government spending

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

All government spending each year ends the end of September each year. I learned of this some years ago when gsa contractors would call me asking for the price of say a super light sleeping bag quantity of 50 or 100 or some other amount in the month of July. I would ask when they were needed so I could give a firm time to deliver. They would tell me that the military unit was wanting to get a cost to determine how much money would be available to them.

This would go on until the end of August each year and I would be lucky to get one or two orders at best out of as many as 50 calls.

As time went by when I did get a call I would ask if they actually wanted a Wiggy’s bag and the answer always was yes. Then I would ask if they were asking if it was a Wiggy’s bag or equal? While I was told the answer was no, I was lied too. Had they told me yes, I would not quote a price. The gsa contractor would ask why not and I would tell him/her because there is no equal. These young and I mean young gsa representatives would basically get bent out of shape and as time has gone by less and less gsa contractors call me.

I have noted when I did have contact with these gsa companies their representatives are to a very great degree ex-military. They do not care about what they are supplying to the military so long as they are able to get the product at a cheap enough price to sell that is lower than their competition. These gsa contractors do hundreds of millions and the mandate from the top echelon is to get the order at all costs. Quality and performance of product are not ever considered.

This summer one contractor called and asked for a price of the super light standard model and the freedom shelter super light either model was 150 bags. I have never heard back.

In August one gsa contractor called and asked a price for 60 Antarctic bags, I am the only manufacturer in the country and again I have heard nothing.

Most recently I was called about 65 multicam Antarctic bags for Eielson AFB Alaska. I asked if they specifically asked for Wiggy’s, YES without hesitation. They needed them before the 15^th of October. I said so long as I had the order in a few days. A few days went by and I called and was told they reduced the quantity to 23. As you know if you look at the costs for multicam bags they are expensive. Have not heard back from them. I do not expect that I will.

Recently a Lt. located at Ft Wainwright Alaska called asking about our Antarctic bags since they are used at the Air Force cold weather training school located at Greely Alaska near Ft. Wainwright and he was tasked to see about getting them. He also informed me about the frost bite problems seen last winter because the sleeping bags [?] were inadequate. He further told me and I wrote this before about the outdoor research mukluks that were a failure as well as their mittens. Having heard all of this I was of the belief I would get some business. Seems that is not about to happen as he has never followed up with me.

I am very sure there will be lots of “no sleep sleeping bags” purchased with our tax dollars that will be inadequate for use in Alaska during the coming winter.

HISTORY WITH THE SEAL COMMUNITY

When I first started Wiggy’s in S.C. I received a call from a backpacking shop in Virginia Beach, VA. wanting 300 super light sleeping bags for the SEALS. The year was 1988, just before I relocated to Colorado. Orders continued for a few years and then in the about 1995 I started selling the SEALS in San Diego, CA. Sales were very robust and I never failed to deliver so they sent me a letter of commendation for my service.

All of this ended in late 1999 and I did not know why. I subsequently learned that a chief had been reassigned from S.D. to Kodiak Alaska and he changed suppliers from Wiggy’s to Sierra Designs who was making a no sleep sleeping bag to his requirements, it used primaloft. Of course, one of his requirements didn’t include keeping the SEALS warm. Those were the bags used when the SEAL team had to be medevac’d out in 2001.

The reality is that in the past 20 years sales of my bags to the military has been insignificant to the Wiggy production. No one has to tell me but I know from experience the SEALS who train during the winter months in Alaska do not have adequate sleeping bags. why would they if the overall trend during the winter is that the troops from all branches of service have inadequate sleeping bags.

Wiggy sales of sleeping bags has you might say skyrocketed during the past three years in the state of Alaska because they work!!!

Anyway, SEAL sales are none-existent for me these days and it is a pity because they train in Alaska and someone in purchasing the trash that is made in China. I am sure if one or more of the trainees says something they are told to just suck it up.

The truth is I have been around long enough to no longer care if I get orders from the military. If they want my products, they can order on the Wiggy’s web site just like anyone else.

SOAKING THE LAMILITE DEMONSTRATION

If you go to the u tube video “tour of the factory” and at the 8 minute mark I submerge a large layer of the L-15 Lamilite, the weight used for the super light model. I will not explain to you what you will see, it is self-explanatory.