FNC-17 marks the start of Field Notes fifth year of our Quarterly Editions. In that time, we’ve explored a wide variety of papers, colors, and printing techniques, but with this new Expedition edition, for the first time, we’ve actually expanded the type of paper used in our notebooks. Aesthetically, you’ll find an all-new design with plenty to like: a hi-visibility “Antarctic Survey Orange” front cover and “Polar Night Black” back cover, with a subtle varnish effect featuring a topographic map of Antarctica. The body pages feature our popular dot-graph paper printed in light gray. But the real innovation here is the paper. It’s maybe not even fair to call it paper. The whole book is printed on Yupo Synthetic paper, an amazing water- and tear-proof paper extruded from polypropylene pellets in Chesapeake, Virginia. We could go on and on about our new books’ durability and incredible properties (especially in concert with the new Space Pen, FN-19), and we will, in this series of 12 (reasonably) scientific tests: TEST 1: WATERPROOFTEST 2: VISIBILITYTEST 3: WIND RESISTANCETEST 4: BALLISTICSTEST 5: VACUUMTEST 6: TENSILE STRENGTHTEST 7: COMPRESSIONTEST 8: ACID RESISTANCETEST 9: FLAME RESISTANCETEST 10: EXTREME TEMPERATURETEST 11: ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVESTEST 12: ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE Months of development and testing were required to get these books just right, and we’d like to thank Yupo for their extensive support, as well as the great printers and ink technicians that pitched in to help. The majority of our customers may not test the limits of these books, but the map of Antarctica is neither hyperbole nor coincidence. We’ll be sending the Expedition edition to the South Pole with explorer Ben Saunders as he and his team retrace Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated journey to the Pole and back, on foot and unsupported, starting in October 2013. Note: Synthetic paper is nonporous and doesn’t absorb ink like our conventional papers. Ballpoint pens, pencils, or fine tip Sharpies work best.
