Rite in the rain

[jperdix]

I know this is primarily about fountain pens, which I love, but I have a question about pencils and Rite in the rain notebooks.

My family went camping a couple of weeks ago and I took along a notebook from Rite in the rain so that I wouldn't have to worry about the pages getting wet. I used an ordinary pencil to write in it, but I would like to know if there is a "best" pencil for the job. One that doesn't fade and is pretty durable. I know there are many weatherproof pens out there, but I really like being able to use a pencil.

Something else about Rite in the rain notebooks has me in a quandry. I love the fact that the paper is waterproof, but why do they make a notebook with waterproof paper yet it's stapled with metal staples? Why make and promote a product as waterproof only to have part of it susceptible to rust? I don't know the answer, but I wanted to ask also if anyone knows how to sew the bindings, like in Moleskine cahiers. I would like to remove the staples and sew it myself.

Thank you for any information.'

 

Jason

[Paddler]

For our canoe trips, we buy small spiral bound notebooks with sheets made of frosted Mylar. The spiral binding is plastic. We use any No.2 pencil to write in them. The writing is very durable; even using the pencil's eraser won't remove enough of the graphite to make the writing completely illegible. The last one I bought came from Piragis Outfitters in Ely, Minnesota. Google 'em.

 

Paddler

 

[jdooney]

I know this is primarily about fountain pens, which I love, but I have a question about pencils and Rite in the rain notebooks.

My family went camping a couple of weeks ago and I took along a notebook from Rite in the rain so that I wouldn't have to worry about the pages getting wet. I used an ordinary pencil to write in it, but I would like to know if there is a "best" pencil for the job. One that doesn't fade and is pretty durable. I know there are many weatherproof pens out there, but I really like being able to use a pencil.

Something else about Rite in the rain notebooks has me in a quandry. I love the fact that the paper is waterproof, but why do they make a notebook with waterproof paper yet it's stapled with metal staples? Why make and promote a product as waterproof only to have part of it susceptible to rust? I don't know the answer, but I wanted to ask also if anyone knows how to sew the bindings, like in Moleskine cahiers. I would like to remove the staples and sew it myself.

Thank you for any information.'

 

 

Jason,

The pencilrevolution website describes all sorts of pencils. For me, I use the faber castell grip pencil, and the "design" pencil. A box of 12 is about $15.

 

[mschaffer]

[...]

Something else about Rite in the rain notebooks has me in a quandry. I love the fact that the paper is waterproof, but why do they make a notebook with waterproof paper yet it's stapled with metal staples? Why make and promote a product as waterproof only to have part of it susceptible to rust?

[...]

Well, I haven't seen the Rite in the Rain notebooks with the metal staples, but I do have ones with the metal-wire comb binding. However, the wire is laquered.

 

I agree, if it is just a "naked" metal staple, that doesn't make much sense.

 

I have used the Rite in the Rain binders with the wire binding successfully in nasty environments and the wire has held up to HF, HCl, and SOx vapors quite well.

 

As for pencil, it's great, it can be erased, but it all smears. The paper is much better suited for permanent markers, like Sharpies.

 

Nalgene (the lab-supply people) has some notebooks with water-resistant pages, too. It's not the same as Rite in the Rain but they do have one that has plastic covers, and a plastic spiral. Unfortunately, anything from Nalgene is very expen$ive.

 

-----Mark

Edited June 11, 2007 by mschaffer

[BillTheEditor]

Something else about Rite in the rain notebooks has me in a quandry. I love the fact that the paper is waterproof, but why do they make a notebook with waterproof paper yet it's stapled with metal staples? Why make and promote a product as waterproof only to have part of it susceptible to rust? I don't know the answer, but I wanted to ask also if anyone knows how to sew the bindings, like in Moleskine cahiers. I would like to remove the staples and sew it myself.

Thank you for any information.'

Are you sure the staples aren't stainless steel or aluminum? No rust with either of those alternatives. Also, they do make notebooks with sewn covers. See http://www.riteintherain.com and look for "transit" notebooks and "field" notebooks.

 

About best pencils to use, I found this on http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/hamgear.htm:

 

Rite-in-the-Rain Paper: I have substantial experience with "Rite-In-The-Rain" paper, and think the world of it. It's expensive, as paper goes, but it does work as advertised.

 

If you do use it in the rain, then dry it out when you can. It's almost indestructible, but not quite.

 

Also, if you plan to use "Rite-In-The-Rain" paper, make sure you have a supply of pencils with very hard lead. You'll find pencils in these "high-tech" leads the same places you find the paper. I used Skillcraft 3, Koh-I-Nor 9H, etc. Those are really, really hard leads. They're harder to sharpen, but they're also harder to break. My all-time favorite (for normal purposes), Ticonderoga HB, has no place here.

 

Softer leads smear easily on "Rite-In-The-Rain" paper, and the paper wears out pencils very quickly.

Dave Wallace

KA6GJN

 

And another entry from the same site

Rite-in-the-Rain Paper: I'm a geologist and have used this product for many years. You can literally write on it w/a pencil during a downpour. It also comes in standard 8-1/2x11 inch pads and I often photocopy field maps on it. The paper is great. It blows people away to see water sheeting off the page in a downpour and I'm happily mapping!

Best "r-i-t-r" notebooks are in bound format ($15 to 17). Covers for spiral bound and stapled ones fatigue very quickly w/regular use in wet weather. Box of full sized 8.5x11 sheets for copiers is $24 for 200 Sheets (use conventional toner copiers, not ink jets for obvious reasons!)

 

For fair prices, quick service:

 

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com

 

http://www.benmeadows.com

 

Get a catalog. It's like a big candy store! Hard hats, safety vests, boots, compasses, FRS radios, GPS, foul weather gear......

 

And the Source itself:

 

http://www.riteintherain.com

 

Forestry Suppliers also sell aluminum enclosed clip boards that are nearly indestructible. They have a 5x7 format that fits well inside a jacket for $18.

 

Jim Falls, KG6FWT

President, Humboldt Amateur Radio Club, Eureka CA

Edited June 12, 2007 by BillTheEditor

[mschaffer]

Are you sure the staples aren't stainless steel or aluminum? No rust with either of those alternatives. Also, they do make notebooks with sewn covers. See http://www.riteintherain.com and look for "transit" notebooks and "field" notebooks.

 

Well, depending on the stainless alloy, it can be made to rust quite easily. However, on a canoe trip, stainless and aluminum will probably be ok.

[mschaffer]

[...]

About best pencils to use, I found this on http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/hamgear.htm:

[...]

 

I was interested in what pencils you recommended, but this link doesn't seem to work. Can you describe it them?

[BillTheEditor]

[...]

About best pencils to use, I found this on http://home.comcast.net/~buck0/hamgear.htm:

[...]

 

I was interested in what pencils you recommended, but this link doesn't seem to work. Can you describe it them?

The content is quoted directly below the link. However, I fixed the link so that it works now.

Edited June 12, 2007 by BillTheEditor

[beezaur]

With the old white paper, which is pretty coarse, I use 6H lead. My usual HB comes out like a soft charcoal and leaves a mess. The newer papers are a little more waxy and smoother (I use brown to cut glare). They work alright with HB.

 

Scott

Edited June 12, 2007 by beezaur

[jsonewald]

Generally a grade or two harder than what you would normally use works well. The paper is kind of abrasive and eats pencil lead. The products are designed so the paper can survive being dunked and rained on. In most cases it will take a fair amount of time for staples to rust through, and the paper is still intact anyway. If you want the notebook to remain whole, then get one of the hardbound fieldbook versions.

[jperdix]

Thank you all so much for the help. It has been a huge help.

 

Jason

[Hélène]

I know that this is not a pencil, but did you think of the fisher space pen because those are designed to write on wet paper/under water in addition to in space:

[limesally]

We used riteintherain sheets for fieldwork - as in, grubbing about on your hands and knees counting and measuring plants in the soaking rain. I admit that choice of pencil wasn't really the first thing on my mind at those points.

 

We used regular #2 office pencils, or mechanical pencils with 0.7mm HB leads. Those were pretty durable. The data we recorded held up pretty well - they had to be, since we had to key them in once we were back in the lab.

[kudzu]

I echo limesally's comments. As a forester, I used and loved Rite in the Rain paper. My preferred pencil was a mechanical with 0.7mm HB leads, also, but a simple #2 pencil often was pressed into service. GREAT paper for field notes under wet conditions. But I've never tried it with a fountain pen. Has anyone else? (Not that the paper is pretty enough to actually USE with a nice fountain pen.)

[beezaur]

GREAT paper for field notes under wet conditions. But I've never tried it with a fountain pen. Has anyone else? . . .

 

The pen leaves a skippy line of miniature ink beads that will dry, but then wash away completely upon wetting. Noodler's bulletproofs too.

 

Scott