Posted by jerry wigutow on May 25th, 2019
A FOLLOW UP REVIEW AND A LEAD INTO A NEW DUCKSBACK RAIN COAT I WILL BE MAKING. ALSO A NEW CAMO BAG THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLYIT WILL BE AN ULTIMA THULE
1 Year Review
The Ducksback Zippered
Jacket is a phenomenal garment, and one of Wiggy's best in his jacket lineup.
I've had the jacket for a little over a year now, and she’s held up through all
the use and abuse I've thrown at her in that time. She makes an excellent layer
or standalone jacket, and I'd highly recommend her as one of the best jackets I
own.
The jacket wears like a parka, with a very generous hood that does an excellent
job covering the entire face. The jacket comes down well past the waist, akin
to that of a parka or anorak, excellent for sitting on a moist bench or
possibly in the snow. If you zip her all the way up you can get away with temps
as low as 45 F with just a T-shirt underneath, any colder and you'll want a
sweater, rest assured though she's built well for accommodating layers so such
is not a problem. If you live in the city and happen to be living in very humid
summers, you can zip the jacket all the way open and ventilate as you move from
building to building. You'll be surprised at how well the garment breathes in
the heat.
The Ducksback fabric is very soft and very strong. I keep this jacket
permanently packed in my backpack, and she compresses very small and retains
loft like Wiggy claims. I've not felt her any less warm than the day i bought
her. I've washed her numerous times, and she always stays warm and water
resistant. As a rain jacket she works very well. In absolute down pours you'll
want a poncho if staying dry is your priority, unless of course you’re on the
move and sweat is your bigger of the two enemies. It takes a down pour before
water got through the seams, in lighter rain no water ever got through. In the
cold, she cuts the wind very well. Most impressively, wet or dry the jacket was
never cold, always stayed warm. Even fell asleep in her while the jacket got
soaked through and woke up dry. Amazing, absolutely amazing!!!
If you buy this jacket you will be happy. She's light, warm, and highly water
and wind resistant. Makes an excellent layer, and retains loft very well. She
packs very well into my pack and dries incredibly fast should she ever soak
through. I'm very happy with the product I've received for my money, and would
recommend this jacket to anyone.
– Sam Matte
Sam many thanks for your follow up commentary.
I was thinking this morning to start making a Ducksback traveling rain coat. As I have noted with mine you can mash it as much as you want to and it always loses the wrinkles. I’ll be discussing it this week with my production manager. Incredible fabric!! Hey bobbie gore will your crappola goretex do the same thing, NO,NO,NO GET IT, NO!!!!
Over the past few years I have been asked about making the Ultima Thule bags with the marpat camo material. So no I am. The cost is $220.00. They should be able to be ordered on the web site, but if there are any problems we will correct them on Tuesday.
As for the Ultra- Light and Super Light bags, please note the number of orders has been very significant and I do not believe I have an inventory to be able to ship all orders this week, so give me two weeks to catch up.
Thank you.
Wiggy’s Review
I recently (May 2019) spent a couple of weeks in Switzerland. As the weather was predicted to be rainy and in the 40°F-60°F range I decided that it would be perfect for my Wiggy’s Alaska Range Parka Shell with the L-3 liner. Since I was traveling with just a Red Oxx rucksack and an ancient Mountainsmith fanny pack, the compressibility of the parka was especially helpful.
The Parka shell was the perfect weight and protection from the rain in Zurich as the Ducksback fabric kept me perfectly dry. There, the temperature fell to the predicted 40°F at night and the Parka was very comfortable just left loosely zipped unless it was raining.
Mid-trip I went to Zermatt down by the Northern Italian border and the Parka with L-3 liner was perfect in the village where the temperature ranged from mid-30°F to mid-40°F with alternating rain and snow. I also wore a 30 year old Brynje fishnet top and a light cotton long sleeve tee shirt.
The best test was up on the glacier of the Klein Matterhorn at around 3800 meters where the temperature was -8°C (17°F). Admittedly, I was moving most of the time but even when resting from the lack of oxygen at that altitude I was perfectly comfortable. I wore a watch hat instead of the hood because the way the hood fits me, my field of vision is limited.
As an aside, I will mention that except for my Apple Watch and the Brynje fishnet, every piece of clothing and gear I took on my trip was made in the USA.
Thanks for a great product!
Gene Wiggins