Choose a field book by how it is bound, what is ruled on the page and what will write on it, not by cover colour. For environmental and geological work the safest default is a hard cover, sewn book with a pattern that matches the job, written in with a pressurized all-weather pen. ERE carries the Rite in the Rain all-weather range, and this guide sorts it by use so you can match book, pattern, pen and accessories to your project's logbook rules before you ask for a quote.
In this guide
- Which field book do you need: hard cover, spiral or soft cover?
- Which page pattern should you pick?
- What do logbook rules expect from a field book?
- Does a spiral or loose-leaf book count as bound?
- Which pen and paper go with it?
- What accessories protect the book in the field?
- When is a paper field book the wrong tool?
- How do you choose a field book, step by step?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Which Field Book Do You Need: Hard Cover, Spiral or Soft Cover?
Hard cover for the record you will file, spiral for quick notes and forms, soft cover for the pocket. ERE lists the whole range of waterproof notebooks and level, transit and environmental field books in the All Weather Field Books collection. The figures below come from the product records; availability, colours and bulk pricing are confirmed on a quote.
| Format | Product (record) | Size | Pages | Patterns listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard cover | Environmental Hard Cover Book (RR-550F) | 4.625″ x 7.25″ | 160 pages / 80 sheets | Environmental |
| Hard cover | Geological Hard Cover Book (RR-540F) | 4.375″ x 7.25″ | 160 pages / 80 sheets | Geological |
| Hard cover | Hard Cover Field Books (RR-300F, 310F, 350F, 360F, 390F) | 4.375″ x 7.25″ (see note) | 160 pages / 80 sheets | Transit, Level, Field, Metric Field, Journal |
| Side spiral | 4.625″ x 7″ Side Spiral Notebook (RR-303 to RR-393) | 4.625″ x 7″ | 64 pages / 32 sheets | Transit, Level, Field, Metric Field, Universal, Journal |
| Side spiral | 8.5″ x 11″ Side Spiral Notebook (RR-373-MX) | 8.5″ x 11″ | 84 pages / 42 sheets | Universal |
| Top spiral | 3″ x 5″ and 4″ x 6″ Top Spiral Notebook (RR-135, RR-146) | 3″ x 5″ or 4″ x 6″ | 100 pages / 50 sheets | Universal |
| Soft cover | Soft Cover Book (RR-374) | 4.25″ x 7.25″ | 128 pages / 64 sheets | Universal |
Record conflict: the title of the Hard Cover Field Books record reads 4.75″ x 7.5″ while its specification table lists 4.375″ x 7.25″. We confirm the size for your part number on the quote.
Which Page Pattern Should You Pick?
Pick the pattern that gives your crew the columns they already use, because a book that fights the data entry gets filled in badly. The records name the patterns but describe the ruling only for some, so ask for a sample page before you standardize on one.
- Environmental (RR-550F): the product photo shows pre-numbered pages with Location, Date and Project / Client lines above a ruled grid. That header suits sampling and site-visit entries.
- Geological (RR-540F): the record describes it as the book geologists use in poor conditions. The ruling is not described, so confirm it against your logging format.
- Transit, Level, Field, Metric Field: survey and measurement patterns. Metric Field is the one listed for metric units; the other layouts are confirmed on a quote.
- Journal and Universal: general notes. Universal is the only pattern listed on the large 8.5″ x 11″ book, the soft cover and the top-spiral pads.
What Do Logbook Rules Expect From a Field Book?
Bound, paginated, dated, signed, and written in a medium that survives the weather. The US EPA's Procedure for Documenting Environmental Information in Logbooks (LSASDPROC-1002-R1, PDF) says write-in-the-rain pens and notebooks should be used to record observations outdoors. It also asks that:
- entries are made at the time of the observation, dated, and signed or initialed;
- a wrong entry gets one strike-through, with date and initials, never an erasure;
- pages are never removed from a bound logbook, and blank space is lined through, initialed and dated;
- pages are numbered, either "page x of y" or by pre-paginated pages.
That is a US federal field-branch procedure, not a Canadian regulation. Your consultant's quality plan or your client's SOP sets the rule on a Canadian project, and many now prefer electronic records, so read it first. Where it asks for a bound, waterproof field book, a sewn hard cover such as the Environmental book is the format that matches it most directly.
Does a Spiral or Loose-Leaf Book Count as Bound?
Usually not for a controlled record, because a spiral lets a page be torn out and a loose-leaf sheet is not fixed in place. The EPA procedure's test is that pages must not be removable from a bound logbook, so a sewn or glued hard cover passes more easily than a coil. The hard-cover record describes the cover, paper, sewn-in pages and glue as designed for the weather.
Spiral and loose-leaf still have a job. Use a side spiral notebook for scratch calculations and a loose-leaf pack (100 per pack, six-hole punch) for forms that are transcribed or filed into a binder. The 6-ring binder (RR-200) lists a 0.5″ capacity and holds 75 sheets of the 4.625″ x 7″ loose leaf. If your plan allows unbound forms, check who approves them before you rely on them.
Which Pen and Paper Go With It?
A pressurized pen for the book, and laser or photocopy paper for printed forms. The All-Weather Clicker Pens (RR-93B blue, RR-93K black, RR-93R red) have a 0.9 mm point and a pressurized cartridge listed for -30 °F to 250 °F (about -34 °C to 121 °C) and underwater use to 35 ft. Note that the EPA procedure asks for permanent, waterproof ink and allows a non-smear 2H or 3H pencil only when ink is not feasible, with a certified photocopy filed on return.
For printed forms, the All-Weather Printer Paper comes in 8.5″ x 11″ and 11″ x 17″ white and 8.5″ x 11″ tan (200 per pack), with a 500-sheet bulk pack also listed. Every listing says to photocopy or laser print and not to use an inkjet printer, so check which printer your office has before you order.
What Accessories Protect the Book in the Field?
A cover keeps the book clean and a clipboard keeps the page flat in wind. The Side Bound Book Cover (RR-C980) is Cordura fabric with a zipper, pen pockets and a notebook pocket, and fits side-bound notebooks up to 4.875″ x 7.5″. The Field Desk Clipboard (RR-295) holds 200 sheets of 8.5″ x 11″ all-weather paper and has a rust-resistant clamp and storage for writing tools. Neither product record states a waterproof rating for the cover or the clipboard, so we do not claim one.
When Is a Paper Field Book the Wrong Tool?
When your project record is electronic, or when you capture dozens of measurements per stop. The EPA procedure itself says migration toward electronic media is preferred, and a field book does not read instruments or timestamp entries. The usual answer is both: a bound book as the original record of observations, and a data logger or tablet for readings.
Paper is also the wrong choice if crews will not follow the dating and strike-through rules. A field book is only evidence if it is filled in consistently, so brief the crew before the first day on site.
How Do You Choose a Field Book, Step by Step?
- Read the logbook rule. Your quality plan or client SOP says whether you need a bound, paginated book.
- Pick the format. Hard cover for the record, spiral for scratch notes, soft cover for the pocket.
- Pick the pattern. Environmental for sampling, Geological for logging, Transit or Level for survey work.
- Pick the size. 4.375″ to 4.625″ by 7.25″ fits a pocket; 8.5″ x 11″ fits a clipboard.
- Choose the pen. Pressurized all-weather pen first, pencil only as a documented fallback.
- Add accessories. Cover, clipboard and binder if you carry forms.
- Send the part numbers. Quote by RR- part number and quantity; we confirm availability and bulk terms.
Need field books for a crew or a season?
Send us the format, pattern and quantity and we will confirm part numbers, availability and bulk terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a field book used for?
It is the original handwritten record of observations, measurements and activities taken on site. The US EPA logbook procedure describes it as the place to document factual information from field investigations, sampling and measurement.
What is the difference between a field book and a regular notebook?
A field book is built to survive outdoor use and is used as a controlled record. ERE's all-weather books are described by the manufacturer as made to survive rain, sweat and mud, and the hard-cover books use sewn-in pages.
Can you use a laser printer on all-weather paper?
Yes. The all-weather printer paper and loose-leaf copier paper are listed for photocopy or laser printing on both sides. They are listed as not for inkjet printers.
Which pen works in the rain?
A pressurized-cartridge pen. The Rite in the Rain Clicker pen record lists a pressurized cartridge that writes upside down and through moisture, rated -30 °F to 250 °F and to 35 ft underwater.
Do you quote field books in bulk across Canada?
Yes. Send the part numbers, pattern and quantity through the quote form and we confirm availability and bulk terms for delivery across Canada.
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