attention from the last article

RESPONSES TO MY LATEST ARTICLE

Funny thing about that is that I have the Salomon Quest 4D Forces boots, the non goretex model, and it is truly an outstanding boot. I switched to it after having to cross a creek one morning that filled my goretex models up, and then having to endure un-dry able boots for the remainder of the day, which resulted in some pretty raw feet.

Trey

Jerry;

I personally choose to buy your products because they actually work exactly the way you say they do. And they last for years, one bag here over a decade of heavy use.....and the other light one (that nests in the big one) the same.

All your cold weather advice on your website and email updates saves lives.

You, Sir, have my utmost respect.

Dan

The above testimonials were as a result of the latest article. I did not know about the hiking boots being manufactured with or without the goretex membrane. Maybe someone at MARSOC will read these articles.

BUILDING ANY PRODUCT REQUIRES HAVING A FOUNDATION

When someone builds a house they start out with plans and the first part of the house that is built is the foundation. If the foundation is inadequate the building probably will suffer.

When it comes to building most any product a good foundation of knowledge is necessary. That knowledge will include the components necessary to build the product. You just can’t wantonly use materials that are available without knowing how they will work for the product to be able to perform as desired. The problem that exists in the textile industry happens to be that today’s generation of people charged with developing products for consumers to buy when they are going into the outdoors do not necessarily perform as the product developer may want it to work.

Case in point is the Salomon hiking boots. The developer (s) chose to use goretex in the boot and not because it proved to be a problem i.e. retaining moisture but because of cost they made a boot without the goretex that would sell at a lower price. What they do not know is that the lower cost boot is a better boot. MARSOC may very well want to heed Trey’s comment.

I have spent 55 years in the textile business primarily working with batting or insulating materials. At this point in time I know probably as much about the subject as exists. In the past year I have been quilting wool battings for 3 outerwear manufacturers. In each case the wool batting has been processed in a manner that I could quilt it for them. However one company sent to me wool batting that is completely unusable. It is very soft and I assume this is the reason it was purchased. Because the company does not have any person with a background or foundation of knowledge in the batting industry they did not know that what they were buying is unusable.

Threw out the industry I see over and over again companies putting products on the market that have little chance of functioning as they advertise them, why because those charged with creating these products have no foundation of knowledge of what it will take to make the product. These companies as far as I am concerned function just like the government. Make a product put it on the market and make the consumer be the guinea pig. Once the consumer finds out it doesn’t work the selling company looks at fixing the problem (sound like the government) but it never gets fixed. Case in point is goretex. Millions of people have been more than mildly disappointed with the performance or better said the lack of performance of any and all membranes whether goretex or some other brand but these companies keep using the stuff. Why, my opinion advertising dollars.

If any of the so called product developers were to say to their boss the stuff doesn’t work so let’s do something else a job might be lost. Education then is stifled. The person will simply give up unless they have an individualist mentality and walk. Doubtful!

When I speak with customers or potential customers who have been misled about a product I am quick to say “return it” and get your money back if that is possible, since this is what I do and have done personally. If more people did just that maybe, just maybe we would be offered better products.