Paperwork, a working phone and dry kit are three things you genuinely can't improvise if they're ruined — a soaked ID document, a dead phone or a waterlogged sleeping bag can turn a manageable situation into a much harder one.
We've picked a waterproof notebook for notes and details that need to survive the wet, a waterproof phone case that keeps a phone usable (not just protected) in rain or a river crossing, and a roll-top dry bag for everything else you can't afford to get wet.
A waterproof notebook records grid references, contacts, symptoms and plans that survive rain and sweat — reliable written information when a phone can't be trusted.
Look for synthetic 'stone' or coated paper that sheds water entirely, not just a water-resistant cover over normal pages.
A compact notebook that fits a jacket or pack pocket is one you'll actually carry and reach for in the field.
A tough cover and binding survive being crushed in a pack and soaked repeatedly without falling apart.
Ballpoint pens skip on wet paper and fail in the cold. Use a pencil or a pressurised all-weather pen so you can actually write when it's wet.
A phone is not a reliable record in the wet or when the battery's flat. A waterproof notebook is the backup that keeps working regardless.
An A5 waterproof field notebook with tear-proof stone paper that sheds water entirely, keeping navigation notes, contacts and records legible in any weather.
A floating IPX8 waterproof phone pouch that keeps your phone dry and fully usable through rain, spray and submersion, with a clear touch-through window and neck lanyard.
A roll-top waterproof dry bag with welded seams and an included phone pouch, keeping clothing, sleeping gear and electronics dry through rain, spray and submersion.