Field NotesExpedition 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.

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.

Pros:+ tearproof paper+ waterproof paper+ sturdy yet thin and easily pocketable+ dot patternCons:- doesn't play well with most writing utensils- smudges a littleSynthetic inks work best (ballpoint pen), and pencil also comes in. They both smudge a little but like I've said to some of the people who pointed that out: you're essentially trading a little smudging in return to have strongly tear- and water-resistant paper, in a notebook that's gorgeous and doesn't fall apart in a back pocket after 2 weeks (like most of the Field Notes I've had to tape up).I was very on the fence about buying these; I had been thinking about it for about 4 months, and all the complaints about smudging put me off. But the indestructibility is brilliant and totally worth the smudging.If you're one of those types who need to have a perfect and pretty pocket notebook to show off your bullet journal on instagram, this definitely isn't for you.If you need a reliable and hardy notebook to be taken anywhere and that can stand up to abuse, whether dirty hands or bad weather, like me, then it's definitely worth it.