more reasons to wear Wiggy's

SNOWMOBILING CLOTHING

Wiggy-

I have had a chance to wear some of your gear snowmobiling for a dozen trips or so and just wanted to give you some thoughts. All of my sledding has been in the mountains of southwest Montana at 6,000-9,000'

Here is what I typically wear:

Fishnets top and bottom with the 2nd layer mesh. Liner Jacket with a Supplex vest. Antarctic bibs made from your L-6. Under my bibs on my lower half I will wear a lightweight pair of sleep pants(cotton) that are loose fitting. On top under the liner jacket I sometimes wear just a t-shirt or a lightweight sweatshirt (cotton). I also bought a barren grounds parks and have tried multiple different arrangements of layers underneath it and it is just simply too warm. All of my riding is in the mountains, so I have no choice to be active, (moving from side to side of the sled, etc.) as I ride instead of just sitting down trail riding on flat ground. Maybe, maybe, if it was well below zero and I was doing all trail riding, the parka would work better, but it is just simply far too warm for mountain riding. I also have the renegade mittens and they keep my hands warm all day whether I am sweating or not.

Through the course of the ride, falling off, getting stuck, getting my buddies unstuck, there are multiple times where you have no choice but to be sweating as you work and ride. I have honestly never been cold yet. One morning it was -5 when we started and I just had the fishnets, 2nd layer mesh, light shirt, liner jacket with the Supplex vest on my top half. I thought for sure I would need more, but thought what the heck, let's try it. I was warm as could be and didn't need extra clothes.

The best thing I have noticed is the fact that you can be extremely sweaty and still stay warm in all conditions that I have been in so far. Thank you for the gear made in the states that will keep a person warm through these conditions.

A few possible suggestions: MY COMMENTS ABOUT THESE SUGGESTIONS.

Have you ever considered making a 2nd layer mesh for the bottoms? YES, I DID BUT I AM NOT SET UP TO DO WORK OF THAT SORT WITH THIS LIGHT A WEIGHT FABRIC SO I DO NOT MAKE THEM.

Putting hand warmer pockets in your bibs would be useful. I know you normally wear this with a parka, but they would be handy when the parka is not in use. THERE IS NO PLACE TO PUT THEM EASILY. WEAR THE MITTENS.

I would actually consider your bibs in an L-3 set up as well. might be perfect for some snowmobiling situations, because they are just so warm with the L-6. I WOULD MAKE THEM BUT THEY WOULD BE CUSTOM PRICED AT THIS TIME.

Anyway, I will let you know if I have any other updates for you as time goes on. Thanks again for making great gear in the U.S.A

Andrew Badgero

1. Ducksback Sweater

   This is my second Ducksback product after a parka and it performs as advertised. It reminds me more of a puffy bomber jacket rather than a sweater. It is plenty warm for the 30 degree temperatures I’ve worn it and should have the same water resistance as the parka which is excellent.
   
   

   – Gene Wiggins

I think anyone who knows Blair Braverman should direct her to this article so she can read about some of the products Wiggy’s makes for cold weather use. The garments she mentioned at the end of her article are very uncomfortable in the temperature conditions she wrote about. Blair Braverman it is time that you started living and learning!!!

When you are on a snow machine or standing on the back of a dog sled you are not really generating much body heat so extra think, not heavy outerwear is necessary. However, when you read what Andrew is doing on the machine which is working less would be necessary until you stop. Then of course you could be carting a Wiggy parka to wear until you start up again.

Over the years I have been making the Antarctic parka I have sold many men in Alaska who travel long distances on snow machine’s, and they swear by the Wiggy’s parka and bibs as well.

I do receive two snowmobile magazines and find that the clothing shown is very fashionable not functionable. But people are always free to buy what they want; good or bad.

In my lifetime of being in the business of supplying insulation to outerwear manufacturers I had the luxury of getting a variety of garments for use in a multitude of winter activities.

What I have learned is that lofty garments are far and away superior to the less lofty garments. Especially those that are quilted. In recent years the quilted look has become widely sold not because they haven’t any warmth retention qualities but because they are “fashionable”.

I have also learned that the insulations used for winter garments should have one specific quality and that is for it to be as light as possible. For a number of years down was just that a very lofty and light weight insulating product that worked well so long as it stayed dry. That is its primary fault. Of course, manufacturing down garments is very costly.

After all is said when the continuous filament fiberfill product entered the marketplace, we now had the lightness of down without the faults such as absorbing moisture, easy to work with in manufacturing and of course in the heavy weights necessary for use in subfreezing temperatures. (Blair Braverman are you reading this and learning?).

I get many calls from adults both male and female asking for guidance in how to dress. Why is this happening, easy answer, they all tell me what they have bought that is just not working to keep them warm.

Close knit polyester or merino wool first layer and then fleece like Polartec, but brand does not matter and eventually a close fitting thinly quilted jacket. I tell them they have put on all the best garments in the world to trap and retain all of the moisture they generate.

They want my advice, fishnets as a base layer, and then loose fitting second and third layers because you want to be able to ventilate the moisture or sweat from your body. Note that Andrew referenced his cotton garments are loose fitting. The fact that they loose fitting means that he is experiencing even though he might not realize it his perspiration is escaping. Andrew is the perfect example of what Gerry Cunningham wrote about in his booklet “how to keep warm” in 1971 the benefit of loose-fitting clothing that allows moisture laden air, which is a vapor to escape from your clothing, so you do not get a chill.

I cannot give better advise than repeating what I have learned from Gerry Cunningham and ultimately have experienced myself