Whenever I begin contemplating how to write my thoughts on a product, I like to read as many other prior reviews as possible.

I find myself weighing the pros and cons of this behaviour constantly. This can sway my opinion and create a small bias when I write. Or it can give me necessary insight about something I may have overlooked. Generally, I think the pros outweigh the cons.

I've spent an inordinate amount of time reviewing simple memo books as of late. My Shelterwood review was written based on three days of admiration and experimentation. Three days is plenty of time to write a first impression review of a memo book.

But for this upcoming review, I've spent weeks testing and experimenting. Expedition is a totally different product.

As a result, I read through these reviews thoroughly before truly jumping in. These reviews really focus on the way different kinds of pens work with the Yupo paper and I'm thankful someone has the pens to do a realistic test. There are also a few other tidbits that may be of some interest.

• What is the Best Pen for the Field Notes Expedition Edition? --    (The Pen Addict)
• Field Notes Expedition Review -- (The Unroyal Warrant)
• Field Notes Expedition Edition: Smeary? -- (Pencil Revolution)
• Expectations and Expeditions, Field Notes That Is -- (The Well Appointed Desk)
• Finding the Right Pen for the Field Notes Expedition Notebook -- (Pocket Philosophies)

It's going to be a fun week next week. I can't wait.