would you rent a sleeping bag?

WOULD YOU RENT A SLEEPING BAG?

The following except is from an article in the snewnet.com online publication. I think it is pertinent to be aware of this company as well as companies like it. Initially they are okay as far as I am concerned except for the fact that one of the items they rent is a sleeping bag.

“RICHMOND, Va., March 17, 2020 – The Shed, the first full-service consumer goods rental marketplace. Within two months of starting its inventory acquisition, The Shed Denver has inked several deals with outdoor companies, including national brands. The products secured through these companies include sleeping bags as well many other products.”

This company just like all of the rest of the companies that have rental programs that include sleeping bags get them from all of the companies that import their “no sleep sleeping bags” from China. These “no sleep sleeping bags” are inundated with chemicals, are mostly made from polyester fabrics and polyester fabrics are highly flammable.

These companies may very well tell prospective renters that they clean the bags regularly after each renter returns them. How do they clean them, I doubt in a washing machine since the companies that sell these “no sleep sleeping bags” to the general public do not want the buyers to was them; why? because they use chopped staple fiberfill which breaks apart when laundered. So, they send them off to dry cleaners who put them in a chemical bath, so you would be subject to even more chemicals.

All this said would you want to rent a “no sleep sleeping bag” in this day and age when you go camping? It is possible the vacationers this summer will be thinking about camping more that ever because of the coronavirus. All modes of transportation are compromised with the exception of one’s own automobile. Our country is a big place and you can get lost so to speak in the mountains on the east coast Rockies and west coast if you want too. Not see a sole in many places.

So, if you are interested in taking a vacation and need a “sleeping bag” that has no chemicals, WIGGY’S is it.

Wiggy’s will not be closing due to the coronavirus because Wiggy’s is making product for the government that is vital.

The article I published on Tuesday about the polyester fiber coming out of clothing I sent to my friend Doug Hoschek and asked him to write an article as to why this happens. That is what follows.

watchin THE TRUTH ABOUT POLYESTER FIBERS

Thank you for allowing me to share what I believe are the truths about why polyester fibers are being released into the air as reported by a friend/outdoor companion and customer of Wiggy’s Don Yaeger.

In 1966 I went to work for Celanese Fibers Marketing after college graduation from the University of Montana. I spent many days and nights in the outdoors of pristine lands, rivers and mountains. Including Yellowstone National Park. My sleeping bag was a Coleman bag with a nylon shell fabric polyester insulation and cotton flannel lining. I wore layers of wool and cotton to keep warm as the bag insulation did not insulate to be very comfortable. Seeing down bags in Bob Wards outdoor store the price would have set me back a full semester of books and food. During the time I was in college Jim Whittaker had summited Mt. Everest and was featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. Wearing custom made down parka and pants and sleeping in a special made down sleeping bag. I visited Seattle to look around the REI store from my college campus in Missoula Montana to see the down outerwear and sleeping bags before I graduated in June of 1965.

Little did I know a year after graduation I would be getting a job in Celanese Fibers because I had that experience with REI. And knew the Down outerwear and sleeping bag Jim used.

The goal for the new Celanese patented filament polyester fiber and the processing for making a sleeping pillow insulation into a sleeping bag insulation was my first assignment. Remembering how cold I was in that Coleman polyester bag my attention was how to find out the warmth of the new filament fiber vs what is called chopped stable then and today in all polyester sleeping bags except for Wiggy’s bags. I named the insulation Polarguard. As times changed and ownerships moved on Polarguard has become owned by the Koch Bros. While the technology and filament fibers and machine and processing are now called Climashield and have original Polarguard /Celanese owners and expert marketing teams.

You all know the story of the Wiggy’s bag I am sure, but the most important story now is what Don has shared about fibers in the air and coming out in washings and going into the ocean.

There is a very simply explanation. You will not hear it from any other outdoor source. Jerry and I became good friends and together sold insulations prior to his starting Wiggy’s. Often, we were talking to brands making skiwear and outdoor hiking backpacking and climbing apparel and sleeping bags using down insulation. The positive side to that knowledge and experiences is and now often uses assembly of apparel and sleeping bags meaning stitching and fabric quality.

All of that exclusively makes Wiggy’s products using only USA made fiber yarns and fabrics.

Polyester fiber was invented and then produced from chemicals made by the chemical company. Those chemical companies being USA companies Dupont and Celanese. Three fibers make up polyester. Rather than spell out the long names for each one they are today called PET. Then there is a 4^th chemical that holds the other three chemicals together to lock them in a sealing process that is often today referred to as plastic. That chemical is antimony oxide. It is known by our EPA to cause cancer. Like many other challenges of chemicals so long as they do not come out of the sealing, they are safe for an indefinite period of time longer lasting than wearing or our use.

The reporting and testing from Don’s article means the fibers are not properly produced by companies that lack the knowledge and environmental regulations to prevent this from happening. Of course, we are talking about polyester fibers produced in Asia and countries where there is and has been no government regulations like we have here in the USA.

Far too much of the chemicals and fibers are made in China doing this.

Many outdoor brands including Patagonia are guilty of not having a responsible authority like our USA gov’t EPA regulation for the chemicals and the processing of polyester fibers.

The seal cracks and begins to split into tiny particles too small to see with the human eye. By comparison take any cotton or wool garment and shake it into the sunlight and you will see fine dust like particles of what is called fiber fly. Safe biodegradable because they are natural not chemicals. Some folks have allergies to wool but that is as far as it goes. No matter how much marketing is put out by brands that never have made products in the USA or in their own factories this issue continues to show itself of fiber splints. Why wasn’t this reported in the 70’s 80’s and even 90’s answers because it was made here in the USA as explained.

I birthed companies like Patagonia by my inventing Polar fleece fabrics to replace wool sweaters after I developed polyester insulations to replace down. At that time the fleece was made at Malden Mills the mill that burned down and went out of business.

Today the insulation of Climashield remains free of the offshore fractures.

It is important to remember that the Lamilite/Climashield is a continuous filament fiberfill product and the fabrics I use to cover it referred too as shell and lining are nylon.

Thank you, Doug for the explanation.