what to wear this coming winter

A WEATHER REPORT

But first another testimonial.

Thank you for making first run, first quality products that can be relied upon for years and years. I'm so impressed with the performance And durability of all my Wiggy's gear that I am continually chucking all my useless " other gear" one by one and buying as many Wiggy's products as it takes to go 100% Wiggy's and, I'm buying other products from you that I have no comparable past gear to measure against- like Leg Jackets and my Ducksback Wind Shirt - best stuff ever especially when paired with fishnets when applicable. Yep, its summer and I've already used them! Outstanding performance and comfort! Like balmy full length and Chukka boots both - outstanding and out of the box comfortable. Next purchase will be the insulated bivy tent and sleep pad. Looking forward to it all!! Thanks SO much and again, happy Independence Day!!

Highest regards,

Jim Dearing

I was very pleased to receive this report of the Ducksback Wind Shirt in particular.

WEATHER

I am the major supplier of sleeping bags purchase in the state of Alaska; about 3000 per year and growing. I am also the major supplier of both fire retardant and non-fire retardant parkas and bibs to workers on the oil patch. Because of all of this activity I am told daily from Marc owner of Wiggy’s Alaska what the weather is and this summer is actually not summer at all in Alaska.

I read earlier this week that Greenland experienced a 4^th of July that was the coldest on record; -33 C which is about the same F.

I believe that this is a telltale sign of what the weather will be like this coming winter; cold. Colder than we have seen in previous years; yes!

If the heat generated by sunlight; radiant heat does not warm the earth that is located in the northern reaches of the globe very much as it moves slowly south the land will not be radiating much heat so the northern latitude will cool much more quickly. That means the cold air will move south earlier than in previous years.

The end result as I see it will be a cold winter!!

That said; the best way to combat the winter chill is to wear outerwear that keeps the moisture out of your garment as well as allowing the moisture that you generate to escape out of the garment. A dry body is a warm body.

As I see it the general public has been bombarded by companies claiming that they made their outerwear from fabrics that do just that; keep moisture out and are “breathable” (as if the garment is alive) that lets the moisture out. After 40 years of hearing such nonsense we now know that each and every one of these companies has lied. Ducksback material is the last nail in the coffin of all of those fabrics. Just a reminder the fabric is not water proof and it certainly can’t breathe, but it is vapor permeable and their in lays the difference.

The other aspect of what is sold by these companies is the form of material they call “insulation” chopped staple fiberfill, steel wool can also be called insulation if you put it between two fabrics, or sawdust, how about kapok and of course there is polypropylene and foam. All of these materials are referred to buy the various companies as a form of insulation for use in cold weather clothing. Unfortunately for any person purchasing one of these garments they will find out rather quickly they do not work for that purpose.

Today I was told that a foreign military was supposedly testing 4 sleeping bags they purchased from me, but not in the field. They were laboratory testing it because I could not give them test reports. I thought about it for a few minutes and wrote to my representative the following facts; since about 1988 all of the domestically produced sleeping bags purchased by the US military have been insulated with continuous filament fiber. Continuous filament fiber has become the ONLY form of insulation used in all sleeping bags purchased by the military today and that is the written spec. I take responsibility for that action. Since the military adopted or specified only continuous filament fiber well over one million sleeping bags have been made with it. That is a situation that is not going to change I believe forever. The military also has one bag that is specified a laminated product. So I am getting through to them slowly but I am getting through to them.

Considering the fact that the US military only uses the insulation that Lamilite is made from should be enough to tell any foreign military it is the best.

All of the arctic clothing systems being previewed by the military are utilizing laminated continuous filament fiber (Climashield). Why because the proof of laminated Climashield performing better than quilting it is undeniable.

So when you start thinking about the need for a new cold weather garment that will last for years there is nothing available in the market place that is comparable to any Lamilite insulated garment made by Wiggy’s. Also, the costs are lower.