made in america by wiggy's

OBSERVATIONS OF THE OUTDOOR RETAILER TRADE SHOW

I do not ever attend this show, actually haven’t for over 20 years. From what I have been told by those who have and from what I have read in the Snews publication as well as other publications about the show, it never changes.

I was visited this week by my YKK representative who came to me having spent three days at the show. Her basic comment was; “if you walked down any isle and looked at the clothing being offered the company on the right side of the isle and the company on the left side of the isle have basically the same garments and the only basic change was the labels. Since she worked in their international department for a while she added these companies get their garments from the same factories located in either China, Vietnam or Bangladesh. Was I surprised, no because this has been the case for years.

The general dress code is shorts, t-shirts and flips flops. Professionalism is a word that is not known of by the participants of this show. Dress does show a level of professionalism and what you wear when you go to the beach does not apply.

The major concern exhibited by I believe 100 percent of the exhibiters and attendees was not using plastic water containers of any sort. I do understand the need to make the effort to recycle plastics but the “need” to talk about it every day to the exclusion of whatever else might be going on at the show seemed excessive , but I don’t attend the show so who am I to complain.

Many of the companies are tripping all over themselves trying to prove who is best at offering sustainably made products. If that were the case why does Patagonia and now Arcteryx have buyback programs? Both companies will buyback garments that have worn out after two or so years. Considering the initial costs for their garments; in the case of Arcteryx of $600.00 to $800.00 for a jacket shouldn’t they last more than two years? Of course these companies have an incentive of 20 percent credit towards the purchase of a new “improved” jacket. What happened to their desire to offer “sustainable” garments?

One of my friends also a dinosaur in the industry likes me; I started in 1961 and Doug in 1966 had an interesting observation. When we started we were a part of the skiwear market becoming the ski industry and the development of the organization ‘Ski Industry of America”. Eventually the outdoor industry and the ski industry blended together. Today he said we have been seeing a new industry move to the front of the line; “the climbing industry”! I hadn’t thought about it in that light, but he is right. All of the major brand names have a lineup of athletes representing them and all they do is Climb Mountains all over the world using primary clothing items made by these companies that do not actually work but are promoted as being used on Everest as if climbing Everest is done by everyone. My opinion those who chose to climb Everest have a death wish. (If you are a reader and have climbed Everest big deal, it is dangerous and as we know the more people who are permitted to climb it the more that do die, even the most experienced).

When you see advertisements for base layer clothing it refers to its use being worn by a climber or climbers. What the advertisements do not say is how well these garments will retain your sweat so you will get a chill within minutes after you stop your activity. Every last climber and that includes every professional that is hired by these companies experiences the same thing “getting a chill” when they return to their tent after a day of climbing. All because the base layers made by the companies they represent do not do what is claimed. (Any climber who chooses to disagree with what I have just said would be insulting my intelligence).

In 1969 I bought a 28 foot Dutch built steel hull sloop. It was made for sailing the North Sea, (I was not at that time). I sailed Dulcinea (the boats name) mostly single handed from the western end of Long Island Sound (L.I.S.), City Island for those who know the area to Nantucket and every place in between until 1974. During those 5 years I had numerous experiences with heavy weather and learned that confined waters which are what L.I.S. is are more dangerous than being in the middle of the Atlantic.

Was I knowledgeable enough in the first years of owning the boat to embark on a sailing trip as I did in 1974, my opinion no. However, by 1974 I had enough experiences with seas as high as maybe 8 feet and winds over 30 knots to know what I had to do in a variety of situations. As it turned out on the third day I was sailing into Cape May and I was running two boat lengths up the swells until I was close enough to the inlet that the ocean subsided for me. There is nothing that can replace experience when you are choosing to do something that has a life threatening aspect to it.

All of these companies that can be considered as part of the “climbing industry” have no concern of the individuals who they want to sell, they just want to sell them on the climbing activity and if the individuals are somehow convinced that they can “just do it” without proper experience the companies do not care. They are only concerned with sales of product and will say whatever it takes to make that happen. I believe the rate of accidents will continue to increase as a result.

Please understand that the speakers that spoke at the OR show stressed making money, yes very much so from what I have read. I too am a capitalist and want profits from my labors but it is not a live or die attitude as I have noted for several years now as to the attitude exhibited in the OR industry. So many of the brand names are now controlled by financial groups and they are solely profit motive oriented and regardless what they say could care less not only of the customer but also the products these companies put into the market place.

If you really want to understand how they operate just spend a few hours watching “shark tank”.

This fall when you start to see the winter garments on the racks in the retail outlets for “outdoor” use you will find the thinnest insulated most cheaply constructed garments yet but the prices will not reflect these poor quality products because you will be told the company had to fork over a 25 percent tarffic increase. From what I have read these companies have been taking in as much inventory as they can before the tariffs go into effect.

I am very happy to be an AMERICAN MADE MANUFACTURE buying American made materials that are far superior to any of the same materials made in Asia, using American citizens to make Wiggy products. Just for the sake of good order when it comes to materials made in America there is NOTHING and I mean NOTHING let alone available in Asia that can be spoken of in the same breath as Lamilite/Climashield insulation which is not now never has been and as far as I know will never be made in Asia. If it is not Lamilite/Climashield in your sleeping bag or jacket, mittens, footwear or whatever insulated product I make you can expect whatever the product is with another so called form of insulation you will be cold.

Life is good knowing that I manufacture the best products of their type right here in the UNITED STATES of AMERICA and I am PROUD of that FACT!!!