ground pads and cold weather clothing

GROUND PADS AND COLD WEATHER CLOTHING

Received today.

Wiggys 72" 28" Regular Sleeping Pad

I have been using my Wiggys pad this winter the last time I used it I was with a friend on ghost River in the Rocky Mountains Northwest of Calgary Alberta Canada it was minus 40 C with no wind we didn’t have a tent just pads and the ground. She had a blow up Exped down filled pad good to minus 37 they say. Well, I could not even get her pad to stay inflated after about 20 minutes it would just deflate. I'm guessing because the air condenses there wasn’t a hole in it, she had your Wiggys super light freedom shelter sleeping bag good down to about minus 18 Celsius 0 Fahrenheit that was all she had. I had your sleeping pad I had your over bag sleeping bag, and I had some old military sleeping bag that my brother gave me when I was like 10 years old it's not even a full sleeping bag it doesn't have a hood or anything, I don't even know what the temperature rating is it's not very thick but it was all that I had. I did not feel any cold on my back and I did not feel cold at all through the night I was toasty warm I mean absolutely no cold until about 5 in the morning that's when it was -40 C, I felt the slightest bit of coolness on my hip cuz I'm a side sleeper but nothing to write home about. I was being very aware because I was really amazed that I was so toasty warm even with the sleeping pad, because it's not that thick I don't understand how it completely blocks the cold at that kind of temperature which is about as cold as it can get. All I was wearing for clothes was the Wiggy’s liner jacket a pair of sweatpants I didn't even have a toque. My friend did get cold because she was sleeping directly on the ground because the sleeping pad deflated, she said she got an hour of sleep but not that much. but personally, that's pretty darn good considering the fact her sleeping bag was only rated for -18 C and she was sleeping directly on the ground. I think that you would be dead or on your way in any other sleeping bag. I was wearing Renegade mitts in which I also bought a pair of the extreme Arctic mitt liners which I wear inside the Renegade mitts if I'm stationary or else it's very cold and if I need to do work with my fingers, I simply take the liners stick them in my pockets and when I switch them back and forth my fingers don't get cold because of the material that he uses. I'm definitely like his stuff I'd love to get a pair of bibs and parka for next winter.

– Raman

I am not surprised about the fact that my ground pad performed as it did, I am also not surprised about the lack of performance of the Exped ground pad. They are not the first to make such a product. if it were good the other companies that made them would still be making them. They are not because they are not a good product!

The performance of my lighter weight sleeping bags at such low temperatures is enlightening even to me. It tells me that under rating my bags is a good thing.

COLDER WEATHER CLOTHING

The military is gearing up for troop training in the arctic region of Alaska because the Russians have been up there with a base and now, I am told the Chinese are gearing up there as well. So, we have to gear up as well.

I have received a few articles from customers that have appeared in the military newspapers talking about and showing pictures of soldiers in the arctic region of Alaska. While I appreciate getting these articles, I already know they are wearing clothing that is restrictive of their ability to move easily and also, and this is important, these garments retain the perspiration they, each soldier emits.

I can only assume the Marine Corp has also deployed some marines up there and may very well be looking for more appropriate cold weather clothing for these marines who will be going there in the future.

They have taken the first very important step in wanting to get a source for fishnet base layer underwear, now what to wear over them is their dilemma.

They have to keep in mind the need to wear loose fitting clothing so all movements create a bellows action which move air. [I hope if they read this, they understand bellows action]. That leaves out any and all fleece garments. Fleece garments are knitted and are tight fitting so they hamper, restrict movement. Fleece garments do not allow for moisture to move through the fleece fabric they are made of either. The surfaces of both sides are brushed and the follicles on the surfaces tend to hold the moisture.

Therefore, the most appropriate second layer should be their woven fabric uniform shirt, loose fitting. It is probably made of a cotton material which will allow the moisture while still a vapor to move though the fabric. I know this is what takes place because I experienced it when I was lost, wearing a cotton shirt over my fishnet top. Not knowing I was going to get lost all I had after the cotton shirt was my Fossil Ridge Parka with the L-12 liner zipped into it so it became an Antarctic parka. It turned out that I did not need anything between the shirt and parka. When you realize how much walking I was doing even though the temperature was about -20 F I had my parka unzipped about 6 inches down to allow moist heat to escape. On the third day when the wind started to blow in the neighborhood 40 to 50 knots

I did have it zipped to the top.

In the military they want to have the soldier “don and doff” layers. That means put on and take off layers as is needed. In my opinion this is plain old ridiculous. Put on as few layers as is necessary for the temperatures they are facing. Then tell them, if you get to warm you have zippers on the layers you are wearing so open them.

The layers I recommend at this point are the Lamilite liner vest [L-3 Climashield], the Lamilite liner jacket [L-3 Climashield] and finally the urban Antarctic parka with the L-8 Climashield.

Any person civilian or military will learn if they ever encounter -40 F temperatures and are otherwise dressed with proper leg covering [leg jackets with L-6 Climashield] and footwear [Lamilite socks; L-3 Climashield and Wiggy mukluks with L-12 Climashield] for that low a temperature, they will be fine. Your freedom of movement will be uncompromised.

As I have learned the military has wasted millions of our tax dollars on a variety of insulated products so maybe someone will have learned from reading what I have been writing as I have learned about my subject. In this manner maybe they will start looking in a direction that will allow them to engage with proper cold weather clothing.

One Last comment about the “mesh” underwear the Marines are looking for. In order to make this item they have to be engineered. The mesh material is not easily available and is a bear to work with. They also want the bottoms to be all mesh. I tried that and found it is impossible to make say a large that will fit all large butts because the mesh material does not have a stretch factor. So, I say good luck to seeing if you can find a manufacturing facility that can make them as described in the solicitation.