more about Ducksback

MORE EXPERIENCES WITH DUCKSBACK JACKETS

Hi Jerry,

This note is long overdue. I have your sleeping bags, DUCKSBACK Sweater and Zippered Jacket, jacket liner, fishnets, boots and socks. All products are durable, washable and perform as you say. Here's one experience with the DUCKSBACK Zippered Jacket.

In May 2019, I was shooting sporting clays at a range in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. The weather started out in the lower 40's F and about a 20 mph wind with higher gusts. Obviously, hitting flying clay targets was challenging in those conditions! We saw a cloud coming up the valley. The cloud brought stronger winds and rain -- hard but not quite horizontal. Rain turned to snow. Later, snow turned to sleet, then back to rain. I was wearing the DUCKSBACK Zippered Jacket and was completely dry and comfortable. My shooting buddies were freezing and some were soaked.

That DUCKSBACK Zippered Jacket is my go-to wear for winter shooting in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Not only does it keep me dry and warm but the compressibility of Lamilite on my shoulder does not significantly affect my gun fit.

Thanks again for another fine product.

Cheers!

John McMahon

Yesterday I received a call from John who was placing an order. I was engaged in writing yesterday’s article so I read him the email from Jared to which he said he had an experience with his zippered Ducksback jacket. I told him to write it down and send it to me, you have just read it.

I do not count the number of testimonials of each product so I don’t know the number referencing use of a Ducksback garment but I think they are adding up.

Ducksback is gaining a reputation as a shell fabric as strong as Lamilite/Climashield has as an insulation. The same way I never see consumers writing testimonials about the so-called material known as insulation of other companies that use it, I never see consumers writing about the shell fabrics that are used.

By the way the insulation in the Zippered Ducksback Jacket is the 3 ounce weight or L-3.

Of course, the most prominent shell fabrics used today are what the industry calls “water-proof and breathable” led by the ever popular goretex. In the 50 years they have been selling the stuff no one to the best of my knowledge has ever written about its performance. I have read over the years as well as having seen u tube videos exposing it as a non-performing product, one specific product displayed has been how poorly it has performed in footwear. Of course, the footwear makers have been wearing blinders when it comes to this information.

Today I received a call from a hunter buying a sleeping bag, ground pad and socks. He told me the next purchase will be the over boots to be worn over his goretex/Thinsulate boots that do not keep his feet warm. He goes into a tree stand and knows when you are off the ground feet get colder.

IMPORTANCE OF FOOTWEAR

I have written extensively about footwear that keeps your feet warm. I reflect on the situation I was in when I was lost and why I was okay when Rudy found me.

I was wearing my Antarctic parka, leg jackets and mukluks over my fishnets. All of these components complimented each other to keep me warm. But if my feet were not warm, had I not been wearing the mukluks I do not believe I would have survived. When your feet are warm that helps the rest of your body to stay warm. People the world over who live in or venture into cold regions and some of them do get lost will not necessarily survive if their feet are cold. When feet get cold in an environment that is below the freezing point, they are apt to become bricks relatively soon and once that happens walking becomes very difficult. While I was out there, I never thought about my feet getting cold not even when I walked through the streams I had to cross. I never considered how much water would get in the mukluks. When I took the mukluks off there wasn’t enough to fill a coffee cup. I did not realize that the water had to displace something to get in and there was nothing to displace. I have for years concentrated on footwear because if you are in a situation that is not in your best interest when it is winter your best chance of survival is if you have warm feet. In my case as good as the other garments were if I did not have the mukluks, I wouldn’t be writing this article.

What I have learned over the years is that the Lamilite/Climashield nullifies [makes inoperative] water. Regardless what product I make using Lamilite/Climashield if it is exposed to water it does not matter, the product will still function as it is supposed to.

Our sales of hypothermia bags has increased this year which suggests to me more people are going into the winter wonderland which is terrific but some also may have a problem where they have to be rescued. The hypothermia bag will do a lot to trap the victims heat but if they have damaged feet, they will need more medical attention.

I may sound redundant but I do not believe much if any attention has been paid to the importance of having warm feet. Certainly, the boot manufacturers have paid lip service to saying they have warm boots. They make the claim they have warm boots which is true when you put them on in the store. Things change when you go into the field. Hence the need for Lamilite/Climashield over boots or mukluks.

A word to the wise to all soldiers; do you know why you are issued so many pair of socks so you can take them into the field but you can forgo all of that if you have Lamilite/Climashield socks, all you will need is one pair when you are in the field; they do not retain moisture, get stretched out of shape or retain odor. Remember if they work for civilians they will work for soldiers. Civilians and soldiers are both human. If you have a son or daughter, husband or wife in the military or if you have a friend in the military getting them one pair of 13 inch Lamilite/Climashield could be the best Christmas present they will ever get.