Description

FNC-17 marked the beginning of the fifth year of Quarterly Editions at Field Notes. Over the years, the series had explored a wide range of papers, colours, finishes, and printing techniques. With the Expedition Edition, however, Field Notes introduced something entirely new: synthetic paper.

Inspired by the extreme conditions of Antarctica, the Expedition Edition features a high-visibility Antarctic Survey Orange front cover and Polar Night Black back cover. Both covers are finished with a subtle varnish depicting a topographic map of Antarctica. Inside, the familiar dot-graph ruling is printed in light grey.

The real innovation lies within: Yupo Synthetic Paper, a waterproof and tear-resistant material made from polypropylene. Developing the notebooks required months of testing and refinement, with extensive support from Yupo, printers, and ink technicians.

The Antarctic inspiration extends beyond the design. In October 2013, the Expedition Edition travelled to the South Pole with explorer Ben Saunders. Alongside his team, Saunders retraced Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated journey to the Pole and back—on foot, unsupported.

While most notebooks will never face conditions as extreme as those encountered in Antarctica, the Expedition Edition’s exceptional durability makes it equally suited to demanding environments, fieldwork, travel, and everyday adventures.

Specifications

• Printed by  eDOC Communications, Mount Prospect, Ill.
• Cover: 200gsm waterproof/tearproof Yupo Synthetic paper, with thick, brute force applications of “Hi-Visibility Orange” and “Low-Visibility Black” soy-based Saphira inks and a tinted spot varnish.
• Innards: 84gsm waterproof/tearproof Yupo Synthetic paper with a 1-colour application of “Cartographer’s Gray” soy-based Saphira ink.
• Cover and innards printed on a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 40″ 6-color printing press.
• Bound by a Harris Bookbinder 6-pocket saddle stitcher with cover feeder, with appreciation to Samuel Slocum, George W. McGill, and William J. Brown, the “Founding Fathers of the Staple.”
• Corners rounded to 9.5mmby a Challenge DCM round-corner machine.
• Dot-graph grid:  4.7mm × 4.7mm (3/16″ × 3/16″).
• Memo book dimensions are  8.9cm × 13.9cm (3-1/2″ × 5-1/2″), approx. A6/pocketbook size.
• Typography: Futura, designed by Paul Renner in 1927, in collaboration with Monotype.
•  Printed and manufactured in the USA.
• For best results: Use ballpoint pens, pencils, and fine-tip markers.
• The Expedition Edition Book is available in convenient 3-packs.
• Cover: Antarctic Survey Orange / Polar Night Black.
• Finish: Topographic map varnish.
• Interior: Light grey dot-graph ruling.
• Paper: Yupo Synthetic Paper.
• Properties: Waterproof and tear-resistant.
• Best for: Ballpoint pens, pencils, and fine-tip markers. Because Yupo is nonporous, it does not absorb ink in the same way as conventional paper.

The results of 12 (reasonably) scientific tests can be found at the links below:

TEST 1: WATERPROOF
TEST 2: VISIBILITY
TEST 3: WIND RESISTANCE
TEST 4: BALLISTICS
TEST 5: VACUUM
TEST 6: TENSILE STRENGTH
TEST 7: COMPRESSION
TEST 8: ACID RESISTANCE
TEST 9: FLAME RESISTANCE
TEST 10: EXTREME TEMPERATURE
TEST 11: ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
TEST 12: ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE