INCREDIBLE REVIEW

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Greetings Jerry,

Apologize for taking so long to send a review but I wanted to thoroughly test my gear. Have used these items in various temperatures ranging from 55 degrees Fahrenheit to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (or slightly lower due to wind chill factors) via wet,

cold and windy conditions. The total quality craftsmanship of your American made products is above reproach and each and every item has performed as required. If only one thing could be stressed it would be the excellent moisture management

Wiggy’s gear provides. I have ZERO complaints about any of the items cited below:

*Luxurious Ground Pads: very comfortable pads that are used either on the ground as intended, on a cot or placed inside my truck topper shell on top of a DIY sleeping platform.

*Nautilus Sleeping Bag: my go to bag that is serving me quite well.

*Hunter Super Light Rectangular Sleeping Bag with Hood and Overbag: have only used these four times but the gear performed extremely well and I was never cold. The pillow is a nice finishing touch and is quite comfortable.

*Bivy BQ and Waterproof Poncho: both work great and do not leak. Real waterproof so what else is there to say!

*Insulated Poncho: great addition to the waterproof poncho.

*Poncho Liner (with ties): best poncho liner on the market and is way better than any of the USGI versions.

*Chukka Boots: outstanding footwear that has been used for hunting, fishing, hiking. Very stable, sturdy, and comfortable. (The stability you get from leather footwear is not nor can it be duplicated with the heaviest of nylon fabrics.)

*Lamilite Socks: perfect companion to the chukka boots. Have also used them with my New Balance walking shoes!

*Boot/Shoe Dryer: works without fail in both my boots and walking shoes.

*Fishnets (Top & Bottom) and Second Layer Mesh Top: wished I had these while in the military! Perspiration comes quite easily so I consider these a great idea. If anyone was to buy at least one thing from your store they should start with a set of these.

*Liner Vest & Liner Jacket: have used these in conjunction with or without the fishnets/2nd layer mesh combo. Besides your fishnets these are your best kept secrets.

*Supplex Sweater: great for my everyday out on the town winter wear.

*Ducksback Zippered Jacket: my yard, garage and outdoor work projects go to winter season jacket used in conjunction with the fishnets/2nd mesh layer/liner vest as needed.

*Ducksback Alaska Range Parka: by far the warmest parka I have ever owned! One thing I have enjoyed the most is that I don’t feel weighed down like I did with my previous parkas.

*Insulated Head Cover: works extremely well with the parka.

*Ducksback Insulated Wind Shirt: perfect for when I am out on the motorcycle on a windy or chilly morning! Got caught in a unexpected down pour one morning but fortunately the ducksback material kept me dry.

*TV Blankets: thank you so much for letting me special order these in the MARPAT color scheme. They are perfect! Two of them have already been confiscated by family members.

*Radial Compression Bags: better than any compression bag/stuff sack I have ever used. (I prefer the radial style versus the top down)

Just to let you know I have donated my old thermals, sleeping bags, jackets, coats, and a parka to charity and am duty bound to stay on the Wiggy’s train. Thanks again for providing us with these quality goods at a reasonable price. YAGA (You’re A Great American!).

Respectfully,

Gerry

Reading Gerry’s comments was a WOW moment for me. If all of my customers were to buy as many items as he has I would never have to go to burger king for dinner, not that I ever do anyway.

I am forever grateful to hear from Gerry and so many others who send me comments like his almost literally every day.

I was especially please to read his comments about the chukka boots. Maybe if the boot industry folks read my commentary they will take note of Gerry’s comment about them.

BOOTS

A number of customers having read that I am walking away from the boot business have inquired what I would recommend since so many of the boot companies put goretex or the like in almost every boot model they sell. My basic response is to only buy a completely leather boot that has no film lining in it. Then get the Lamilite socks. This combination I expect will be okay to about 20 degrees. To go to lower temperatures you will need the over boots and now your footwear will be good to -30 degrees F. I do not believe there is any getting around the situation for keeping feet warm once you are in subfreezing temperatures.

Since a multitude of men already own boots with these films in them that were costly to begin with the over boots will serve you very well over these boots. The military will be using 300 pair of my mukluks this coming winter in Alaska and I believe the mukluks will be worn over boots that were made with goretex film lining them. If the soldiers are otherwise dressed properly for -40 degrees F or lower their feet will be toasty warm.

I have had several calls from guys who were not able to get their size boots due to the first come first serve system. They wanted to know if I would work with another company and I said that going elsewhere is not going to happen. There is a significant amount of; I think anger about this situation.

I have strongly suggested that they contact the major boot companies and tell them what they think. Whether this happens or not I have any idea.

I did call the Irish Setter division of Red Wing and inquired about a “guide line” versus specifics about temperature ratings of their boots. The customer service representative was quite clear that they did not have any guide lines. But he said the 1000/1200 gram Thinsulate would be good in a tree stand. EVERY boot shown on their web site says goretex lined. When I asked how the moisture gets out of the boots he said it does and directed me to their video on the Red Wing web site.

The guy in the video pores water in to a glass jar with a layer of the film suspended partially down. The water does not go below the film. He then has a tube inserted below the film and a pump to pump air into the area below the water and low and behold the air is going through the film and becoming bubbles in the water. And that is how he explains the way the moisture from your feet goes through the film. He does not take into consideration that he is creating air pressure. The guy in the video is Greg Skeen director of product development for the work boots. Greg in my opinion is an air head if he actually believes what he says and shows in the video. It is a “technical” video about their brand of waterproof breathable, might as well be goretex. Sorry Greg but that is my opinion of you and the bogus film.

Try as these companies want, you can not make a silk purse from a pigs ear and you can't make a waterproof breathable fabric either.

At this time I am convinced that boot companies do not give a damn about the ultimate customer.

I wonder if any of the boot companies get comments about their boots such as Gerry has made about mine.