Danger From Within

The U.S. Army has a solicitation out for a new sleep system. The size of the bags is exactly the same as my long wide body size and the temperature rating is the same as mine, +35 for the outer bag known as the Patrol Bag and 0 degrees for the inner bag with a combined rating of -40 degrees F.

SOME BACKGROUND

In 1992 a Marine Corps major who was in command of material command located in Washington, D.C., which dealt with individual equipment attended the Outdoor Retailer trade show and while there visited all of the sleeping bag manufacturers and asked each of them for a two bag system that would perform from summertime conditions to -20 degrees F. The show took place in early February. I had been doing wor k with this major as I had with his predecessor. Having not been an exhibitor I had know knowledge of his request until a phone conversation in early May when he told me that not one company offered him any products. A few days later I developed what is the Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System (FTRSS). I received an order on May 27, 1992 from MARCORSYSCOM for 12 of them. A short time later I received a call from a chief in the U.S. Navy located in San Diego, CA. He asked for a two bag system that performed at -40 degrees F since his men were being sent to Kodiak, Alaska for their training. For him I replaced the Ultra Light with a Super Light. This system has become the bench mark sleeping bag for all of the services. It meets all of the requirements set forth in the current Army solicitation except one which can not meet the weight. My system weighs on average 7 1/2 pounds what they want for the same temperature conditions has to weigh 6 ½ pounds, more later about this. Also, the Super Light FTRSS is the single largest sold item in the Wiggy’s line of sleeping bags to the general public.

The Marine Corps were so enthused with what they received in 1992 they sent a captain to visit me and discuss what materials should be used as well as a number of other issues. I believe today that his purpose was to get information that was passed on to the people employed at the Army testing facility at Natick, MA. This captain never had anything to do with me again.

A short time later I received orders to produce 300 of the systems for MARCORSYSCOM as follows: 50 were to be my system using Lamilite the additional 250 were 50 each using Thinsulate Liteloft, Dupont’s Microloft, Primaloft, Polar Guard HV I believe, and a Dupont polyester fiber that was vacuum coated with aluminum. Aside from the different fiberfill’s all of the bags were constructed exactly the same, via lamination. I know from a sergeant who was part of the test team that my system was the one of choice. He came to see me while he was assigned to recruiting duties in Grand Junction . When I asked MARCORSYSCOM for a copy of the report through my attorney under the Freedom of Information Act it was not forth coming. I am sure the reason I could not get the report was because it showed my product best. And so my system was not chosen, however, the system made by Natick and their contractor became the spec system.

In 1994 (I think) the Defense Personal Support Center in Philadelphia offered a solicitation for bidding for 202,400 systems. The company that got this contract (the one that worked with Natick ) never had the opportunity to full fill it because the bag system failed in the field. The way the contract read which I think is the way they should all read, was that you make 2,400 bags and they are put in the field. If they perform you get to make the balance if not you are given one chance to correct the defects. The failure of the system was a total success, all persons issued each of the 2,400 bags complained that they were not warm and the bags retained moisture. That is what I call success. When I heard the good news I made contact with the so far successful bidder and offered to share with him my technology so he could now offer the Army my bag. He declined because he said it would be too expensive, even though there was a provision allowing for an increase in price if necessary to make a product that worked. The real reason was because he was quilting the Polar Guard since he has quilting machines and no laminating machine. In January 1995 solicitation SP0100-95-R-0056 was published requiring 155,000 initially and an additional 77,500.

The successful bidder whose bag system failed in the first contract received this contract and the same bag (I never knew of any changes) was accepted. This is the system that has been in use since and it hasn’t worked very well. As a matter of fact the Army received 2000 of these bags at the Alaskan Command for use (testing) during the winter of 1996/1997. The testing occurred during January and March 1997. I reported at the time that during the four weeks of testing two in each month when the temperature never was much below 0 degrees which is highly unusual at that time of year none of the soldiers was #1 warm and #2 all experienced retention of moisture. According to the Major and Lt. who were responsible for gathering the test results the bags froze to the ground pads while used in tents. They asked me for an explanation as to why the bags froze to the ground pads. This was caused by the moisture each man gave off condensing dripping if you will down the bag while still liquid and settling between the bag and ground pad and since the temperature in the tent was below freezing the water froze. In spite of the deficiencies associated with these bags which includes those already mentioned add lose of loft after short term use from stuffing in a stuff sack or storing in its stuff sack as well as laundering causing shrinkage when dried in a drier, these bags got made and were issued. I believe the Army’s need to replace these bags is as a direct result of unhappy soldiers serving in Afghanistan in 2001 and beyond.

I may be kidding myself but I believe the Army spec for the new bag is based on my Super Light Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System and I have good reason to think that. I have been producing the system since its inception in May 1992 continuously and selling them to all branches of the military in relatively large quantities. I have received a multitude of correspondence from the men and women who have been issued my system praising it as the best sleeping bag they have ever used. I have received a multitude of orders from soldiers who upgraded from the issue bag system to mine when they experienced the issue bag not performing. I am very proud of this and I take pride in knowing that those who are putting their life on the line for us are able to get the best sleeping bag made today. The upper command must know this.

As for the new solicitation the Army incorrectly notes in their statement of why they want a new system that advances in materials over the past ten years should yield us what we want. There is no truth to the statement because the nylon fabric required is the same as is used currently as is the zipper primarily. What they are referring to is the insulation. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In 1960 chopped staple polyester fiber came on the scene big time as insulation in outerwear and sleeping bags. The product used for outerwear was resin bonded and the product used for sleeping bags was not. The resin bonded product was not acceptable for sleeping bag use and not used until 3-M decided to market their Thinsulate Liteloft a rendition of resin bonded batting known as low melt bonded batting in the early 1990’s. Several companies tried the 3-M product and after four years they terminated its use because it did not work. Today Albany International is and has for the past 10 plus years been marketing a chopped staple polyester fiber batting that is made as a low melt product. There sales staff has presented this product to the Army. The Army people have no knowledge of fiber fill so they can be swayed with miss information.

Historically Albany International received a contract from Natick labs in 1983 to research and developed a synthetic alternative to down. Unfortunately the people at Natick did not realize that one already existed and it was government specified already. [Actually the Army had been for over 10 years using this insulation in sleeping bags and field jacket liners; it was none other than continuous filament fiber, trade named Polar Guard]. I have a copy of the final report issued on the subject from Natick labs. The report was written and prepared by Albany . It is a review of all of the fiberfill’s that were available in 1984 and fiberfill blends that they though would be best. It was a blend of polyester fiber and fibrillated Kevlar. Fibrillated means that the fiber shaft is cut so it has some resemblance to a down shaft, mind you only a very minor resemblance. It is still in the category of a chopped staple fiber with out a crimp which would give it lofting capabilities, so it has none. This product has never been made beyond the hand samples they created. The only information that was of value in this 200 page report was that a fiberfill made from silicone treated fiber will allow moisture while in a vapor state to pass through it 16 time more rapidly than a fiberfill which does not have the silicone treatment applied to it. However, Albany did ultimately make a fiberfill product that I previously noted is a low melt batting that does not work any better than the product marketed by 3-M. None of the manufacturers who existed in the U.S. at the time would buy into this product accept a small company in the northwest who made some bags for L.L. Bean. They were on the shelf for one month and Bean dropped them. There simply was no interest in this product for use as insulation in sleeping bags.

The lack of interest in Primaloft as a sleeping bag insulation has not deterred them from pressing on with their efforts to sell it to our military. The very fact that fiberfill constructed their way doesn’t work is of no consequence.

I for one am constantly amazed by the number of people who have decided that they are capable of making a sleeping bag even though they have zero knowledge of insulation and how best to use the various forms of insulation that are claimed to exist. Albany International is as perfect an example as there is. I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of their sales representatives from the president of the division on down and have yet to meet anyone who actually knows anything about the subject. However, these no nothings have the audacity to present themselves to our government employees as knowledgeable in the field and the government employee having no knowledge has no way of knowing they are being sold a bill of goods. I have spoken with a civilian working for the Army and a civilian working for the Marine Corps who have told me in no uncertain terms they have no knowledge of making sleeping bags or of the insulations used. The do want to see from manufacturers test reports generated by the likes of Kansas State University’s environmental labs, even though the information that is generated is meaningless drivel. The fiberfill sales people and the university are not alone in their deception; they have help from the manufacturers who have people on board who are as ignorant of the subject as well. In all the years that I have worked in the fiberfill business I have encountered many of the same people and to my shock really they still have not learned or accepted the simple fact that chopped staple fiber is basically obsolete when compared to continuous filament fiber. The numbers of people who are hired to develop a line of sleeping bags come to the job empty handed. A perfect example of this took place in the early 1990’s. It was at a point in time when I was still exhibiting at the Outdoor Retailer show. Cascade Designs decided to enter the sleeping bag business. I was visited by one of their engineers who wanted me to meet a young woman who had been hired to develop their sleeping bag line. They also wanted to exchange catalogs. When I gave her my catalog I told her to take the time to read it carefully and when she was finished she would then know why Cascade shouldn’t be in the sleeping bag business. He got as hot under the collar as could be and wanted I am sure to take a poke at me. I was about a head taller and 40 pounds heavier so he chose not to. The point is she had no earthly idea about the components or construction. I think she used bright colors. Their sojourn lasted about two or three years as they lost a lot of money and exited from the sleeping bag business. They were not the first and certainly will not be the last company to experience that phenomenon. Mountainsmith the pack company had the same experience this past year. After two years in the sleeping bag business they decided to exit it, why because they were losing money trying to sell sleeping bags that didn’t work.

As I review what has occurred since the late 1960’s in the sleeping bag business I can name all of the companies that existed and went by the way side in some cases because they lost money at it. Why because the bags they were making didn’t work and sooner rather than later the customers returned the bags and bought another brand only to do the same thing. What was the problem, a lack of education on the side of the manufacturer! Each and every one of them refused blatantly so to acquire that necessary education but they never refused the advertising dollars offered by one of the no nothings selling insulation. Wiggy’s is the only company to manufacture sleeping bags ever who has not changed the insulating material since Wiggy’s started making sleeping bags, that also holds true for the shell and lining materials and zipper we use.

The Army, in asking for a bag system that has a lower weight than mine, does not know what sort of mistake they are making. It is widely known that a person who is wet or is wearing wet clothing will warm very quickly and dry off or dry their clothing in a Wiggy bag. I have hundreds of letters from people who have had the experience. The question then is; why in a Wiggy bag and not a North Face bag? It has to do with two components of the Wiggy bag the insulation and the shell and lining fabric which are one and the same. I use a substantially greater amount of insulation and it is much denser, and my shell and lining fabric will warm faster than other nylons and lose heat slower and is more vapor permeable.

When I offered this information to the Marine Corps representative he essentially covered his ears. He told me he was a scientist or came from the scientific community and needed to see documentation of a scientific nature and the information documented by real live human being was unacceptable. I wonder who will be using the sleeping bags if not humans who happen to be Marines. I even told him of a significant number of letters, I should have called them reports, many were from military personnel and several were from Marines. After my meeting with this individual I was informed that he was a Canadian, had I known I would have made him aware that the Canadian Rangers who regularly train near Hudson’s Bay in winter when the temperature is quite often -50 F use my Antarctic Flexible Temperature Range Sleep System which is rated to -80 F and my ground pad. A short time later I received the following e mail; “I am a Petty Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. Several years ago I worked at the equipment procurement at Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic. I ordered five Super Light FTRSS (rated for -40 F). They proved to be indispensable and when we were deployed to northern Maine in February. The temperature reached a chilly -57 one night. Although we were not sweating, your bags kept us warm through the night and I am eternally grateful. Now I am working on the opposite coast at Fleet Diving Unit Pacific. We need to order six of your Super Light FTRSS sets.

Thank You,

Dale Thomas, PO2-2IC”

Here is a second e mail that I recently received from a soldier although it doesn’t show any military designation except when you get to the end of his e mail. “I love fly fishing so I spend the majority of my time standing chest deep in freezing cold water. I have tried everything from neoprene waders to Gore-Tex (I know you don’t like the stuff). The big problem is that when I start fishing it is early evening when it is warmer than when I finish at dark. When I start out I sweat from the gear I am wearing. My feet get soaking wet and then they freeze. The latest I tried was the poly thin sock that allegedly wicks away the sweat (bull) and the outer sock of a wool synthetic blend. It just doesn’t work. Any ideas? Thanks and keep up the good work. I am alive today thanks to your sleeping bag that I used in Afghanistan that in the Tora Bora Mountains . Thanks again, Jim.”

My answer to his question was to use my Sun walkers and fishnet long under wear. I have also asked if he could be more specific about the saving of his life comment.

A third e mail that I received is very telling about the current issue sleep system. “Dear Wiggy’s, I have to give a testimonial as to how your patrol bag out performs the US ARMY patrol bag. I had been activated for Iraq freedom and was sent to Mississippi Camp Shelby for training. I served in the Gulf War 90-91 and was in Bosnia 95 so I know how important gear that works is. I have owned your bags for a few years never really having to put them to the test. I have slept outside in my backyard to test the temperature ratings which seem to be on.

My first put it all on the line test came last January, we were sent out to a mock forward base for 3 nights. My Cavalry Troop had all just been issued the Army’s latest and greatest sleeping system (looks strangely like yours) and the guys were very excited about not having to drag the older heavy green cotton duck down filled bag to the field. They now had this new small light weight patrol bag. I put out my alarm clock that has a thermometer in it next to my bag. We all had some kind of sleeping pad. I used my Wiggy’s Stadium Chair as a pad as well as a chair to save on space. We were in a tent on a raised ply wood floor. We had a stove on one end that we were not allowed to have on at night with out somebody pulling fire guard. Anyway it got down to +30 that night and I was warm as could be, but I found out the next day that all the guys that had just brought the patrol bag which was rated to +35 just like your bag had a hard night. I asked 50 out of 100+ guys we have and they all told me stories of how they froze all night long and all tried many different things to try to get warm, I felt a little bad as I had the power to have the stove turned on, but never imagined anyone was! I did not find one guy that had not been cold but for the few who had brought the whole system which is rated to 0.

SSGT Randy _______ Camp Al Ramdi Iraq ”

I forwarded these e mails to the major in MARCORPSYSCOMM who this individual answers too. I wonder what his response was upon reading what his own country men think of my product. We have an authorized manufacturer in Canada , Spike Camp who produces the system all year long which is sold to the Canadian military. I have also suggested to the major that he might contact Jim for a more detailed explanation as well.

The last e mail presents a picture I have heard numerous times about the issue system. I am sorry to say the few manufacturers who have bid on the new solicitation will not be offering a patrol bag that performs any better except me. I have offered what I have been making all these years that has never failed to perform as expressed by SSGT Randy.

The danger from within is if all logic is cast to the wind, and a disastrous decision is made to go with a sleep system that simply put does not work. I have had the opportunity to wor k with so many people both military and civilian who spend substantially more time in the field than I ever will or have and have found their input to be of the greatest of value. As an example I worked with the survival instructors for the Air Force at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska for two years before they approved the vacuum packed bag. It was approved by them because they tested them and found out they work. They wanted to make sure if one of their pilots had to eject he had a bag that would work for him. I could go on and on with examples but it would be redundant. The Lamilite is simply the best insulation in the world today and will be for years to come. Even though I have offered to sell it to any and all sleeping bag companies dealing with the military or wanting to deal with the military it has been the military that has shied away from it. The civilians they employ are in my opinion the problem. They the civilians like be stroked by the snake oil sales types and until the military decides to wor k with people who have knowledge the soldier (man) in the field will be facing a danger from within with respect to his sleeping bag and clothing.

I recently became aware of the fact that about 20,000 outerwear garments have been ordered for use by our soldiers inAfghanistan . These garments are going to be insulated with Primaloft. Again the people in the position of purchasing for the military do not know the history of how poorly the Primaloft performs in very cold conditions, say from 0 degrees F and lower. In a previous newsletter I wrote how poorly the Primaloft garments performed on the Peace Climb sponsored by L.L. Bean several years ago. The climbers changed from the Primaloft garments to down and Polar Guard insulated garments. Again it appears that the powers to be at Albany International could careless about whether the product they produce works or not, just lets make the sale is their attitude.

The problem with insulations and how to use them goes deeper and deeper as time goes by. The root cause in my opinion is the recreational backpacker who is always looking to save weight. It is not uncommon for these types to cut the handle off of their tooth brush to save weight. When it comes to their sleeping bag they want a bag that will pack down to the size of a baseball that performs at +20 degrees F. It doesn’t matter to the sleeping bag maker what the consequences are, if the customer wants a lighter weight bag for a given temperature all we have to do is ask the customer what the weight is they want and then tell them here is the bag for that temperature at the weight you requested. I noted in a previous newsletter about making a bag using a lighter weight fabric and one half the insulation on the bottom of my otherwise Ultra Light model bag. I did not give the bag a temperature rating until I had feed back from the buyers. These buyers loved the weight reduction of about one pound and its significantly smaller compacted size, but it failed to perform at the temperature they wanted. I knew the bag wouldn’t perform but I figured experience for each of them would be a wonderful teacher and they paid for it.

The other companies that make these light weight bags that do not perform haven’t a conscience and will tell the customer that they aren’t wearing enough clothing or something to that effect, in essence placing the responsibility on the customer for being cold. In a manner of speaking they are correct, as they gave the customer a bag with the weight and compatibility requirement requested. My position was to stop making the bag since it did not work and my name was on it.

When it comes to the military they too want what they see the backpacker wanting and somehow they in the military who are involved with product development think that they will actually get a product. There is also a perception that the men in the military function differently than men not in the military. The military men’s bodies are better able to sustain themselves in cold conditions, non-sense. A human is a human is a human, we all function exactly the same.

What the military does not consider or even give thought to when they observe what is sold into the private sector is the effect on a person who is using a product that doesn’t perform like a sleeping bag. The person can pack up and go home, however a soldier stationed at 9000 feet in the mountains of Afghanistan can’t, he is stuck to freeze his butt.

It is of no consequence to me if you make an insulated jacket or a sleeping bag; of the variety of insulations offered one and only one stands miles above the rest and that is an insulation made from continuous filament fiber. All others are obsolete and the last 20 years that I have been making products with Lamilite have proven that. As I stated earlier I am the only manufacturer never to have had any reason to change insulations. Regardless what the insulated product is when it is made with Lamilite it works better than it does made with any other form of insulation.

Now if only those who are given the job of getting the best for the military would only do their job, of course once they finally accept and start using Lamilite the quest for a new insulation will have ended, because for the next 50 years at least there will be nothing to replace it, so their jobs will be obsolete as well.

At this time the Army has yet to choose a new sleeping bag system.

THE SLEEPING BAG SOLICITATION

Here is a follow up to the sleeping bag bid.

First my bid was rejected because according to the Department of the Army my “proposal failed some major design requirements such as: water repellency before laundering, water repellency after laundering and the weight of the patrol bag.” I worked with another company who used my material and my patterns and this company’s bag was rejected because the fabric failed the tear strength test and their bags weren’t the correct size. When I advised my supplier of the failures he went to the mill who said B/S, I have the report showing what I supplied met the specification requirements. Initially if I were to contest their findings I would let the Army know that I have a copy of the report and supply them a copy. Also, the material I submitted quite possibly came from the same source that is supplying the current contract holder, since there are but two possibly three weaving mills left in the country. If my material had a problem with water repellency then all bags supplied by the current contract holder have that same problem. If the other company who submitted a bid had fabric that didn’t meet the strength requirement again the current contract holder’s fabric doesn’t meet the specification. As for the weight of my over bag and the size of the other company’s bag these excuses are just as bogus. And finally our bids were $27.44 per system lower.

The report from an independent laboratory states the following: product: sleeping bag, modular, type II, 1.9 oz., nylon rip-stop. Basic masterial for intermediate cold weather sleeping bag, black 357. Specification: A-A-55262 dated 15 November 1994.

The tear strength test shows an average of 11.4 in the warp and 12.4 in the fill. The specification calls for 9.0 in each direction. The water repellency rating after 3 launderings shows a spray rating of 90 and 80 which is equal to the requirement.

I leave it to your imagination to come up with an answer as to why these deficiencies appeared.

I spoke to the successful (?) bidder to find out what he did with this new (?) bag system that makes it better than the old system he is making. I was told it was proprietary, big deal. The old system weighted 7 ½ pounds and was supposed to perform as cold as -30 degrees F and it didn’t so why do they think the new bag system weighs 6 ½ pounds and is supposed to perform as cold as -40 degrees F, lots of luck. The one pound difference is all insulation, so I guess these people are magicians.

As I see it the Army is spending more money and getting even less product than they had in the first place.

This situation about lowering the weight of the bag and increasing how low a temperature the bag will perform too is not new to the sleeping bag industry. I recall when the North Face company changed the temperature rating of two of their bags; the Cats Meow was originally rated @ +20 degrees F and a few years later was rated @ +15 degrees F. The weight of the bag never changed, so how did they make it perform better, they didn’t. The other bag they produced was called the Tangerine Dream and was rated for -25 degrees F I believe with a weight of 6 to 7 pounds. The new bag is called the Dark Star; while it has about the same weight the temperature rating was lowered to -40 degrees F. How did they do it (?) they didn’t, they just changed the numbers. This is what the Army folks are doing, changing the numbers to suit a need.

Some years ago I had the opportunity to give General Chuck Yeager (retired) a tour of my factory. During our conversation I related a story from a colonel who had been a wing commander at a base that trained experienced pilots to teach. One day a T-38 took off with two experienced pilots one the flight instructor in command. At about 20,000 feet altitude he lost power. After examining their situation the command pilot called the tower and said he was in excellent position to land the plane safely, which he did. The colonel put in for a commendation for the pilot, after all he save two lives and a multimillion dollar aircraft. Upper command wrote back if the pilot ever does that again court martial him. Rule number one is to bail out when you lose power. General Yeager told me he had been assigned as a safety office at one point in his career and upper command was absolutely correct, he was very matter of fact when he told me that. The reason being the man was more valuable than the piece of equipment. It could be replaced the man couldn’t. I guess the ground soldier in the Army isn’t as valuable as a pilot in the Air Force, so we can issue sleeping bags that are less that capable of doing the job.

I read an article in the Army Times about a new clothing system that the Army intends on instituting in 2006 with testing done during the winter of 2005 using troops in the mountains of Afghanistan . It is believed that wearing this new clothing system will allow the sleeping system to perform at the cold temperatures that the troops will encounter over there. All a pipe dream!

First of all they are issuing polyester close knit long underwear which will trap their perspiration against their skin surface. Polyester does not wick moisture as is claimed. So they are starting out with a problem of retaining moisture which will cause a chill effect. Then they are issuing a fleece top as the second layer as well as a fleece third layer. Fleece is notorious for trapping moisture. Then we have the insulated layers, which have Primaloft as the fill. The Primaloft must be quilted in order for it to stay together and of course each and every quilt stitch is a cold spot, which means 10 cold spots to the inch, that being the normal number of stitches per inch on a quilting machine. These outer garments are for “extreme cold”, which in my opinion again is incapable of doing the job. I have written extensively about Primaloft and/or chopped staple fiberfill insulations in the past and they are not even close to continuous filament fiber as an insulating medium.

I have also previously noted that the moisture will not be driven out of the clothing as they expect because the sleeping bag system itself is not up to the job.

As I see it and the soldier in the field is getting the short end of the stic k with regards to his personal equipment and its ability to work. Unfortunately those who have been hired to find product that works lack the necessary background to actually develop these products; they depend upon some one who is intent on selling them their product even though it does not work.

INCREASED COSTS

Effective January 1, 2006 all Lamilite insulated products will increase. The cost of all raw materials has jumped considerably for Wiggy’s since all of our products are made from oil. The only items that have been calculated thus far are the sleeping bags all other items will be published on our web site www.wiggys.com as they are available.

ANTARCTIC BAG $350.00
FTRSS 495.00
ULTIMA THULE 265.00
FTRSS 430.00
SUPER LIGHT 175.00
FTRSS 340.00
ULTRA LIGHT 160.00
FTRSS 325.00
HUNTER SUPER LIGHT 210.00
HUNTER ULTRA LIGHT 190.00
HUNTER WITH HOOD SL 255.00
FTRSS 465.00
HUNTER WITH HOOD UL 235.00
FTRSS 445.00
OVER BAG 145.00
NAUTILUS 145.00
NAUTILUS WITH HOOD 185.00
NAUTILUS W/H OVERBAG 190.00
DESERT BAG 130.00
CAMPER 1 180.00
CAMPER 2 190.00
YOUTH BAG 125.00
BABY BUNTING 35.00
PONCHO LINER 38.00 – NEW PRODUCT

YOU CAN NOW GET A LAMILITE PONCHO LINER IN WOODLAND OR DESERT CAMO.

So if you are thinking of getting a bag now is the time to order.

“(REALITY)- Existence. Existence exits-and the act of grasping that statement implies two corollary axioms: that something exists which one perceives and that one exists possessing consciousness, consciousness being the faculty of perceiving that which exists. If nothing exists, there can be no consciousness: a consciousness with nothing to be conscious of is a contradiction in terms. A consciousness conscious of nothing but itself is a contradiction in terms: before it could identify itself as consciousness, it had to be conscious of something. If that which you claim to perceive does not exist what you possess is not consciousness. Whatever the degree of your knowledge, these two—existence and consciousness—are axioms you cannot escape, these two are the irreducible primaries implied in any action you undertake, in any part of your knowledge and in its sum, from the first ray of light you perceive at the start of your life to the widest erudition you might acquire at its end. Whether you know the shape of a pebble or the structure of a solar system, the axioms remain the same: that it exists and that you know it. To exist is to be something, as distinguished from nothing of non-existence, it is to be an entity of a specific nature made of specific attributes. Centuries ago, the man who was—no matter what his errors—the greatest of your philosophers, has stated the formula defining the concept of existence and the rule of all knowledge: A is A. A thing is itself. You have never grasped the meaning of his statement. I am here to complete it: Existence is Identity, Consciousness is Identity."

AYN RAND……………GALTS SPEECH, ATLAS SHRUGGED.