I’ve been recommending quilts to you all for quite some time now. Simply put, they’re are the most comfortable and lightest way to sleep in the backcountry (More info on why here.) But, while I’ve continuously suggested quilts, I’ve never had great recommendations as to which ones are best. Mostly because I’ve made all of the quilts that I’ve used for my hikes. Fortunately, this is changing and I’ve been testing some new gear with the intent of finding the best gear for you all.

There are more quilt options than ever available on the market right now, but so few of them are even worth looking at. Right off the bat, you can pretty much disregard anything the big-name companies are putting out. They don’t understand quilts and what makes them work well, and their hands are chained by the expectations of the industry and the masses. But where there’s a specialty niche to fill, there are cottage companies to fill it. Enter UGQ Outdoor and the Bandit top quilt.