WINTER RUNNING

WINTER RUNNING AND OTHER OUTDOOR PURSUITS

Today I read an article in the online publication of Sporting Goods Business about the popularity of running during the winter. The picture they show is a woman running on snow. About an hour later I received a call from a customer ordering the Antarctic mittens for his wife and fishnets for her to wear while she is running. They live in Mass.

I have skied and hunted in the winter season and wore my fishnets to keep from getting a chill when I generated sweat. My skiing has been downhill for 40 years and once, I repeat once I cross country skied. That day I produced as much sweat as I did in 40 years of downhill skiing. Again I was wearing my fishnets so when we stopped for lunch and rested I was the only one not getting a chill.

I refer you to the numerous companies that are selling close knit base layer under wear made from merino wool as comes from say Smartwool, or the variety of polyester knits from about 50 or more companies that claim to allow the moisture to pass through the fabric because of some super-duper chemical that transports the moisture away. What you should know is the vapor condenses very quickly and if the fabric is wool it is absorbed very quickly or if synthetic the vapor again condenses but is not absorbed by the polyester, however, the chemical treatment coating the fibers somehow moves the moisture away. The end result is a person ultimately getting a chill when the person stops the activity and rests.

Countless times I have ridden chair lifts with people who were nice and warm when they came down the hill but when they got on the chair lift they started shivering because the moisture that they put out when coming down the hill had been trapped next to their skin surface by the close knitted first layer of clothing, and that very same layer theypurchased because they believed it was going to “wick” the moisture away. Unfortunately the fabric suppliers, manufacturers and retailers are all working in cahoots to mislead the ultimate consumers. Honesty eludes them. The real tragedy in my opinion is that these people simply do not know that the product they are selling simply does not function as they are claiming, but that seems to be the way things are in the outdoor industry.

It matters not to me what one chooses to do in the outdoors during the winter season, wearing fishnet underwear is going to make your activity much more enjoyable.

SINGLE PERSON BIVI SHELTERS

I am making a major change now that I have the DUCKSBACK material. Until now the SPBS was vapor permeable over the body with the waterproof fly over it and the pop up tent pat over the head also made from the same waterproof fabric; 200 denier oxford nylon.

With the use of the DUCKSBACK material the fly is eliminated since the DUCKSBACK material is so water resistant and the pop up tent area is also going to utilize the DUCKSBACK material. The weight of the current SPBS is 2.75 pounds, I expect the new SPBS to weigh about 2 pounds and it will compress about 30 percent smaller. The stuff size was 10x15x3 inches. I expect the stuff size to be smaller. I also expect the price to still be in the $290.00 range.

The second SPBS will not have the L-6 Lamilite but only the DUCKSBACK material which will bring the weight down to about one and one half pounds. The stuff size for this bivi will be about 1/3rd smaller. The cost I expect will be about $225.00. This will be an outstanding bivi for anyone who wants the very best protection and minimal weight, such as goat hunters need.

Once I have actually made samples I will post these two new SPBS on the web site with all of the specifications and proper price. the color selection will be black or olive green.

DUCKSBACK CLOTH

The more I look at it the more products come to mind that this material will be used for by Wiggy's.

Stay tuned.