new

NEW? INNOVATORS

The other day I received an email from a student at I believe Texas A and M. He wrote that he with other students were starting a project to make lighter weight sleeping bags and tents for light weight backpacking.

Normally I disregard these emails for information but this time I called the fellow inquiring how they were going to accomplish this task.

He explained they were going to use the “new” materials now available. I asked what he knew about insulation for use in the sleeping bags. he had none, hence his writing to me. to his dismay I am sure I told him there was nothing in existence now or will be for the next 100 years that performs as continuous filament and directed him to read “WHY CONTINUOUS FILAMENT FIBERFILL [CFF] WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST INSULATING MATERIAL IN THE WORLD and Understanding insulation and Heat Loss”.

Both articles are available on the home page.

I explained that if he wanted to make a plus 20 degree sleeping bag to fit him it would be a long wide size with a weight of about 4 ½ pounds. And since it would be a Wiggy bag that is the only plus 20 degree bag made and physics dictates you cannot make one lighter in weight. I am sure he did not believe me because he referred back to the “new” materials available.

He further told me he and his group had no knowledge other than their camping experience. I stated that my 60 years of being in the textile industry taught me all about the materials etc. that have existed, many gone, it has dictated how I make Wiggy products.

I told him I had no comments about tents since I have not nor do I now make them.

He did say some of the “new” materials on the market such as goretex is used extensively. I agreed but told him in no uncertain terms that I wrote when bobby gore died, he went to his grave knowing his product never worked.

It was at this point that I wished him luck in his endeavor not that I expect he or they will have success. And ended the conversation.

I think it is tragic that young people in college having the desire to innovate have in the case of textiles no background to draw from because they chose not to do the research readily available to them. He initiated contact with me before taking the time to read what I have written. Will he read the articles I recommended, who knows?

Is this the way things are today? All of the youth looking for short cuts? When it comes to knowledge there are none.  

By the way after all is said and done by these students they will not have accomplished what they have started out to do because I know it is impossible to better my sleeping bags and probably cannot better the existing tents.