I’m someone who has to write things down. I know, I know—there’s a perfectly suitable notes app on my phone. But it’s not the same. For one thing, it takes far too long to tap away at imaginary keys; for another, my notes are a nightmare of words, phrases, arrows, addenda, and diagrams that simply cannot be reproduced on a tiny little screen.
For a long time, I used Moleskine hardcover notebooks. But their cost is a bit unseemly, considering they’re made in China. And the whole fake history thing sort of grates. Plus, hipsters.
Field Notes has been my go-to source for notebooks for a while now. They’re smaller (read: more portable), cheaper, and made in the good ol’ USA. Their limited-edition sets are a lot of fun, and they even published a book last spring. (Even if you don’t buy their notebooks, you’ve simply got to read A Drive into the Gap. Just take my word for it.)
Yeah, I’m a bit of a luddite. But I’m not the only one who’s digging the old-school Field Notes vibe.