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MARCH / APRIL
2003
Moral Cowardice: is fear of upholding the good
because it is good, and fear of opposing the evil because it
is evil.
---AYN RAND, "Altruism
asAppeasement,"
The Voice of
Reason, p.37
PACK
BOOTS
In all the years I have had
Wiggy’s I have not made a product just because someone thought I should. I
maintained if I could improve on something that someone else makes, then
and only then would I make it. Both the Muk Luks and Over boots are great
items as was the Herman boot made with Lamilite. The Muk Luks and Over
boots will without question keep your feet warm in very cold conditions,
but they have one drawback, they cannot be used on concrete or black top
pavement. That type of surface will wear them out quickly. I do make the
Sunwalker’s, which are Lamilite inserts for all of the pack boots
currently available on the market. They are an improvement over the felt
liners, and originally made for a police officer with the Barrow, Alaska
police department. They are a 1000 percent improvement over the felt
liners that come with the pack boots. The felt absorbs the moisture from
the foot, which is the part of the body that emits the greatest amount of
moisture. Once absorbed the wet felt liner needs to be in a house with
heat for as much as two days to dry. They also wear and need replacement
sometimes during the season if worn often. The Sunwalker never absorbs any
moisture, can be worn as a bootie around the campsite as well as in the
sleeping bag. Sunwalker’s are so durable they can go from a worn out pack
boot to a new pack boot.
Now for the exciting
news, I am manufacturing pack boots that utilize a molded rubber sole that
keeps its flexibility in temperatures as cold as –40 degrees. The upper or
shaft is insulated with, you guessed it Lamilite. And the liner is of
course the Sunwalker. These pack boots are an improvement over all other
previously produced pack boots.
The
Sunwalker’s are still available for those of you who have pack boots; cost
is $49.00 per pair. They are available in sizes from 7 to 14. They have
been improved, by replacing the sole with a rubberized sole, which is also
on the inside, which gives excellent traction and eliminates
slippage.
Now for some technical information
why my pack boots are significantly more efficient than what has been
produced before I started making pack boots.
It all rests on the Lamilite insulation and how it is used in the boots.
First the lower part of the boot, the waterproof part is roomier than
traditional pack boots. The reason for the extra room is to allow the
Lamilite to expand to its maximum thickness. Remember the greater the
thickness the harder it is for the heat produced by the foot to be
conducted away from the foot, and conversely the more difficult for
outside cold to settle into the boot, hence giving you cold feet.
The size range is from 7 to
14 for stock, and we can also make custom sizes. The cost is $160.00 per pair. You may view this product and any
other new products under the "What's New" link in the online
catalog.
MY LETTER TO PRESIDENT
BUSH
I am happy to say that I did receive a reply
from his office advising me that my letter was forwarded to the Department
of Defense. I then received a letter from the commander of the Defense
Logistics Agency. I was advised that the U.S. military had no dealings
with the Brett Harris Company. The letter further stated that by law the
U.S. military must award contracts for items such as sleeping bags to
companies operating in the U.S. or its territories. Also, the fiber that
is used in all U.S. supplied sleeping bags was not chopped staple. As a
point in fact all of the sleeping bags supplied to the military contain
continuous filament fiber.
The situation that
I confronted in losing the contract will never happen again, if I can help
it. As a point in fact I just received an order that originally requested
the Snugpak product. When my information was presented the Snugpak product was totally
rejected.
LETTERS
Mr.Wiggy,
I just wanted to tell you about a little camping trip
that I just went on with a friend from the United
States Army. My friend Kris and I had been
planning a little vacation from the world after he returned from duty
activation in Kuwait. It so happens that our trip began the day
after the renewed action in Iraq. Anyway, on to my
story, We went camping in the Texas Hill country
where the days were in the low 80's and night time
temps were in the upper 30's. My friend who had preached the blessings of the new army multiple bag sleeping system to
me since before I purchased your bag and continued
to question my opinion of your bag till the first
morning of our trip. I awakened to the smell of coffee and left my tent to find him making coffee and frying
some bacon. When I asked how he slept he advised
that it was cold until he added his Gore-Tex outer
lining then he slept like a baby. I immediately advised him that I had slept warm and cozy in my wiggy overbag all night. I
then went into sales mode. (I love preaching the
blessings of Lamilite) I asked him if he knew why
he was cold in his overbag? I explained that his
bag used a substandard insulation that simply allowed his body heat
to escape while my wiggy was designed to create a
warm blanket of warm air around me and not only
did it hold in my heat, but pulled away my own
body moisture leaving me dry and warm. (I already told you the
story about the gallon of freezing water I slept
in the camp out before this one.) I then attacked
the Gore-Tex fabric that he had around him. I
asked did you wake up clammy this morning when you got out of your bag? To which he acknowledged that he did. To my
expectations. I just wanted you to know Mr. Wiggy.
I always exclaim when I drag out your bag "There’s
my Wiggy" Like I am seeing an old friend again. I trust your bag(s) with my life...and that's the most important
thing that I can say to anyone about your bag.
(I didn’t realize the letter wasn’t signed, except for
the e-mail address, which I deleted after copying to the newsletter, hence
no signature.)
Editors comment: This is the first letter I have
received that has been so specific about the condensation problem that is
created when Gore-Tex material is used.
Dear Wiggy,
I am a Staff Sgt. In the US Air Force. I
have had the pleasure of using your bags on several outings. The first was
an elk-hunting trip in October, in the mountains of Utah. The second was
in Arctic Survival Training School (ASTS) at Eielson AFB in the Arctic of
northern Alaska. The hunting trip was mild and I used a friends 3 in 1
system. (Probably the Super Light FTRSS). During ASTS I was issued a –60
bag (Antarctic) with a bivi bag. During the school we had to spend 3 days
and 2 nights in –20 temps. At no time did I have to question if I was
going to suffer through the extreme cold conditions. I asked the
instructors if they had a way to contact you. This is how I got your site
info. I read your letter to my Commander-in-Chief.
Thanks,
SSgt. G.R. Crawford
Editors comment: I have been the primary supplier
of sleeping bags to the Armed Forces of the U.S. since about 1992, been
selling them since 1987, and am very proud of that accomplishment. One of
the benefits is to have my products used by people from all areas of the
country, some with lots of camping experience in all weather conditions
and some with no camping experience until joining the military. Therefore,
my bags are given the greatest exposure to the greatest variety of people.
The success rate is phenomenal with respect to keeping people warm. If I
were to try and use people who are intermittent campers, I couldn’t
possibly get the same results. Using the military exposes my products to
people who are wearing the same clothing, eating the same foods and
participating in the activities on the same days. That is a significant
benefit to Wiggy’s.
In conclusion being a supplier to the military is
beneficial to me and the troops get the best that is available.
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