no planned obsolescence

SUSTAINMENT OF AN OUTDOOR PRODUCT

But first some testimonials and an interesting recollection.

Bob is a longtime customer and I have posted his comments for years.

Thank you again, Bob.

“Well...I sent my sweater back to you after 15+ years of continual use and probably 35 washings and all you needed to do is put in a new zipper...wore it again tonight.

That to me is sustainability...

Bob”

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FIELD REPORT – Ground Pad

Hi Jerry,

Wiggy’s Ground Pad performs as advertised.

The first outdoor test was during the day, at about 20° F. Apparently, I was more comfortable than I realized. Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep and stayed that way for two hours. An unplanned afternoon naps!

Two weeks of tent camping followed - some nights at 15° below zero - tent pitched directly on the snowpack. Comfortable, and no cold spots.

I like the way it unrolls flat. And, it grips the bag; no more sliding around. It rolls up easily, takes less packed space than two closed-cell foam pads, and is more comfortable. The straps are handy; roll up your parka and secure with the straps for a pillow that won’t slip away during the night.

Great product.

Thank you,

Pete

This report from Pete is far and away the best testimonial about the ground pad yet. I used one for years when mostly hunting at 12000 feet when temperatures went as low as -30 F. however, it is always best when customers send me their experiences for me to publish.

Thank you, Pete.

REFLECTION

This morning I was watching the program CBS THIS MORNING. I turned it on during the segment about how Tiffany makes the Super Bowl silver trophy. At the end they showed a picture of the commissioner of the NFL/AFL and the designer from Tiffany. They said the year was 1967 and the design was on a napkin in a restaurant at lunch.

Having heard this, I could not wait to call my friend Doug Hoschek who was the person who put Polar Guard on the market. The reason I had to speck with him has to do with the fact that my boss asked me to explain to him how insulation works. It happens that the continuous filament fiberfill product we were just starting to make in 1967. Doug and I were having lunch at a restaurant on Madison Ave. and 36^th street called Billy Buds. During our conversation I drew on a napkin arrows showing the flow of hot and cold air. Unbeknownst to me at the time he took that napkin and showed it to the Celanese art director, and they made the hangtag that had red and blue arrows. The art director and his associates then with Doug created the Polar Guard name.

So, two things happened in the same year of 1967 that are enduring; continuous filament was born initially called Polar Guard and now called Climashield, as well as Lamilite which was made originally from Polar Guard now Climashield and the Super Bowl trophy. Both sketched on a napkin in a restaurant.

I rely on Doug to give me information that I use periodically in these articles. A lot of what follows is information I have gotten from him. He would be a wonderful advisor to any of the companies that exist at this time who make outerwear garments. He has a wealth of knowledge that no one or group of people in the industry have.

THE CONTRADICTION THAT EXISTS IN THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

The outdoor industry has two pet projects; one is to produce products in a manner that will not have any carbon footprint of a negative nature on the planet and number two make the best products available that are sustainable.

The contradiction is that they are not accomplishing either because of the materials they use.

Throughout the industry the companies want to make lighter and lighter fabrics. They also want the best price for these fabrics as well as the cost to manufacture the garments.

So, they start out with polyester fiber for the yarns that are I am told 10 or 15 deniers. That is very fine when compared to what I use which is 70 denier (nylon).

When these yarns are woven into yard goods they are sent through a dying and finishing process that includes a calendaring process. The calendaring process is running the fabric over a hot roller that basically melts the yarns together. Then the fabric gets a chemical coating of some sort that seals the yarns. The reason for doing this is to keep the fabric from raveling or fraying. That is when you see the yarns separating from the fabric on the edges. The second reason for doing this is to prevent fiber migration of the fiberfills used in the making of these garments.

We keep hearing from the environmentalists about the high level of polyester fiber being found in sea life. So, those in membership of the Out Door Industry Association are determined to work at cleaning up the planet. The members are many manufacturers like niki, the north face, etc. and some retailers like rei.

Now for the contradiction. What the employees of all these companied do not know since they have never been exposed to getting an education in what happened to fabrics when you start working with them. Why do they not have an education, simple because they have never worked in a sewing plant. Why not because all the manufacturing of garments takes place somewhere in Asia for the most part. They do not know that fabric moves with in its structure as you handle it. When a garment is made and sold to you; you further cause the fabric to move. Essentially all movement of the fabric is causing the yarns to break apart and now there is the start of pollution. The polyester fiber is very weak and breaks away from the fabric. The lack of education exists in people in the industry 60 years of age and younger.

When I sailed, I learned that my anchor line was made from nylon because the nylon would stretch. If I anchored in calm waters and them the wind picked up and caused water action as the bow of the boat rose the anchor line would stretch and recover when the bow came down. If you had polyester anchor line it would snap because polyester does not stretch it breaks. That is what is happening to the polyester fiber used in these garments.

This movement from the wear in moving your arms getting in and out of your car and finally when you wash the garment, all the agitation breaks the yarns further apart and more of the polyester fibers break away and wash away into the oceans of the world.

Now let us look at the polyester fiberfill used today in these jackets. I have been told that there is a serious fiber migration problem with the polyester fibers from the fiberfill leaking out of the jackets. Why is this happening?

When I first entered the fiberfill business all the batting factories spray bonded the two surfaces of the fiberfill. They used 18 to 25 percent resin binder to hold the fibers in place. You could have used cheese cloth as a shell and lining with these batting and not experience fiber migration or leaking of fibers.

Maybe 20 years ago the batting makers stopped using spraying systems to hold the fibers in place but using a blend of high melt and low melt fibers that went into the oven so the low melt fibers would cause the high melt fibers to bond together. Good idea because the product is very soft, however, not all the fibers are bonded together and those not bonded wiggle like a snake and they find their way out of the fabric where the yarns have separated. When these garments that have polyester fiberfill in them get washed you now have the fiber breaking away from the shell and lining fabric as well as the fiberfill going into the oceans of the world.

Doug told me that the polyester fiber used for the fabric’s fractures and the chemicals in these fibers comes out and is the cause of problems as we have seen with the polyester uniforms worn by the Delta Airline employees.

These companies are looking for the least expensive fabrics to go along with the least expensive manufacturing that is possible. In this regard I suggest you view the video I did about the north face sleeping bag. “Wiggy’s Quality”! I show that the factory that made the bag did not serge or over lock the perimeter of each part of the bag. the sewing construction is all single needle work, if the factory were to use a serger there would be 3, 4 or 5 threads locking in the yarns. That means more money because thread costs money. So north face and probably most of the other companies getting product made for them subscribe to this method of construction.

Some companies want you to return the garments so they can be repurposed and not thrown into the land fill.

Do you see the contradiction; not wanting to hurt the planet but all the products they have made for them to sell does just the opposite. These companies will tell the world that they are good stewards of the planet when in fact they are major polluters of the planet.

I get companies calling me now and then with very good deals on polyester fabric and I decline every one of them. I also get good deals on 70 denier nylon taffeta or ripstop that is pure finish that I buy and offer product to my customers as I have just done recently adding coyote brown to the same price point as the marpart and acu. It is all first quality fabric.

At the beginning of the article I have Bob’s email about sustainability. Based on the record Wiggy’s has developed over the past 34 years of selling product I think of Wiggy’s as being the best steward of the planet serving the outdoor marketplace. Wiggy’s products are like the pink energy bunny, or the Timex watch, they take a beating and keep on ticking!

No planned obsolescence at Wiggy’s!!!!!!!!!!!!!