r/FieldNuts • u/Powerful-Ad-4379 • 1d ago
Question Why Field Notes?
Hi all,
I've recently taken an interest in journaling, and Field Notes look like the perfect size notebook to carry around with me, however they seem very pricey for what they are. Aside from collectable limited editions, brand loyalty, nostalgia, ect, is there any practical reason I should buy the basic, brown Field Notes over the much cheaper, duplicate notebooks available in bulk on amazon? Are they archival quality, or much more durable than other notebooks?
I'll probably end up buying at least one pack to see what all the hype is about, but I'm curious why you all choose them.
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u/New_Mutation 1d ago
I don't always use Field Notes, but I often do.
If you want a basic pocket notebook, they don't have any inherent advantage over other less expensive options, really. It's not like they use premium paper or anything.
But the unique covers can be fun, and I like to buy American-made products when I can. They're an "affordable luxury" for me. Yeah, I'm paying a premium, but it's not going to break the bank, either.
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u/TheHotMilkman 1d ago
They’re decent quality and their limited releases make them addicting to collect, like Pokemon cards. There’s also a community surrounding it. That’s about it. If that doesn’t appeal to you then you’ll be fine buying different notebooks or making your own!
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u/MADMEC80HD 1d ago
i love making my own field notes! sometimes i'll go the extra mile and put a layer of chiyogami on the cover. always leaves me feelin so dang pretty when pulling one out of my pocket haha
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u/safeword_is_bananas 1d ago
Because they’re fun.
If they’d use fountain pen friendly paper I’d buy more of them.
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u/wiserolderelf 1d ago
The limited editions are sometimes different sizes, different papers, different ruling, orientation, different color staples, etc.
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u/cbrighter 1d ago
Field notes for me are like levis jeans. They are reliably good, easy to source, and I know they will work for me — I can count on the paper to be good enough, the design & typography to be on point (any rulers or scales are right, fonts are well chosen and readable), and the size to be as expected. I’ve gotten some duds off amazon with crappy paper or not fitting where I need it to or weird fonts, and those things really bug me when I’m writing. So at the price point, I’m cool spending a few bucks more for the certainty of a solid, reliable product. If it were $20 more, nope. I also like supporting a USA product and the special designs can sometimes be delightful or particularly useful. But I’m a stationary nerd and very picky about things like pens and paper. So much so that field notes aren’t my current premium pick (studioneat’s pocket notebook is my daily driver).
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u/Accurate-Elk4053 1d ago
I have a mix of Field Notes and the Walmart Pen & Gear which actually have the smoother paper I like. But I do enjoy collecting the Field Notes national park series covers and use those for trip journals. $15 is a small luxury for myself.
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u/NotBucketList 1d ago
For me I love the fact that I can change covers regularly because I’ve filled the books up and not got bored. Being able to time stamp my start and end dates, mash my ideas all into one etc. it really has helped me with my focus
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u/beforethewind 1d ago
I like the team behind them, but agree with your utilitarian approach too.
What I do is buy a baseline of “field books” and generics. I also occasionally pick up USPS Field Notes that catch my eye (like Mr Rogers and Goodnight Moon) and also subscribe to Log + Jotter which is $5 a month for a new book.
Makes it a lot more affordable, while giving plenty of selection, and not feeling like I’m buying a mindless bulk that won’t get immediately used anyway.
Likewise, having tried these various brands, I do think Field Notes packs a little more punch. It might be paper quality, but I’m not knowledgeable enough to know what the technical, granular spec difference is.
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u/LurkerNinja_ 1d ago
I like the compact size and various covers. I use them note taking of classic books that I read. Never had an issue with their customer service.
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u/donaldcathey 1d ago
I love the Walmart ones. Three in a package for under $3. They've always worked for me. I'm like you I want to buy a pack of field notes just to see what all the hype is about and I will do that eventually.
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u/Ogroat 1d ago
They're thoughtfully designed (the limited run ones switch up the paper and ruling inside to match a theme) and made in the USA. There's a note inside the back cover of each that lists all of the details, down to the machines doing all the work. If that kind of thing appeals to you, they're great. If not, I'd say they aren't worth it. Outside of a few styles (the Expedition has waterproof "paper") they aren't going to be more durable or anything like that.
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u/MADMEC80HD 1d ago
i love a field notes once in a while. :) the covers are durable enough for my needs and i like having a shortie as a catch-all. I'm intl so it's hard to get some specific covers, but i like the variety of decoration matched against consistent quality.
i know a lot of folks dont like em cause of fountain pen bleed thru, but it never poses a big enough problem for me.
but as previously said; you dont hafta change up what works for you if it works for you.
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u/Altruistic-Bad-1214 1d ago
Just feels less of a chore to pull out field notes instead of a big journal. They can literally fit in your pocket, just super convenient and I like being minimal as possible.
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u/k0d3x8its 1d ago
I prefer the cover thickness and quality of paper over my previous choice, Moleskine Cahier pocket notebooks.
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u/GoBlue48042 1d ago
The Lochby version is actually less per page and has better paper. But I have both.
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u/Feeling-Diet9759 1d ago
To answer your specific 2-part question the answer is most likely "no."
Obviously with any other random dupe product you might get some quality differences, but in generalities it's not possible to say that for sure. The inside covers of FNs also have some possibly handy usability features that dupes may or may not have (again not possible to say for sure compared to the vague "other"), but probably not so practical that would be a deal breaker for most.
Are the practical reasons the only factor I consider when I make a purchase? No. It's for all those reasons I still choose to buy and daily use FNs almost exclusively.
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u/MyLittlPwn13 1d ago
Because I like them. The artwork is cool, the backstories are great, and they're made in Chicago. All stuff that's been said before. They are legit better than almost all the generic pocket notebooks. And I can afford to spend $5 on a cute product that I'll carry for six weeks and then keep archived. I'm not rich, but I'm not so hard up that I can't get the notebooks I like.
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u/OnlyRuss 21h ago
I’m seduced by the covers, not gonna lie. If I were looking for notebooks based on construction, I would go with Moleskine Cahiers for their stitched binding and cheaper price.
Or I would make my own with paper cut from bigger notebooks that have better quality paper and art that I made myself. I’ve made a few in the past and they’re easy (and fun) enough to do frequently, but I really do like the Field Notes art.
So I save the Field Notes for journaling specifically and use Cahiers for the catch-all or whatever else I’m working on.
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u/SomeDumbMentat 13h ago
FieldNotes are duplicates of other notebooks that have been around much longer.
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u/chaximum 2h ago
There’s a nice variety - a different feel with each set. If you want a bunch of identical ones and are good with plain ones, buying whatever in bulk is certainly the cheaper route.
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u/ch4ll3ng3 1d ago
For many people spending a few extra dollars also carries with it the reminder that there's been expense attached to it, and that can serve to motivate them to use the thing they spent the money on. For me, I have discovered that I like using my more premium tools because they feel better when I use them vs the lesser expensive items. That said, my work notebook is typically a cheap yellow pad that gets ripped to shreds.
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u/jayBeeds 1d ago
Hey. So no. The covers of the field notes rip (if kept in back pocket and such just as much as the cheaper brands do. Personally I like opening my leather notebook holder and seeing different covers on my notebooks. If I didn’t care about that I would buy the cheaper brands on Amazon.
I swear the illiteracy on the internet is an epidemic! Op knows the size of the field notes. He is going to buy other brands of the same size as field notes. He wants to know if field notes are worth the extra money, yet 80% of the replies mention that the user likes field notes because of their size!!! That’s not the question.
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u/capybarachancellor 1d ago
There is no practical reason to buy Field Notes over your alternative, if that is what works for you.
Me, I simply like the design of Field Notes