Reviews > Books > Blank Journals and Writing Implements > Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal > Test Report by Larry Kirschner

Rite in the Rain All-Weather Outdoor Journal

TEST SERIES BY LARRY KIRSCHNER

INITIAL REPORT - October 4, 2009

TESTER INFORMATION

I've been an intermittent camper/paddler since my teens, but now that my kids are avid Boy Scouts, I've caught the backpacking bug. I typically do 8-10 weekend hikes per year, and have spent time over the past few years backpacking the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and canoeing the Atikaki wilderness of Canada. I like to travel "in comfort", but I've shrunk to medium weight, and continue to work toward going lighter and longer. With all of my investment into these ventures, I expect my wife and I will continue to trek long after the kids are gone…

INITIAL REPORT
October 4, 2009

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: J. L. Darling Corporation
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Country of manufacture: USA
Manufacturer's Website: www.riteintherain.com
MSRP: $9.95 USD

Listed Weight: 3.2 oz (90 g)
Measured weight: 3.7 oz (104.4 g)

Dimensions:
Page size listed: 4 5/8 x 7 in (117 x 178 mm)
Page size measured: 4 5/8 x 7 in (117 x 178 mm)
Journal size measured: 4 7/8 x 7 in (124 x 178 mm)


ITEM DESCRIPTION

The Rite in the Rain product line is a line of notebooks and journals of varying sizes designed for the outdoor enthusiast or for others that may need a weatherproof writing surface. In other words, "Outdoor writing products…for outdoor writing people," as written on the back cover. All of these products use "Rite in the Rain All-Weather writing paper" to provide a weatherproof writing surface. The pages in this notebook are 4 5/8 x 7 in (117 x 178 mm), although both larger and smaller sizes are available. The paper is definitely heavier than regular notebook paper, and has a slightly waxy feel. The pages are spiral bound with a plastic cover to protect the sheets from damage. The Outdoor Journal line is distinguished by a yellow plastic cover with a picture of a backpacker on it. Other products in the line have different color covers with different pictures.

On the first page of paper are spaces to write my name, address, and phone number, as well as a few lines of space marked as "project".



On the back side of the first sheet is a page labeled "contents", which is where I would put my table of contents if I were inclined to annotate my journal entries.



After that, all of the pages are the same, with heavy horizontal lines and lighter, dashed vertical lines which I could use for making graphs, maps, and so on. This format can be seen on the right side page of the photo above. At the bottom of each page is a blank space where I could indicate the scale of each square. More likely, I would just use these blanks to number the pages. All in all, there are 32 pages in the notebook, including the page with the identifying information and table of contents.

No instructions were included with this journal, although I don't think any are necessary. On the back cover of the journal, it says the following: "For best results, use a pencil or an all-weather pen."




TRYING IT OUT

Before taking this out on the trail, I wanted to see what types of writing utensils will work with this special paper. First, I tried, a Rite in the Rain All-Weather Pen, which worked quite well. Next, I tried a pencil, which also did fine. A regular pen wrote nicely on the paper, as did colored pencils (in case I want to do any sketching) and crayons. As everything seems to write easily on the pages of this journal, I will not worry about the need for specialized writing equipment.




EXPECTATIONS and INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

I was hoping for a journal that will not only survive the rigors of the field, but will also allow me to keep and record my thoughts. So far, I am impressed with the journal, since I can write on the pages just like normal paper. I will see how both the pages and the writing hold up as I take it out in the field.


THE STORY SO FAR

Impressive
• A journal that will withstand backpacking with no special care? A great idea!
• Any writing instrument will do