Fieldbooks SAAC 04

Fieldbook Order Form

Fieldbooks

We developed these looseleaf fieldbooks for our fieldwork and courses. They are printed for us by J.L. Darling on their Rite in the Rain® paper.

We prefer the looseleaf format because we can add pages as we need them, assemble them in the order that works best for us, file completed pages safely away in our archives, copy or scan them easily, and not waste any pages.

The format is graphic for the easiest recording, sharing, and interpretation, and the format leads you through the key points to record in the field. Keep scrolling down to see them.

The pages archive easily and work well on the web as scanned or copied pages, and are consistent with the standard US observation guidelines in Snow, Weather, and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States.

We print them for our own students and fieldwork, but we offer them to others as well. Printing them on the weather-resistant paper is not cheap, and larger print runs help us cut the cost. They are sold as a service rather than as a fundraising project, so they are priced to just cover our costs.

We sell both complete fieldbooks and replacement pages. The complete books have 1 key page, 20 observations page pairs, 10 double-sided aspect-elevation pages, 1 WFR notes page, and 10 lined level pages in a 6 ring plastic binder.

The initial cost is very slightly higher than other preprinted fieldbooks, but the longterm cost is lower because replacement pages are cheaper than new books, and because the looseleaf format allows you to use every page.

We only sell the complete books and the special pages we have printed. We do not sell replacement binders or standard level pages because you can buy them yourself from dealers for as good a price as we can get.

Check with J.L. Darling for dealers in your area. The binders are Item No. 200 and the level pages are the #312 Loose Leaf Sheets 4-5/8" x 7".

Call or e-mail us to inquire about quantity pricing.

Fieldbook Order Form

A well-used fieldbook with the zippered Cordura nylon cover that you can order through J. L Darling dealers. We do not sell these covers, but we highly recommend them. They are their Item No. C9200. They help keep the otherwise slippery plastic binders from going for first tracks on their own, keep snow out of the pages when they are closed, and they carry writing tools and crib sheets ready for use in their handy inside pockets.

The fieldbook key, showing both sides of the page. We had these printed on heavier yellow paper so they last, and so they are easy to find and flip to for quick reference.

The first of the observations pages has site information and the list of the key observations on the front. Here's a filled-out page to illustrate how it's used.

The middle two facing observations pages are set up for a snowpit profile with lots of space for notes. This set is shown filled out for the same field day as the first page. The back side of the righthand page is printed as a level fieldbook page for sketches or written notes. Keep scrolling down to see a level page.

The aspect-elevation diagram pages have the same layout on both sides. They can be used to compile observations from a number of field parties, or you can use one side to compile input and the other to sketch out your interpretation or evaluation.

These diagrams are a great tool for visualizing patterns. Bruce Tremper's Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain textbook has a very good section on using these diagrams.

The WFR (Wilderness First Responder) crib sheet page really has nothing to do with avalanches, but if you ever have to deal with avalanche rescue or a field partner who has lost an argument with a tree, rock, or manky snow, you will appreciate having a quick reference handy.

We had our favorite WFR instructor review it. It works best if you take a WFR course, we highly recommend them for any winter backcountry travelers.

The backside is a level fieldbook page for notes and vitals.

This is a standard J.L. Darling level page. The horizontal lines help with text notes, and the verticals help with sketching, graphs, and diagrams.

They make a good all-around multipurpose blank page. We use them for the backsides of the last field observations page and WFR notes, and we include 10 double sided level pages with every fieldbook.

They get used for logging observations of what paths ran during avalanche cycles, sketching accident sites and routes, logging Hobbs time when working with a helicopter, writing phone numbers and e-mails, making To Do lists, and countless other purposes.

Again, we don't stock the replacement pages because you can get as good a price from a J.L. Darling dealer as we can.

Fieldbook Order Form