient, this device is not terribly suited to some of the harsher environments found in the desert southwest including: deep sand (which easily destroys the delicate gears of a cassette recorder as I recently discovered) and canyons (which can often involve wet conditions, including wading and swimming). I will be testing the Rite In The Rain All-Weather Writing Products for suitability under these and other environments.

Description:
The Rite in the Rain Extreme Journal arrived complete and in good condition. It appeared exactly as depicted on the manufacturers web site. The journal has a green plastic cover and 50 sheets of paper. Only 44 pages are available for note taking though, the other 6 pages contain tips and tables for various outdoor activities including: planning, first aid, survival, climbing and kayak ratings, wind chill conversions and even tips for building a snow cave (though the latter not a topic that often comes up here in Arizona). The cover and reference material is illustrated using skeleton figures, which is sort of cool, and goes along with the 'extreme' theme of the product. The paper has a plastic-like feel and a quick test with a ball point pen and pencil demonstrated that it is possible to write on the pages with either. According to the manufacturer, the pages are made from a synthetic material which is water-proof, tear-proof and blood-proof. While I can't vouch for the blood-proof claim (yet), I initially viewed the tear-proof claim with skepticism and promptly attempted to rip a page in half. Surprisingly, other than a bit of wrinkling, the page remained intact. Interestingly enough, it IS possible to tear the paper at the top of the spiral to remove it from the journal, something that might prove useful if you were planning to leave a note or pass along information to a fellow outdoors person. The third claim of being water-proof will be evaluated as part of my test plan.

Test Plans and Concerns:
There are several features of the Rite In The Rain Extreme Journal that I plan to evaluate as part of this test.

Some all-weather paper I have seen has a plastic coating which makes it difficult to write upon with a pen or pencil. I would like to determine how easy it is to write on the pages of the Rite In The Rain paper using a variety of writing implements including: pen, pencil, and marker. Since I often do half my writing with the rubbery, non-pointy end of a pencil, I will also be interested in whether a pencil can be erased cleanly from the paper.

In the extreme heat of the Arizona summer, I have seen paper maps destroyed from people sweating through their packs & soaking the maps. I will be making entries in the journals under hot and sweaty conditions and will determine whether this affects the paper, the ability to write on it, or if it causes the ink or pencil to smear.

Capturing trip details in canyon environments has proved to be particularly difficult since they often necessitate wading, swimming, crawling, scrambling, and jumping. I currently keep my cassette recorder in a dry bag when canyoning in order to afford it some protection during these activities, unfortunately, this is often an inconvenience which requires a considerable amount of effort every time I want use it. Ideally the item I use to record trip details would be easily accessible and relatively durable. For convenience and easy access, I plan to store the RITR journal in an external pack pocket while canyoning. This will give me the opportunity to assess how well the paper functions when completely wet as well as the durability of the paper and binding.

I'd like to thank BackpackGearTest & Rite in the Rain for allowing me to participate in this test.

Reviews > Books > Blank Journals and Writing Implements > RITR - Extreme Journal > Todd Martin > Initial Report