why a wiggy's bag

HOW IMPORTANT IS A SLEEPING BAG?

For the last 5 or 6 years I have been contacted by a company in New Zealand wanting a price for many thousands of sleeping bags for the N.Z. military. Each time I receive the e mails I ask one question and that is “for what temperature will the bags be used”? To that question I receive a vague response, actually no response giving that information. They have sent to me a copy of the current tender and when I review it I do not ever see that information. There are a number of requirements that are of no importance even if there was a temperature rating supplied. You are required to answer these questions when you put in your bid otherwise your bid is rejected. I do not bother to address these questions and tell the prospective customer the same. Since I am selling him the bags he can respond. Of course since he does not make or know how to make sleeping bags he is relying on me and I am not going to respond to non-sense that has nothing to do with the sleeping bag. So we have a “catch 22” here.

This year he told me these needs of unnecessary (my word) information comes from the EU. I told him it did not matter to me where the need came from I was not going to deal with it.

For the past two weeks he has been communicating with me thinking that do to the quantity that I would bow to his request of information. I will not so I wrote the following to him;

1. When looking for a sleeping bag it is important to know the temperature range the bag will be used for. Of all the different sleeping bags that are available it is important to know if there is supporting evidence of a sleeping bags capability. For the past 30 years only one brand of sleeping bag has demonstrated that each model performs at the temperature rating applied to the bag. There is over whelming evidence of this fact that can be read in the testimonials that exist on the Wiggy’s web site.
2. A sleeping bag should be oblivious to moisture, that is to say whether the sleeping bag is wet or dry it should perform equally as well. If a sleeping bag is wet it does not insulate very well, actually the moisture in the sleeping bag does actively absorb your body heat. All down bags function in this manner, however all chopped staple fiberfill bags function in this manner as well. Because the fiberfill from what I have been reading from other companies is very fine denier and it must be quilted so it gets packed down and when water gets into the fiberfill it is trapped. The multitude of bags sold worldwide contain this chopped staple fiber regardless of country of manufacture such as China, Viet Nam, England, Italy, or Switzerland to name a few. When these bags get wet they stay wet and while they were not properly temperature rated to begin with; very much over rated; they become even worse insulators. However, there is over whelming evidence of only one sleeping bag Company whose bags are oblivious to moisture and those are Wiggy’s bags. All one has to do is read the many testimonials attesting to the fact that not only do the bags perform if wet but also are so efficient at retaining body heat the heat dries the bag as well as the occupant.
3. A sleeping bag should have as its insulation an insulation that can be stuffed in its carry stuff sack and when removed return to its original thickness. That action does not nor can it happen with chopped staple fiberfill. But there is one bag that uses an insulation that is so efficient at responding when unpacked and these bags are used in all of the US Air Force ejection seat survival kits. These bags are made by Wiggy’s Inc. the insulation used is technically continuous filament fiberfill; trade named Lamilite and made from Climashield. The bags are vacuum packed under about 20 tons of pressure and can stay that way for years and when released will return to normal loft.
4. Zippers that do not fail are extremely important. As far as I know Wiggy’s Inc. is the only sleeping bag manufacturer in the world that uses the YKK number 10 molded tooth zippers. All of the other sleeping bags sold have coil zippers that are notorious for their propensity to break. When you are located in any temperature zone below 40 degrees F a broken zipper can compromise your life depending upon how cold it is.
5. Launder ability to the military as it is to any consumer is very important. All companies with the exception of one do not want customers of their bags to wash them because the fiberfill does deteriorate in the laundering process. Also from what I have noted when I have taken these bags apart is the poor quality sewing as in joining the components. I have seen seams separate as a direct result of laundering the bag. Is there any doubt why they do not want you to launder them? Wiggy’s bags can be laundered hundreds of times without damaging the bag and I encourage all customers to wash the bags when they get dirty.
6. When soldiers are issued the trash “no sleep sleeping bags” they do not take care of them. They are disappointed with the lack of performance and of course they cannot do anything about it. The supply officer gives them what he receives and that is what he issues to them. A civilian consumer having purchased a sleeping bag with their own money will take care of the bag if it works or return it to the store if it doesn’t. Soldiers do not have that option however I have sold thousands of bags to soldiers who have told me they have used the bags since the first gulf war and still use them today. I have also heard from soldiers who were issued my bags and kept them since leaving the military and still use them. They are all Wiggy’s bags.

To say that a sleeping bag is anything less than the single most important piece of equipment you take with you when you go into the field regardless if you are a civilian or soldier if it does not meet the criteria listed above it can potentially cost you your life.

These are the points I suggested he put forth to the contracting officer who published this tender. He wrote back asking for a letter of compliance and financial information for the contracting officer. I told him I cannot write a certificate of compliance without knowing temperature rating that is required and since I am not selling the end item user, he is, so therefore I will not give any financial information as requested.

At the end of the day so to speak they will buy some non-functioning sleeping bag and the hell with the grunt. That unfortunately is how government works.

I think that all of the points I have made here should be in hand when one goes into a retail store looking for a sleeping bag and ask the sales clerk if they have any bags that meet the criteria I have set forth. If they say yes they are lying. But lying in the outdoor industry as far as I am concerned seems to be the normal thing to do these days.

WIGGY’S IS “SIMPLY THE BEST”!!!

A final note he is asking for -50 to plus 45. The superlight FTRSS will fill the bill. I doubt that this will ever materialize into an order.