Best Pocket Notebooks: Field Notes, Yacho & More

Seven closed pocket notebooks and memo pads drawn to scale on one line, each labelled with its pick, from Field Notes to the Mnemosyne N161 — One pick per job, drawn to scale at 1 mm = 1 px from published sizes.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Field Notes Original Kraft Memo Book, 3-Pack (graph, ruled, plain or mixed)Field Notes	United States	United States^*	Price range: $under $5 per notebook
Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Pocket (A6), Hardcover, 187 numbered pagesLeuchtturm1917	Germany	Varies (China or Taiwan)^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
Rite in the Rain All-Weather Top-Spiral Notebook No. 135, 3 × 5 in, YellowRite in the Rain	United States	United States^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
Field Notes Expedition Edition memo books, 3-pack (FNC-17)Field Notes	United States	United States^*	Price range: $under $5 per notebook
KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho Sketch Book, 3 mm grid, 40 sheets (SE-Y3)KOKUYO	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $under $5 per notebook
DELFONICS Rollbahn Pocket Memo L, 5 mm grid, 140 pagesDELFONICS	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
Maruman Mnemosyne Memo Pad A8 (N161), 5 mm grid, 65 sheetsMaruman	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $under $5 per notebook

Notes on these facts

Field Notes Original Kraft Memo Book, 3-Pack (graph, ruled, plain or mixed): Made by Field Notes Brand (Chicago); a joint venture of Draplin Design Co. and Coudal Partners. Made in United States: Field Notes' spec sheet, as reproduced in full by Pulp Addiction, says all Field Notes memo books are printed and manufactured in the U.S.A. and names the printer, Schneider Graphics, Inc., of Bensenville, Illinois. Jenni Bick also lists made in USA. Duluth Trading has said some components may be imported. Field Notes' own site blocked our requests, so we read the spec sheet through retailers. Source. Released: Wikipedia dates the Field Notes launch to 2007; the spec-sheet copy says the first product was a 3-pack of kraft memo books with graph paper, with plain following shortly after, and Draplin's hand-made gift versions came earlier.
Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Pocket (A6), Hardcover, 187 numbered pages: Made by Leuchtturm Gruppe (Geesthacht, Germany). Made in Varies (China or Taiwan): Retailer data, not the maker's: Galaxus has listed China for a black Pocket hard cover and China and Taiwan for a blue one (Galaxus now blocks automated reading). Leuchtturm1917's German product page names only the maker in Geesthacht, and Medium A5 listings give Germany or Taiwan. Check the label on your copy. Source. Released: Unsharpen dates the Leuchtturm1917 notebook brand to 2005; we found no separate launch date for the Pocket. The company itself dates to 1917.
Rite in the Rain All-Weather Top-Spiral Notebook No. 135, 3 × 5 in, Yellow: Made in United States: Rite in the Rain's own specifications for the No. 135 give "Manufactured: U.S.A.", and its history page traces production in Tacoma, Washington, back to 1916. Cansel's listing also says proudly made in the U.S.A. Source.
Field Notes Expedition Edition memo books, 3-pack (FNC-17): Made by Field Notes Brand (Chicago); a joint venture of Draplin Design Co. and Coudal Partners. Made in United States: Field Notes' Expedition page (read October 22, 2026) says all Field Notes memo books are printed and manufactured in the U.S.A., names the printer, eDOC Communications of Mount Prospect, Illinois, and says the Yupo paper is extruded in Chesapeake, Virginia. Source.
KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho Sketch Book, 3 mm grid, 40 sheets (SE-Y3): Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: KOKUYO's Japanese product page for セ-Y3 (read October 22, 2026) gives sizes, sheet count, paper and JAN code but no country of manufacture, and the Amazon US listing doesn't state one either. Check the back cover. Source. Released: GetNavi's 2019 interview with KOKUYO's product developer says the Sokuryo Yacho was born in 1959, ten years after Japan's 1949 Survey Act, with the Level, Transit, Sketch and Offset books.
DELFONICS Rollbahn Pocket Memo L, 5 mm grid, 140 pages: Made in Japan: DELFONICS' Japanese web shop lists 生産国：日本 (country of production: Japan) for the L, M, Mini and A5 pocket memos (read October 22, 2026); the UK retailer Milligram also says designed and made in Japan. Source. Released: Milligram's 2021 design brief says DELFONICS launched the Rollbahn in 2001 as the Rollbahn Photo Pocket Memo, starting with the medium size.
Maruman Mnemosyne Memo Pad A8 (N161), 5 mm grid, 65 sheets: Made by Maruman Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: Maruman's Japanese product page for the N161 gives the country of manufacture (生産国) as Japan (read October 22, 2026). Source.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Field Notes and Field Notes Expedition are both 3.5 × 5.5 in (89 × 140 mm) with 48 pages; the Leuchtturm1917 Pocket is 90 × 150 mm with 187 numbered pages.
Rite in the Rain says its No. 135 takes pencil and all-weather pens wet or dry; Field Notes says pencils, ballpoints and fine Sharpies work best on Expedition's Yupo synthetic paper.
KOKUYO's Sokuryo Yacho, a surveyor's field book since 1959, is 165 × 95 mm with a stiff hard cover and 40 sheets of 3 mm grid.
The Maruman Mnemosyne N161 is the smallest pick: 105 × 50 mm, 65 perforated sheets of 80 g/m² grid paper, ¥308 (about US$1.90) in Japan.
Field Notes, Expedition and Rite in the Rain are made in the USA; the Rollbahn and Mnemosyne in Japan.

What is the best pocket notebook?

For most people, the Field Notes Original Kraft: a light, cheap 3.5 × 5.5 in memo book made in the USA that you fill and replace. The other picks solve one problem each: a hard cover, rain, writing standing up, more pages or tear-off notes. It’s #1 because it’s thin enough for any pocket and cheap enough to fill and replace, sold in 3-packs and made in the USA since 2007.

Best overall: Field Notes Original Kraft. Why it’s here: 48 pages in graph, ruled or plain under a kraft cover, cheap enough to fill and replace; made in the USA since 2007 and sold in 3-packs.
Hardcover: Leuchtturm1917 Pocket. Why it’s here: almost four times the Field Notes’ pages (187, numbered) in a 90 × 150 mm hardcover with an elastic and a back pocket, for one book that lasts months.
All-weather: Rite in the Rain No. 135. Why it’s here: all-weather paper that Rite in the Rain says takes pencil and all-weather pens wet or dry, 100 pages in a 3 × 5 in top-spiral book made in Tacoma.
Waterproof and tearproof: Field Notes Expedition. Why it’s here: Yupo synthetic paper that survives a soaking, in the Field Notes size and hi-vis orange.
Field book: KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho. Why it’s here: a stiff cover you can write on standing up with the book in one hand, 165 × 95 mm with 3 mm grid, made since 1959.
Spiral with pockets: DELFONICS Rollbahn. Why it’s here: the only pick with five clear pockets at the back, a Japanese spiral notebook with an elastic.
Tear-off notes: Maruman Mnemosyne N161. Why it’s here: the only tear-off pad, 65 micro-perforated grid sheets printed on one side, so each works as a slip.

How did we choose these picks?

We compiled these picks from published sources, not hands-on testing: makers’ sizes, page counts and paper claims, US availability and price band. We started with the classic pocket memo book, then added one pick for each problem it doesn’t solve: a hard cover, rain, writing standing up, more pages or tear-off notes.

How do the pocket notebooks compare?

Three are made for dry pockets, two for weather, and two are Japanese grid books with different bindings.

Notebook	Pick	Size	Pages	Paper	Binding	Made in	Band
Field Notes Original Kraft	Best overall	89 × 140 mm (3.5 × 5.5 in)	48	Graph, ruled or plain	3 staples	USA	$
Leuchtturm1917 Pocket	Hardcover	90 × 150 mm (3.5 × 5.9 in)	187, numbered	80 g/m², dot, ruled, squared or plain	Thread-sewn	China or Taiwan (retailer)	$$
Rite in the Rain No. 135	All-weather	76 × 127 mm (3 × 5 in)	100	All-weather, universal pattern	Top Wire-O	USA	$$
Field Notes Expedition	Waterproof	89 × 139 mm (3.5 × 5.5 in)	48	Yupo synthetic, dot-graph	3 staples	USA	$
KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho	Field book	95 × 165 mm (3.7 × 6.5 in)	80 (40 sheets)	3 mm grid	Hard cover	Not stated	$
DELFONICS Rollbahn L	Spiral + pockets	143 × 182 mm (5.6 × 7.2 in)	140	5 mm grid, perforated	Side spiral	Japan	$$
Maruman Mnemosyne N161	Tear-off pad	50 × 105 mm (2 × 4.1 in)	65 sheets	5 mm grid, 80 g/m²	Top glued and stapled	Japan	$

Sizes and specs are from each maker’s own pages; the Leuchtturm1917 origin is from a retailer.

Pocket notebook footprints to scale: Rollbahn L 143 × 182 mm, KOKUYO Yacho 95 × 165 mm, Leuchtturm1917 Pocket 90 × 150 mm, Field Notes 89 × 140 mm, Rite in the Rain 76 × 127 mm and Mnemosyne N161 50 × 105 mm — The Rollbahn L is a bag notebook; DELFONICS also makes Mini (82 × 105 mm) and M (111 × 138 mm) sizes.

Which pocket notebook is best in the rain?

Rite in the Rain for writing in wet weather, Field Notes Expedition for a book that survives a soaking. Rite in the Rain says pencils and all-weather pens write on its paper wet or dry, while ballpoints and permanent markers work only when it’s dry.

Expedition’s Yupo pages are polypropylene, so they don’t absorb ink at all; Field Notes recommends pencils, ballpoints or fine Sharpies. Neither paper takes gel or fountain pen ink.

Field Notes or Leuchtturm1917 Pocket?

Field Notes if you fill a book in a few weeks and like starting fresh; the Leuchtturm1917 if you want one book to last months. The Leuchtturm1917 has almost four times the pages, a table of contents, page numbers and a hard cover, but weighs 148 g, per Leuchtturm1917.

A Field Notes 3-pack costs less than one Leuchtturm1917 Pocket. For a top-opening pocket book, see the Moleskine Reporter.

Why do people love the KOKUYO Yacho?

Its stiff cover lets you write standing up with the book in one hand, and it is cheap. KOKUYO lists the Sketch Book at ¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax, and Japan’s GetNavi reports more than a million sold a year.

The 3 mm grid runs to the page edges, which suits sketches and small lettering. At 165 mm (6.5 in) tall it fits a jacket pocket better than a jeans pocket.

What is the best memo pad for quick notes?

The Mnemosyne N161, a 105 × 50 mm pad whose 65 sheets tear off cleanly at a micro-perforation. It’s printed on one side only, so each sheet works as a slip for a list or a phone number; Maruman makes it in Japan.

The Rollbahn suits people who want pockets for receipts and tickets: all four sizes have five clear pockets at the back, and the Mini (82 × 105 mm) is the true pocket size.

Where are they made?

Field Notes, Expedition and Rite in the Rain in the USA; the Rollbahn and Mnemosyne in Japan. Field Notes names its Illinois printer, and Rite in the Rain has made all-weather paper in Tacoma since 1916.

KOKUYO doesn’t state where the Yacho is made, and retailers give China or Taiwan for the Leuchtturm1917 Pocket. For full-size notebooks, see our best notebooks.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a pocket notebook?

The common US size is 3.5 × 5.5 in (89 × 140 mm), used by Field Notes; the European A6 pocket size is a little taller, about 90 × 150 mm for the Leuchtturm1917 Pocket.

What is the best waterproof pocket notebook?

Rite in the Rain's No. 135 for writing in the rain with pencil or an all-weather pen, or Field Notes Expedition, whose Yupo synthetic paper is waterproof and tearproof. Both are made in the USA.

Can you use a gel pen in a Rite in the Rain notebook?

No. Rite in the Rain says gel pens, highlighters and fountain pens don't work on its all-weather paper; ballpoints and permanent markers work only when the page is dry.

Which pocket notebook lies flat?

The two spiral-bound picks, the top-spiral Rite in the Rain No. 135 and the side-spiral Rollbahn, open flat and fold back on themselves. The Leuchtturm1917 Pocket is thread-sewn, which helps it open flat too.

What is a Yacho notebook?

KOKUYO's Sokuryo Yacho is a Japanese surveyor's field book first made in 1959, with a stiff cover for writing in one hand. KOKUYO lists the Sketch Book at 165 × 95 mm with 40 sheets of 3 mm grid.

Are pocket notebooks good for fountain pens?

None of the makers rates its pocket book for fountain pens. DELFONICS says the Rollbahn paper resists feathering and show-through, and Maruman's N161 uses 80 g/m² paper; Rite in the Rain says fountain pens don't work on its paper. Test on a back page first.

Which pocket notebooks are made in the USA?

Field Notes Original Kraft and Expedition, and Rite in the Rain, whose spec sheet says manufactured in the USA. The Rollbahn and Mnemosyne N161 are made in Japan.

Sources (7)

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