That's the beauty of the old "pen and marble notebook", or in my case, a 7mm mechanical pencil, HB lead and a Steno Notebook.

I gave up on ball-point pens many years ago, after having several of them "explode" due to altitude changes. It's amazing just how far a little cylinder of ink can spread... and how fast. A change of just a few thousand feet, going up into the mountains, can trigger such an event. And the ink does NOT come out! While I know quite a bit about chemistry, I have yet to discover the "Universal Solvent"! *G* I have tried all sorts of remedies, and I still have a couple of shirts with great blue blotches on them. I call them my "Rorshach Shirts".

Yes, the pencil is my favored tool. Though it may smudge and smear, it's not nearly so bad as ink in that respect. Also, I tend to be a "neat-nik". I hate to scratch something out, preferring to use the "other" end of the pencil. With an eraser, I can remove all traces of my own stupidity!

As for the pad, almost any kind of paper will do, but I prefer the orderliness of the lines. With my scribbles, I am all over the page without some form of guidance. The other nice thing about a steno pad is that it is narrow enough to fit in a hip pocket, yet wide enough to contain my most grandiose ideas! *L* They are also pretty cheap if you buy them in the twelve-pack at the office supply store.

There is one other item I usually carry with me when I am going hiking or camping. That item is a small, 4 x 6, artist's sketchbook. Though I am no "artist", I will frequently throw a few lines on the paper in an effort to capture a particular mood or a detail of a flower. Many times, I make little maps of the surroundings (surprise, surprise! *G*).

I also carry a camera when I'm out and about. My little Canon digital is great for any sort of "photo-op". The disadvantage is that it does require batteries. Sometimes I long for the olden days with my old "Brownie". No flash, no auto-focus, and no self winding feature! All mechanical and rugged enough for almost any sort of punishment short of dunking it in a stream!

BTW - I don't take the art pad and the camera to the grocery store. Most of what you see there would be too gross!

OK - so there you have the Mac-angle on this topic.