Tuesday, October 16, 2007

News to Me

This headline in the Sunday newspaper outdoor section caught my eye: Paper keeps outdoor thoughts dry. Reading on brought to light a product I had no idea existed - all-weather writing paper called "Rite in the Rain." According to The Gear Junkie columnist, Stephen Regenold, the paper has an acrylic-based coating that "eschews water like a duck's back" yet allows the transfer of ink or pencil which then will not wash off. It was originally developed for the Pacific Northwest logging industry back in the 1920's. So why am I just hearing about it now?

Not that I do a lot of writing in the rain, or expose my written page to moisture, but I do have one old journal where ink has run and smudged along the edges of the page. The permanency factor, I suppose, is what intrigued me.

Rite as Rain comes in a variety of notebook sizes and styles, and a spiral bound 8.5 x 11 inch All-Weather sketchbook with blank pages is also available. However, I wonder about the sketchbook. The pages apparently have a waxy and almost sticky feel to them, although they do not stick to each other. I'm guessing you'd have to have a really good reason to want to use that kind of paper to sketch - say going on a river rafting trip? Well, that won't be me any time soon, so I think I can skip this product for now. Still, I thought some of you journalers and sketchers out there might be as intrigued with this idea as I was.
Oh, yeah, and the company also makes an All-Weather pen as well....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

They even have sheets so you can rn your copier in the rain! Or take it on your river-rafting trip!

BC

margaret said...

For diary-keeping kayak holidays, perhaps? My brother does that (heck, he makes 'em - Nimbus brand is his) - I'll pass this info on!