INSANITY

INSANITY

I have said it before and I’ll say it again; “according to Einstein doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a sign of insanity”.

Every year DLA awards a contract to a different company making socks for socks for the soldiers; why? because the socks received the previous year did not perform as described specifically during the winter months.

I have reprinted the news release I read yesterday.

Farm to Feet finds success supporting the U.S. Military

100% American sock brand wins large DLA contract

like all of these companies these people are in my opinion is not supporting the military when they sell them socks for cold weather when they will not perform for the job and can make things worse for the soldier by exposing them to possible infections.

Mt. Airy, North Carolina (September 15, 2020)— Farm to Feet, makers of 100% American socks, announced today that it has been awarded a significant order from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for its US merino wool Kodiak and Fayetteville styles. This order is in support of the U.S. Army’s need for technically advanced socks for the warfighter.

I fail to understand how they can make a technically advanced sock. I am sure if you saw a pair in a store which you can, you would see a thick I guess winter sock and not something that is somehow technical. Just nonsense.

“We design, develop, and manufacture the very best socks using only U.S. sourced materials,” said Kelly Nester, Farm to Feet CEO. “Those who serve in the armed services require socks that support their mission without fail.

I am sure they are buying USA wool, but wool socks do not support the armed forces “mission without fail”. In cold conditions which is what these socks are made for will absorb the soldiers foot sweat and their feet will get cold. The fact that the soldiers are issued goretex lined boots which trap the moisture in the boot makes it worse.

I wonder if Kelly Nestor (KN) actually knows that wool absorbs moisture. I wonder if KN knows that human feet generate more moisture than any other part of part of the human body. I suspect KN has knowledge of the manufacturing of socks but does not have knowledge of the functioning of the human body and what should be worn over feet in cold conditions.

As a result, servicemembers are some of the most discerning critics, as they require socks that can stand up to the rigors of deployment.

Wool socks do not stand up to the rigors of deployment in cold environments. The servicemembers discover that in short order.

Receiving this contract further solidifies our belief in our products and Farm to Feet is honored to support our soldiers’ need for American-made socks”

Receiving a contract for your product should not “solidify” your belief in your product, you should know that your product does what ever it is supposed to do. The fact that the buyer in this case is the military means nothing. They at the military have a history of awarding sock companies’ contracts and each year they find a new company to award a contract too for socks because the last companies sock failed to perform. If they did it would not be necessary to find still another manufacturer. Remember each of the previous manufacturers probably said the same thing; “solidifies our belief in our product”.

Named after the home of the Naval Special Warfare Cold Weather Detachment Kodiak, the Kodiak (above left) is a heavy weight sock knit with the traditional sock construction that produces classic heather textures with nylon plaiting and stretch yarns in the outer layers and U.S. merino wool body yarns on the inside. The nylon reinforcing yarns knit into the stretch shell increase durability, while the wool fibers that sit closer to the skin provide maximum comfort and insulation.

Naming a product after a particular region of the world should be because the product can and is used in that region of the world. As an example, Wiggy’s makes two bags named for regions of the world that are used in those regions; the ANTARCTIC BAG used in ANTARCTICA and the ULTIMA THULE BAG used in THULE, GREENLAND.

This sock called Kodiak may or may not be issued to members of this unit and if they are the users know that the absorb foot moisture and do not keep feet warm.

The heavier weight the socks the more moisture they collet which is not good. I can tell you of a factual experience. When I was lost, I was wearing thick rag wool socks and when I took them off three day or 4 days later when I was found and safely back at base camp they were soaked. Had it not been for my Muk Luks my feet would have frozen, and I most likely would not be here to inform you of what happens with thick wool socks.

The Fayetteville is adapted from Farm to Feet’s most technically advanced hiking sock, the Damascus. Made with ultra-soft 19.5 micron U.S. merino wool on an advanced 200 needle knitting machine, the Fayetteville provides the comfort of a thicker sock in a lightweight package. The Fayetteville also feature micro-channel circumferential ventilation, targeted hexagonal reinforcement, and an improved comfort compression with LYCRA® fiber for reduced fatigue and added comfort.

Big deal that they have an advanced knitting machine. Big deal they are using 19.5 micron merino wool. Big deal that the sock is thicker than other socks they make. Big deal they have micro channels etc. that they believe has some form of ventilation, it does not and to think it does is delusional. Does the fiber fatigue or the soldier, my opinion the soldier! Lycra adds nothing.

To assist with the development of its military business, Farm to Feet recently engaged Rising Tide Associates, a boutique public affairs firm specializing in government affairs based in Marblehead, MA.

“At a time when there is an increasing focus on the need to support manufacturing in the United States, Rising Tide Associates is delighted to work with Farm to Feet on their strategic effort to grow business with the federal government,” said David Costello, Principal of Rising Tide Associates. “Farm to Feet offers a compelling proposition for the armed services – every pair of socks manufactured by Farm to Feet is Berry Compliant, using a completely domestic supply chain to ensure that from the sheep in the field to the sock on the foot, all materials and manufacturing are 100% domestic - offering a array of top performing socks that meets the needs of any military application.”

I am sure rising tide associates is happy to work with farm to feet. They probably get a handsome fee to represent them. Marblehead, MA. is not far from Natick, MA., so this company is a political company getting the ear of the Natick people. Dave Costello is happy that farm to feet got the award and he does not know or care if the product works or not and in this case it does not, his job was to help farm to feet get it and that is it! He just says without any knowledge that these socks meet the needs of the military application which is nothing more than B/S talk.

So, we taxpayers are on the hook once again for a product that will not work for the purpose. Remember when it was reported that we paid $600.00 for a hammer or screwdriver or $900.00 for a toilet, well now who knows how much each pair of socks cost. The government employees charged with acquiring product for the military do not know if what they are buying will do the job, case in point, and who suffers the individual member of the military to whom it is issued. The manufacturer also has no knowledge of his product to perform, he just salivates at getting the order.

The military testing laboratory supposedly gets feed back about products. They have avoided for years the Marine Corp study as to why the individual Marines years ago were experiencing sever foot sores and it was because they had wet feet. Some even had trench foot. The Marine Corp unfortunately never made any changes. The result is I am sure Marines still getting foot sores.

If the MILITARY and I mean all branches want to provide the troops with footwear specifically for use in cold conditions they need to issue LAMILITE SOCKS and get boots that do not have goretex lined boots!!!!!