So you want to get organized… You might think, “Just carry a pocket notebook and take detailed notes!” Sounds easy, right?
But if you’ve given it your best shot and page after page looks like a scribbly, doodly, indecipherable mess, maybe you need something more than a blank sheet. Leave those to the imaginative types, and try a notebook with structure to guide your thoughts.
We’ve rounded up 7 EDC-friendly pocket notebooks with useful layouts and clear ruling to help you get your notes in order.
Word. Notebooks
Standout feature: Integrated bullet journaling system
Bullet journaling is becoming more and more popular as a way to organize your life and remember important events. Word. Notebooks come with their bullet journaling system already printed on each page, along with some simple instructions inside the front cover. There are tons of colors and patterns to choose from, making it easy to coordinate with the rest of your carry.
Doane Grid + Lines Utility Notebooks
Standout feature: Unique gridded paper with a thick line every three spaces
The Doane Grid+Lines is a favorite here. The paper is great for a mix of sketching and writing, thanks to its ruling with both grids and lines. Yes, you could achieve similar results with regular graph paper, but that added bold line helps keep notes and sketches both organized and legible. It’s also a huge help if you’re trying to neaten up your handwriting with proper spacing and letter sizing.
Field Notes Expedition
Standout feature: Dot Grid ruling with waterproof paper and covers
This Field Notes edition was designed to stand up to anything you can throw at it, and the team over at Field Notes made sure of it. Check out their video series that puts the notebooks through 12 rigorous tests. These books feature dot grid ruling inside, a tear resistant cover, and completely waterproof paper.
Word. Notebooks Adventure Log
Standout feature: Layout specifically made for experiences
The Adventure Log journal from Word. Notebooks has a layout made to journal your next road trip, hike, or adventure. There’s a place for the date, location, conditions, companions and a bunch of lines for a journal entry. On the back cover there’s a place specifically for your bucket list, so you always know where you’re headed next.
Moleskine 2017 Weekly Planner
Standout feature: At-a-glance weekly calendar with plenty of room for notes
If you’re looking to keep track of important dates and appointments, why not use a traditional calendar? This pocket-sized planner displays one week across two pages, making it especially easy to see what you have coming up and what you’ve already accomplished. You can even use the planner as a micro journal, simply jot down a few notes about your day.
Rite in the Rain Top Spiral Pocket Notebooks
Standout feature: Waterproof paper
Just as the name implies, these notebooks from Rite in the Rain allow you to do just that. The waterproof paper works well with ballpoint pen and pencil, so you can write outside under any conditions. This is one of the better waterproof papers that we’ve tested.
Nock Co. DotDash Pocket Notebooks
Standout feature: Unobtrusive ruling that’s great for writing and sketching
The Nock Co. DotDash notebooks feature a dot-dash ruling. It’s somewhere in the middle of graph and dot grid ruling, and it just plain works. The light purple ink is dark enough to see, but light enough so that it doesn’t get in the way of your words. It’s stapled at the top so you can easily write in portrait or landscape without the binding getting in the way.
Do you prefer notebooks with special ruling, or are blank pages the way to go for your EDC needs? Leave a comment and let us hear your thoughts.
