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Rite in the Rain Notebook, Is It Really Weatherproof?

Do you work or play hard in the outdoors? I’m sure you do, as you would not be reading this blog. πŸ™‚ Have you ever tried to write something down or refer to a note made on your phone or notepad in the rain? Then you know HOW ANNOYING it is to have your work smudged or destroyed by the elements. If you’re tired of soggy notes and illegible scribbles, it’s time to unleash the power of the Rite in the Rain notebooks.

Laugh all you want – to write in the rain really is possible, and I’ll show you that all weather notebooks really do work. So, without further ado, let’s get on with this Rite in the Rain Notebook review.

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Best All Weather Notebooks
Rite in the Rain Notebook Collection
4.8
$16 to $67

Rite in the Rain all weather notebooks can be used everywhere and anywhere. Whether it's jotting down field notes, drawing, calculating or plotting your way home, you can rest asure that your notes will stay safe with the Rite in the Rain Notebook collection.

Size: A Choice of 3
Colours: Colours Vary Depending on the Style of Notebook
Style:
  • Top Spiral
  • Side Spiral
  • Stapled
  • Soft Cover Top Bound
  • Soft Cover Side Bound
  • Hard Cover Fabrikoid
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Why Use a Rite in the Rain Notebook

A woman uses a Rite in the Rain notebook in wet conditions, demonstrating its ability to withstand rain without damage.
Demonstrating the ability to withstand rain without damage while writing in the rain on a Spiral-Bound RITR Universal Notepad

I’m sure there were plenty of times where you wanted to jot something down or refer back to a note, but couldn’t. In wet weather, traditional notepads are totally useless!

You try to use your phone, but we all know what happens when you do. Isn’t it fun trying to type on your phone and the raindrops interfere? Or trying to use your phone when the fingers are cold or wet. There is also the problem of the cold. Store your phone in the wrong pocket of your snowmobile suit, and you’ll quickly find out how useless your phone is. 

This is why Rite in the Rain all weather notebooks have become our goto for field notes. 

Rite in Rain Features

Mini Universal Notebook nestled in a hunter's pocket, ideal for jotting notes in any environment, even during rain.
Mini Universal Notebook, ideal for jotting notes in any environment.

Rite in the Rain offers various-sized American-made notebooks, letter-sized loose paper, card stock, etc, for note-taking, drawing, mapping, sketching, journalling, calculating, and so on. Whether working outdoors, around liquids, hunting, hiking or taking in nature, the Rite in the Rain notebooks preserve your observations and ideas.

Rain’s All Weather Paper

How does Rite in the Rain paper work? Rite in the Rain uses a patented all-weather paper, specially formulated to repel water. Being made from wood and recycled paper makes Rite in the Rain notebooks eco-friendly.

Since the paper is coated, it protects it from disintegrating, thus allowing accidental laundering or journalling in heavy rainstorms.

Rite in the Rain notebook pages are also tear-resistant, ensuring they withstand rough handling. You can flip through the pages multiple times, refer back to your notes, and even remove pages without worrying about the entire notepad falling apart. No more lost notes!!

One last note about Rain’s all-weather paper – depending on the noting pad you choose, you can find lined pages for writing and light-gridded or dot grid lines for sketching or mapping.

Writing Instruments

What can you use to jot down your ideas or take notes? The best writing pens to use with RITR paper would be all-weather pens. You could also use paints, markers, pencils, etc. Can you get away with using a regular writing pen? Yes, but not all pens are created equal. It has to be a good ink pen. Using the appropriate writing instrument prevents smudging or fading.

Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Orange Mini Bolt-Action Pen
$29.98

Black 0.8mm Ink, Fine Point

Features:
  • Write or sketch in the rain
  • Able to write on damp or wet paper
  • Special, pressurized ink cartridge
  • Pen can write upside down
  • Won't leak, evaporate, or make a mess
  • Writes in temps from -30Β°F to 250Β°F
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02/13/2025 11:31 pm GMT

Cover

Depending on the notebook type, there is a choice between a strong 19 gauge Polydura cover (made from polyethylene) or Field-Flex covers, both ensure your notes stay safe from the elements.

In our experience the Rite in the Rain notebooks perform well even in extreme temperatures. From freezing temperatures, humid conditions, even scorching heat, the paper remains intact, allowing you to write without issues.

Spiral-bound notebooks feature a rust-resistant coil, making them ideal for military use, field ops, farming, camping, off-roading, water activities, hunting, prepping, etc.

Who Uses Rite in the Rain Field Books

Notebooks and notepads on gear, showcasing Rite in the Rain's durability and versatility in various environments.
Notebooks and notepads on gear, showcasing Rite in the Rain’s durability and versatility in various environments.

These all-weather notebooks are made for those who refuse to be limited by rainy weather. These are the best notebooks for preppers, explorers, hikers, and nature lovers alike.

Whether referencing your notes during a backcountry trek or documenting your epic hiking trails in the wilderness, this waterproof notebook will keep your words safe, legible and smudge-free.

Pocket notebooks are also a must for any land navigation function – meaning it’s also a very critical survival tool.

So, how does one use these waterproof notebooks in everyday situations: 

Hiking and Backpacking

If you enjoy long-distance treks, and hikes or prefer backpacking, you can use the Rite in the Rain notebook to record trail conditions, document flora and fauna sightings, or map and track vital information during your journey.

Field Research 

Scientists and researchers conducting field studies in various disciplines, such as ecology, geology, or ornithology, use the field notes journal to record data, sketch observations, and document their findings.

Survival and Emergency Preparedness

Preppers and survivalists love all-weather notebooks to create survival kits, jot down emergency plans, and record essential information for disaster preparedness and land navigation purposes.

Art and Nature Journaling

Artists and nature enthusiasts appreciate Rite in the Rain notebooks for sketching landscapes, drawing botanical illustrations, and capturing the beauty of the natural world.

Military Operations

Military personnel greatly benefit from the Rite in the Rain notebooks for conducting research, sketching out field operations, jotting down training notes, mapping and recording vital observations. When you see an NSN number on your specific product, it’s a Nato Stock Number. In other words, that item is a standard military issue item – and that speaks volumes to its quality.

Basically, no matter what the intent, Rite in the Rain weather notebooks withstand harsh conditions and preserve crucial information in the field. It has become an absolute favourite of ours and a must-have item in our survival kit. To top it off, transitioning from writing to mapping or sketching within one notepad is made simple!

Our Experience with the Rite in the Rain Notebooks

We camped in the rain, hunted in mucky conditions, off-roaded in wet weather and tried to entertain our kids with activity books, only to have the ink smudge, paper curl or turn mushy, and throw out what wasn’t salvageable.

When we finally broke down and bought a few of these RITR notebooks, we noticed the notepads repelled water even in the harshest of conditions. Writing in the rain with an all-weather pen allowed for smooth writing without smudging, even with wet, sweaty and greasy hands!

Below is our experience with the different notebook formats and size.

Top Spiral Bound Notebooks Review

A woman holds a yellow Spiral-Bound Universal Notebook by Rite in the Rain, designed for writing in any weather condition.
Spiral-Bound Universal Notebook in Yellow
A woman removes a page from a Rite in the Rain Notebook, showcasing its durability for writing in wet environments.
Inside Pages

Our intent for the waterproof notebook was to use it for note-taking on land navigation tasks. Basically, survival functions anytime we venture into the woods.

Being new to Rite in the Rain, we ordered the spiral-bound notebook on a whim. It has proven itself to be fantastic for backcountry expeditions. Jotting down a quick note is simple, and its size is small enough to slip into a pocket or backpack. Being a yellow pad helps to stand out in a pack. What is most impressive about the spiral-bound notebooks is that the pages stay intact.

Place a standard spiral-bound book into your pocket or pack, and you’ll end up tearing out a page or two. If you are lucky enough not to, there is always the possibility of accidental tearing while flipping through the pad. After YEARS in our pack, our yellow pocket notebook has held up flawlessly!

Rite in the Rain Tactical Pocket Notebook 3" x 5"

Fits perfectly into a jacket pocket, purse or pack.

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All-Weather Tactical (No 980T) Field Kit Review

Tan Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit resting on a snowy ATV, emphasizing its ability to withstand wet environments for writing.
Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit is able to withstand wet environments for writing.

Impressed by the Rain’s spiral-bound notebook, it was time to order something that could take serious notes. Like precise brewing instructions for the coffee press, ham radio frequencies, declination values for land nav, favourite cartridges for hunting, and so on.

The field kit comes with a 4.25″ x 7.25″ Soft Cover All-Weather Tactical (No 980T) Notebook, a fabric zippered cover and a RITR All-Weather Pen. 

Inside the Tactical Notebook

A man holds a tan Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit, featuring a pen, notebook, and zippered cover, designed for all weather.
RITR Tactical Field Kit
A man displays an open tan Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit, highlighting its durable, waterproof paper and ink.
Inside View
A man holds an open tan Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit notebook, displaying its durable reference charts for outdoor use.
Reference Pages

Besides its measurements, this field notes notebook differs significantly from the top spiral notebooks. The inside cover features an inch-side ruler and a measurement conversion chart. The first page of the Rite in the Rain field book is for your personal information, and the second is a table of contents again for quick reference. Within the soft cover books are 128 tan-lined writing pages. 

Head to the back of the notebook, and you will find several Rite in the Rain tactical reference cards. Remember, this is a tactical notebook. These pages are a reference point for military personnel in the field, especially those still in training, which gives them quick access to operational graphic charts, sector sketch prep, range card prep, troop leading procedures, CBRN/UXO/SPOT reports, Under Fire Management Plan, Game Plan Briefs and a Battle Board. The inside back cover features the ever-important azimuth conversion chart, vital to anyone navigating unknown areas.

The Tactical Book is our everyday go-to book. Being a large field journal, we find it super easy to write in. For anyone looking for an “outdoor journaling notebook,” this is for you! The zippered cover isΒ amazing. It protects everything well and has three purpose pockets to add spare pens or pencils.

Surprisingly, after constant opening, closing, folding and bending, the cover and pages still lay flat on all the books. The pages in the Rite in the Rain field book are perforated, allowing for tear-aways. It is not an easy tear, which is a huge plus. It explains why we haven’t had any fly-outs with the heavy use of this field book.

So, yes, when flipping through the book, pages are tear-resistant. Once torn out of the book, the page tears quite easily. The small staple-bound books and the top spiral notebook kit are not perforated.

Mini Stapled Notebook Review

A woman showcases a green Rite in the Rain Mini Universal Stapled Notebook, ideal for writing in all environments, even rainy ones.
A green Rite in the Rain Mini Universal Stapled Notebook, ideal for writing in all environments, even rainy ones.

We were getting hooked on these notebooks, so we ordered the 3.25″ x 4.625″ All-Weather Universal (No 971FX-M) stapled notebook in green. It’s small, inexpensive, and it comes in a 3-pack.

The Universal notebook features 24 lined green pages. The inside front cover presents an area for your personal information as well as the title of your project. Following the cover is a table of contents for quick and easy reference to your notes. Printed on the back cover is a handy inch-side ruler for measuring.

The tiny notebooks are our least favourite. It’s minute and perhaps tedious to write in due to space. On the plus side, it’s a small book with phenomenal sheets of Rite. Since its use for us is random note-taking, it gets tossed into the hunting bag, or camera bag, and makes perfect as small field essentials. For this purpose, you can’t go wrong as it’s about $5 a book and it’s waterproof.

Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Mini-Stapled Notebook, 3 1/4" x 4 5/8"
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The Water Test

A woman submerges a sheet of Rite in the Rain Notebook paper in water, demonstrating its waterproof writing capabilities.
Testing the Rite in the Rain Notebook paper by placing it in water, showcasing its durability and resistance to smudging.

All three Rain notebooks have been in the rain, thrown into the lake and exposed to the elements and children. In heavy rainstorms, the water sits on the page. As it sits, writing on it is not a problem. The all-weather pen with permanent ink does not fade. 

If you use a quality standard ballpoint, the ink is not as vibrant. While writing in the rain, the ink does not smudge or bleed, nor does the paper disintegrate! Our notes were perfectly intact.

We let the water sit, and after wafting it off with my hand, there were no smears. Being intrigued, the children opted to toss the sheets of Rite into the lake. The water ran off the pages, and while wet, the pages succumbed to endless crayon scribbles. Throughout this test, there were no tear-throughs, smudges or curling of the paper. Once the paper is dry, there is a bit of a crinkle. All-in-all, it has fared well thus far!

How to Choose the Best Right Rite in the Rain Notepad

Rite in the Rain has several versions of all-weather notebooks, each made with a different intent. These versions include a universal, tactical, memo, field and simple notebook. To ensure you are making the best selection, consider these factors:

  1. Size: Think about how you plan to use the notebook. If you need something portable, opt for a pocket-sized or compact notebook that can easily fit in your backpack or pocket. If you require more writing space, consider a larger-sized notebook. Depending on the style of binding, there are four approximate sizes: 3″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, 6″ x 9″ and 8.5″ x 11″.
  2. Binding: There are various binding options for the RITR notebooks, such as spiral-bound, perfect-bound, staple-bound or hardcover. Spiral-bound notebooks are fantastic for brainstorming, sketching and quick note-taking. Staple-bound books are light and much easier to carry when trekking. For archival purposes, memories, writing or journalling, consider a perfect-bound notebook.
  3. Specialized Features: Some Rite in the Rain notepads offer functional features, such as conversion charts, rulers, reference charts, mapping or vital field information. Consider if any of these features are essential for your intended use.
  4. Quantity: Think about how long you plan to be outdoors or how frequently you’ll use the notebook. Rite in the Rain notebooks come in various page counts, so choose a quantity that aligns with your needs.

Rite in the Rain Notebook Kits

Tan Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit resting on wet stone, designed for writing in all conditions, including rain.
Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Kit in Tan, designed for wrting in all conditions including rain.

To further protect your notebook, Rite in the Rain sells a few of their various-sized notebooks as part of a writing kit. You can opt for their small top spiral kit, small notebook kit, or large notebook kit. 

Within the kit is a zippered Cordura Fabric Cover and an All-Weather Pen. The lightweight fabric Rite in the Rain notebook cover features a notebook pocket, one or two general pockets (depending on cover size) and four writing instrument pockets. As to colour selection, it also depends on the size of the notebook. Some cover sizes come in tan, camo, or black.

The All-Weather Pen included in the pen and paper kit is a black-based ink colour that performs in temperatures ranging from -34Β°C to 121Β°C (-30Β°F to 250Β°F) and performs underwater to a depth of 35 ft. Incredibly, it even writes through water, mud, sweat and grease!

The field kit is ideal if you are someone like me who likes to be well-organized. Or if you misplace things, this kit will keep things together. You can get more details about the kit here on Amazon.

Tips for Using a Rite in the Rain Notepad Effectively

Through our experience, the Rite in the Rain all-weather pen works phenomenally in dry and wet conditions, as do pencils, crayons and markers. Rite in the Rain suggests using oil pastels as well. Not all ballpoint pens are equal, but a higher-quality pen works just as well.

In dry environments, you can use permanent markers and standard ballpoint pens. Note that water-based inks such as highlighters, gel pens, acrylic paint, watercolours and fountain pens do not work. These inks will wash away. A great Rite in the Rain pen alternative is the Fisher Space pen, which we really love.

Our Favourite All Weather Pen
Fisher Space Pen Matte Black Bullet Space Pen with Clip
$36.75

From writing underwater to extreme temperatures, the Fisher Space Pen has you covered. It even writes in zero-gravity!! Plus it comes with an unconditional lifetime warranty. With the Fisher pen, there's no excuse not to write.

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02/13/2025 11:31 pm GMT

Maintenance and Care for your Weatherproof Rite in the Rain Notebooks

Like everything in life, even the write in rain notebook needs to be maintained and cared for if you wish to preserve their longevity. If not, skip this section.

When not in use, store your Rite in the Rain notebooks in a dry location to avoid exposing it to excessive humidity.
If the cover of your waterproof notebook gets dirty, gently wipe it down with a damp cloth. Avoid using harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that could damage the waterproof coating.
While the Rite in the Rain notebooks are durable, excessive bending or folding can weaken the binding and compromise its integrity. Handle your notebook with care to prevent any unnecessary damage.

Where to Buy Rite in the Rain Notebooks

Since we are in Canada, rain writing notebooks are challenging to find in person. At the time of writing, several Lee Valley stores only carry the Rite in the Rain top spiral-bound 4″ x 6″ notebook. And in hindsight, we have seen Rain waterproof notebooks on a store shelf twice. You may be lucky and find a broader selection at your local outfitter. US residents should find Rite in the Rain products more readily at local stores. Online stores like Amazon have a wide selection of Rain products.

Rite in the Rain Alternative

While Rite in the Rain waterproof notepads are an extraordinary product, there are similar alternatives that are worth considering, such as:

  1. Field Notes Expedition Edition: These notebooks feature a waterproof and tear-resistant cover, making them suitable for outdoor use. It also contains waterproof and smudge-resistant pages, ensuring your notes stay intact in wet conditions. We have no experience with field notes, but they are well-known and reviewed online.
  2. Moleskine Evernote Smart Notebook: The Moleskine Evernote Smart Notebook combines the classic Moleskine design with the ability to digitize handwritten notes using the Evernote app. While it’s not fully waterproof, there is some resistance to light water exposure.
  3. Although we can not speak to the Evernote notebook, we have utilized several Moleskine products. Frankly, a cheap Walmart notebook by Cambridge came with thicker paper than Moleskine. The covers on our Moleskines hold up well, but the paper is see-through and really disappointing. Hopefully, Moleskine has corrected this issue in the Evernote.
  4. Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Binder: If you prefer a more structured approach to note-taking, the Rite in the Rain Tactical Field Binder is a great option. It features weather-resistant pages that can be easily removed, rearranged, and replaced, making it ideal for organizing field notes and documents.

These alternatives provide different features and functionalities and may fare better to suit your needs. In particular, Field Notes is more of a competitor to Rite in the Rain than Moleskine.

Conclusion: Embracing the Versatility of the Rite in the Rain Notebook

Whether hiking, conducting field research, or simply journaling your outdoor adventures, having a write in the rain notebook allows you to safeguard your thoughts and ideas. You no longer have to worry about smudges, disintegrating paper, or worse, damaging your phone from a few rain drops.

So, don’t let rainy days or extreme conditions dampen your writing abilities, get a Rite in the Rain notebook today! You’ll be glad you did.

Thank you for reading my Rite In The Rain Notebook Review. If you enjoyed this honest and unbiased review, we invite you to like and follow us for more helpful content. You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay updated with our latest reviews and recommendations.

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Katherine Widziak
Katherine Widziak

Fuelled by the boundless energy of my two adventurous children, my diverse repertoire extends beyond the realms of an ordinary mother. As a seasoned graphic designer, master of social media content, and savvy marketing strategist, I've sculpted my own entrepreneurial journey. My passion for the great outdoors defines me - from igniting fires to setting up camps, my skills are diverse and practical. Skilled in ATV riding, possessing sharpshooting accuracy, and a knack for out-fishing just about any man - even my husband, though that's our little secret.

When not working away at something creative, you'll find me enjoying the outdoors in one form or another. Hopefully, I can inspire many women and men alike to pursue their outdoor goals and embark on new adventures.

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