h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

can one not have a digital note book ?

I suppose you could on something like a palmtop- but then you run the risk of it breaking, running out of batteries, or simply not working right! Sometimes, it's better just to rely on pencil and paper!

Yup... your trusty notebook cannot get a virus, cannot crash or freeze, will not run out of batteries, is generally impervious to moisture (see bit in the entry about using pencil - though biro isn't bad), does not require backups or upgrades (other than a new one once that one is full) is easily archived and retrieved, can be used as a fly swat, impromtu dinner plate, signalling device, flat plane for getting an average dip using the compass-clino, scale in photographs...

No computers in the field ta!

oh, and it doesn't break when put in rucksack or pockets along with rocks, hammers, tape measures, lunch etc...

Nice to meet another rockhound!

Although having computers in the field have advantages. You can use GPS and GIS to make a geologic map just by trucking around out there walking the contacts.

Traveller in Time on his head
"Congratualtions, I finally read it (hey, it is not pending anymore).

Can you use a GPS with track memory (make notice of the time), and try to upload the data from all three of them into the computer at the camp site.

Do you experience about left page mainly drawings and right page mainly text? (Or the reverse for left handed)
"

Sorry , I didn't understand your first question!

The GPS I used at field camp worked with a palmtop computer- an iPaq. This had ArcPad on it, a GIS software package made specifically for doing what I was doing. I would turn the GPS on, set the software to track where I was, and just walk the contact. Afterwards, I would go to the main computer that could print, and download my path from the iPaq onto the computer, and make my main map there. Does that answer the question?

And the field notebooks I used at field camp were the reverse- left hand page lined for text, and right hand page had a grid for sketching. But they make different kinds!

There are four geologists on H2G2 besides you me and rockhound_jo (about who I am guessing). The only two I can think of off the top of my head are Rita (the Lakota who wrote the EG article about Table Mountain) and Pencil Queen. Rita is in Colorado, I am in California, and Pencil Queen is in between London and Wales, I think.

The third one I am thinking of is Ukkeli, from Finland.

Traveller in Time trying to catch some global sattelites
" . I tried to suggest exactly what you did. Only use dedicated single task 'computers' on a field trip. (and preferably use more then one)

Anything multi purpose will break or fail. The GPS data has a timestamp, using the GPS time in your note book will add exact position data to your notes."

Never thought of that one! Thank you!

Sea Change- I think Don Malvado is a geology student as well! But it's always nice to meet more on here!

i'll admit to being a geology student.

woohoo!