Don't waterproof paper. Buy waterproof paper.

The best way to waterproof a notebook is to start with paper that’s already made for rain.

Trying to treat regular paper with a spray or wax ends poorly. It turns the pages greasy, smeary, and hard to write on. And most coatings only delay the damage — one good dunk and you’ve got a pulpy mess.

The standard answer is Rite in the Rain. It’s been the go-to for field notebooks for decades, and it works. The paper sheds water, and you can write on it with a ballpoint or pencil (skip gel and fountain pens). If you want to keep using a notebook you already love, a waterproof cover or a simple ziplock bag does the job without messing with the paper.

Bottom line: