Deep thoughts

Because ink smears on rite in the rain paper.

Temptation is testing you.  If you’re afraid you might give in get a Rite in the Rain pen.

Because a pencil won't leak in your shirt or vest pocket.

Originally, pens were not reliable, leaked, and smeared if wet.  Hard pencil was required so it left an impression in the paper, that could be deciphered even if the graphite got rubbed off.

Writing technology has improved.

@dave-lindell How many shirt pockets had the blob of ink spot lol.  I ruined a military uniform once. We had to use black ink. In the middle of summer the pen overhead and burst.  Prior to military I used drafting pencils mostly. No temptation to erase. One line through a mistake and initials. Now days I don’t see a lot of reasons to tote a field book notes pictures every thing just about can be in data collector.

I use pencil.

I erase mistakes.

My Field notes are for me.

The notes I take are filed away for future use if the need ever arises, whatever that may be. When the field book is finished it gets cataloged and I get another one. 

I used Pigma Micron archival ink pens.  03 was my tip size of choice.  Never ran in rain or snow as long as i wasn't writing on a wet page to begin with.  You can even get them in different colors to make your sketches or text purdy.

Why is it that reading notes aloud to the person processing the data is so much more effective than them reading the note alone?

Presumably it is a combination of learning style, human connection through presence and voice and the addition of emphasis. Maybe these newfangled data collectors that talk to you every moment can begin to take dictation and add an audio file to the electronic note.

Knowing how hard to cling to conventions is a funny thing, understanding their intent is the first step. I erase for clarity or correction but never to deceive or conceal. 

@party-chef 

Emphasis is critical

My English teacher wife has a tee shirt that emphasizes the importance of proper punctuation.  It reads:  ENGLISH TEACHERS SAVE LIVES.  Then two sentences are presented.

LET'S EAT KIDS.

LET'S EAT, KIDS.

My notes are taken to meet the standards in our rules of evidence. For most things that means contemporaneous notes on, bound serially numbered pages with no erasures. It has paid off more than once. Keep in mind many of my jobs are headed for a hearing before I get a call...

I once worked for a Party Chief that would say "never erase in a field book" as he was erasing. :).  Jp

Things get messy when you have to cross things out more than once. What I really hate is when I cross out something that was right and write in something wrong and have to cross that out and circle the first crossed out part that I can't uncross out and in the end I just wish I could erase the whole thing and start over. Is it Friday yet?

I need an emoji of a monkey humping a football.

What's a field book?

Courts don't like erase marks.

What's a data collector? .

@horseshoes-handgrenades I like those too, but sometimes writing on a wet page is unavoidable.

@aliquot true, in which case, even pencil is worthless.  Best to use the ol' stone tablet and chisel for those situations.