ignorance and stupidity

IGNORANCE IS BLISS OR IS IT JUST STUPIDITY?

This past week the Outdoor Retailer trade show did take place in Salt Lake City which I did not nor do I ever attend, primarily because I do not sell retail stores. But I do read the reports from SNEWS an outdoor publication primarily for the trade but I do believe the general public can also receive it by signing up for it and paying. The other publication also on the internet is SBG Media (Sporting Goods Business).

The following pertains to footwear. One quote is “warmth is getting attention in some styles, including the use of wool linings as an alternative to synthetic fleece or shearling. Indeed, despite the erratic weather, avoiding frigid toes remains a primary selling point for many buyers. Said Lowa’s Sachs,” I think the two performance trends per se are warm and dry. If a boot can do that for a customer, it wins>”

Maybe Mr. Sachs should get a pair of Wiggy’s Lamilite socks to go with a Wiggy’s Lamilite boots and he will the winner he is referencing. I guess he is ignorant of Lamilite.

“SEA OF SAMENESS

While a cadre pf new innovations and improvements (I do not know what they are but we will see) debuted across the show floor—including new synthetic fills better mimicking the performance of down and more environmentally friendly durable water-resistant treatments-----there was also the sentiment of a “sea of sameness” when it came beyond innovating.” There are no new synthetic insulations that these companies use, only chopped staple fiber unless you consider the fact that they are failing as is down to keep people warm. As for water repellent chemicals they never have been are not now, nor will they ever be an environmental problem. Sameness has always been prevalent in the outdoor industry. When I actively sold the companies starting in the mid 1960’s I noted that they all followed each other with colors, etc. Yes if one company has a good product the others follow suit. Is it ignorance or stupidity on the part of the managers of these companies? You decide!

The primary product that has emerged in the market place is long johns. Every company now offering them regardless if they are made from wool, silk, polyester or any combination of fibers will wick moisture and control your temperature! The more active you are the more “climate control” (that climate control is your personal climate) only no one in the employ of these companies is capable of explaining how this happens. One company representative Trudie Abel of Icebreaker claims “that they are looking to separate from the sea of sameness. Our story is what is unique.” It is not unique at all; there long underwear is just as closely knitted as all the rest so it traps moisture equally as well to cause chilling to take place in cold weather conditions.

My own thoughts about all of these companies making these garments is that they are selling them not as base layers as the claim but as a fashion pullover to be worm in warm weather conditions.

Under Armour is now going to market with “smart shoes” that have chips in them recording all kinds of stuff that nobody needs accept electronic gear junkies who will bore someone with what their shoes record. But they go along with all the “smart clothing” that is now on the market. Maybe the jackets and shoes will communicate with each other.

How about insulation; Primaloft was showing in their ads human shaped lungs and their by-line is and I quote; “Primaloft breaths with you, PL-Active breathes hard and softer.” Remarkable accomplishment, to now have a polyester fiberfill that is as alive as Gore-Tex is “it to breaths” just like G-T breathes. I fail to understand how one can take an inanimate object and give it life.

There are a number of companies that were showing their chopped staple fiber insulation that do not need mentioning other than the 3-M Company selling their polyester fiberfill product to Marmot called Featherless insulation; which is nothing more than a polyester fiberfill, most likely a chopped staple fiberfill, as I have never seen it firsthand.

Polartec has sold their product Polartec Neo to Mountain Hardwear for a garment they claim and I quote; “in the coldest conditions it is air permeable seam sealed and waterproof”. They do not tell you what the coldest conditions are? I suspect 35 degrees F. and higher. If the fabric is air permeable why is seam sealing necessary? If the fabric is waterproof how can it be air permeable? It can’t but thank Gore for saying that since 1977 or so.

Speaking of Gore their ad by line is the following, and I quote; “The better we care for you the less you think about us-nothing protects you like Gore-Tex products. Durable waterproof wind proof and breathable”. This claim is not correct, because I have heard numerous people state this Gore-Tex garment is not waterproof nor is it letting the sweat out, and that include jackets to shoes.

I read a comment for the owner of a company I never heard of F.A. Designs founder Fred Ansara and I quote; “It’s not about a jacket that is extremely warm but one that breaths really well”. I went to their web site since I have never heard of them and found out that they are using an air permeable waterproof membrane and Primaloft insulation. The garment he is making is not extremely warm nor is it air permeable. Is it ignorance or stupidity? My opinion both!

Another subject that is widely discussed at the OP show is “sustainability”. These people are so concerned about putting products on the market that are sustainable they ignore their own fallacy.Every company that severs the outdoor market place with the exception of Wiggy’s uses materials primarily insulating materials that will deteriorate very quickly so the garments will be useless very quickly and therefore are not sustainable products. My Lamilite/Climashield fiberfill insulation is so durable that the sleeping bags are going strong after 25 years, jackets 10 to 15 years or longer, so I can claim to be the manufacturer of the most sustainable of my type of product on the market.

What I see at these companies are a multitude of people who do not have any foundation with respect to materials at all levels and they rely on the representatives of the fabric mills to tell them how their material works. These young people do not actually think to ask these mill representatives to demonstrate whatever it is the material is supposed to do.

These same uneducated employees of some of these companies specifically jacket makers are now asking the fiberfill suppliers for a 1.5 ounce per square yard insulation. When I was told this I asked why put anything between the shell and lining. When you spread the fiber that thin the density is about the same as the screen on your windows. Heat retention is zero; period! That is what the general public is going to be shown possibly for next winter. If you want to know how much heat retention these garments will have just go to my last video and look at the picture I show of a red garment which is actually thermal imaging picture.

So are they ignorant? Yes because they have no foundation of the components and therefore they are also in my opinion quite stupid because these people show absolutely initiative and no interest in learning about what it takes to make a product that will actually work for the intended purpose; as in keeping one warm. They are only concerned with how light a garment they can make and then how the can market it.