Who here uses a Wiggy's bag or even knows of them ?

As well as being a climber,I'm also a backpacker, and every BP'ng forum site for the last couple of years has been getting spammed/ sock-pupputed/ trolled by the syn bag manufacturer, "Wiggy" and it's constant claiming that countless climbers are dying or needing rescue because they use a down bag vs one of Wiggy's.

Does anyone here actually use a Wiggy's Bag ? I'd never even heard of the manufacturer until the insensate trolling posts.

In the Pac NW or AK, how many of you use down vs syn on a long expedition climb ?

Dave Bohn aka "Old Fart" wrote: In the Pac NW or AK, how many of you use down vs syn on a long expedition climb ?

That's a good question. Anyone?

an outfitter that I have worked with up in the Algonquin eh used Wiggy bags. They seemed to like them.

Back in the early 90's when I was a member of the AMGA Wiggy's was one of the pro deals that came with membership. I bought two bags rectangular one winter one summer. Never used them backcountry just car camping but we lived out of the a truck for months at a time and they got used tons and lasted for years.

Haven't seen any spam hadn't heard of Wiggy's in years but I don't go to the BPing sites. I do frequent Bikepacking though bikepacking.net/ it's run by a friend of mine he started running Google adds a while back helps to pay the bills, not his the forum sites.

Down vs Synthetic each has plus and minuses it just depends on the use. For bike packing trips I always bring the down because it's lighter and compresses way more but on a canoe trip I'll be bringing a synthetic bag just in case it gets a little wet.

The problem with down bags is that you have to dry them out on a fairly regular basis if you are sleeping in them every night to keep them working well. Your body gives off water vapor as you sleep and the bag will wick it up. Same thing happens with synthetic but it isn't as much of an issue. I've heard of people who sleep inside a vapor barrier liner in their down bags in the winter.
My buddy and I did a hut traverse in the Whites a couple of years ago, he had a down bag and I had a synthetic. The fourth day as we were packing up he commented that his bag was significantly heavier than when he started.

I have several Wiggy's left over from a previous life. They were extremely inexpensive, simple, durable, and an all-around 'good deal'. One is an excellent hot weather/desert bag. One makes an excellent overbag for use with a down bag in winter. A pair of simple overpants went on McKinley summit day. And so on. A very good deal and a great product.
It's been too many years ago to say when I got these puppies, but they're still doing the job for me.

it's funny you mention this, as i was driving back through grand junction (home of wiggy's) on my way back from the crick after thanksgiving, i wondered if wiggy's is still around. i bought a wiggy's -20 bag back in the early 90's.

pros- it was really cheap
cons- it wasn't nearly as warm as an equivalent down bag, and weighs about as much as a crate full of bowling balls. also, it packs down to the size of a small wash machine.

i still have it in the back seat area of my truck, and my dog sleeps on it during camping/climbing trips. he seems to like it ok.

do they still make that weird fishnet long underwear? that stuff SUCKED. something about the material just sucked the heat right out of you.

I have two Wiggy's bags.

Use them all the time. I know the claims about durability and the positives of Synthetic over Down. And I agree with all the positives.

I use Synthetic everywhere. Desert to high on Denali.

I LIKE them a lot. My Wiggy's goes everywhere.

We still have about 30 wiggies for rent at UNI outdoors, but now only use them when the MHardware ones are out or someone asks for one. They are extremely durable. I still use (and swear by) my father's original The North Face synth. It is about 35 years old and still perfect in every way.

Wiggy was always a bit odd. Instead of a catalogue we would send a mimiographed (people still have those?) typewritten manifesto around. The bags are indistructable though!

While we are on the subject. Does getting a down sleeping bag wet ruin it's performance for the life of the bag?

My MHardwear bag got drenched during a storm this summer, when I got home I follwed the drying instructions. I don't if it's just me being paranoid about ruining a $230 bag but it seems like it doesn't insulate as well when it was brand new.

slim wrote:it wasn't nearly as warm as an equivalent down bag, and weighs about as much as a crate full of bowling balls. also, it packs down to the size of a small wash machine.

Ha ha!! Good stuff Slim!

Is this Dave Bohn the former climber (Bohn Street) from Oregon? Hola Dave! I've fallen asleep on "Bohn street" if you can imagine that.

Anyway: I've had one of Wiggy's 3 seasons bags for over 15 years. The kids had taken turns trying to tear it up, but it's too well made. LOL! They work as good as any other synthetic bag. Don't know about all the spamming, but if that's the case these days, I'd say lets all avoid them like the plague and maybe things can eventually get back to normal! Screw them! (ps, I come off as old, but I'm only 55 and not as old as you!)

Warm regards Bill