DriDucks rain jackets were all the rage in the early days of ultralight backpacking. Made of non-woven Propore laminate, these jackets were much lighter and more breathable than any GORE-TEX jacket in the market. They were so breathable, that I often used mine as a wind jacket.

On the other hand, its design was terrible: so baggy, with no adjustment options, and a useless hood. But what's worst, the jacket was so fragile, that you had to patch it with duct tape too frequently. It simply didn't work in the mountains.

That's the first reason to buy a synthetic quilt: it just works. No matter how damp your clothes are. No matter how much dew covers your quilt. No matter your tarp isn't big enough to protect you during a downpour. You'll be able to manage a decent sleep with a synthetic quilt during several nights in a row.

A synthetic quilt offers peace of mind and an extra safety margin. This is why many mountain guides favor synthetic quilts.

Do you remember Patagonia's sleeping bag featuring 1000 cuin down insulation? Probably not. Despite using space-age technology, this sleeping bag was a failure. Why? Because it had to be sent back to Patagonia to be washed. To retain its properties, the bag had to be washed using a proprietary, ozone-based, process. Crazy!

That's the second reason to buy a synthetic quilt: easy care. You can wash a synthetic quilt at home. Using a regular washing machine. You don't even need a drier.

Believe it or not, many users of down quilts don't wash them because it's a real nuisance. Washing a synthetic quilt is a no brainer. And a clean quilt is a warmer quilt.

What you surely remember is how the Black Lives Matter movement began. All of a sudden, the websites of outdoor brands were full of black models. Then asian models. Then LGBT models. And so on. That would be great if it were real. But it's just trendy.

A brand or a product is inclusive not by marketing, but by design.

And that's the third reason to buy a synthetic quilt: it's more inclusive. It can be used by vegans. It's embraced by people concerned about animal welfare. And people with some kind of animal allergies find it safe to use synthetic insulation.

I must admit that I'm surprised by how many customers buy a Sestrals Quilt for the third reason. And I'm quite happy with this outcome!

Marco.