Down is the isolation material from nature. Nobody has ever been able to improve it. It is soft, light and absorbs air. And it is exactly this air, and not the down itself, which keeps the warmth. Different from other feather, down feathers have no quill and are instead made up of a fluffy ball and soft fibers, which go out from a middle point and build an effective air trap. This trap functions as a very efficient temperature regulator.

The down, which make up the innermost layer of the feathering, serve water birds, like ducks and geese, in that they keep them dry and warm under all circumstances. Down is the lightest and warmest substance known by man for its volume and weight.

Down is also „breathable“ and absorb and remove moisture. These unique capabilities make down a first-class filling material for sleeping bags and jackets.

Since down is rare, a duck gives on average only about 12 grams of it, it is often mixed with other small feathers in a carefully controlled ratio, in order to maintain affordability, leaving a minimal effect on the comfort of the end product.

In nature down has the ability to keep water out. Every duck pond is living proof of it. But when down is used in sleeping bags and jackets, the waterproofness can not be taken for granted. When ducks and geese groom themselves, it is the actual methods of nature that make the down waterproof.

We at Yeti are very proud to be able to produce top products for ambitious expeditions in the great outdoors, Products, which don’t only offer the wearer a lot of comfort, but in extreme cases can mean the difference between a pleasant adventure and a life-threatening expedition.

The result, of which we are so proud, is a very unique down quality, to which we have given the name:

CRYSTAL DOWN™

BACKGROUND

Crystal Down – Down is carefully acquired from first-class farms in Europe. That ensures a reliable filling of high quality in all of our sleeping bags and jackets. The high standard of animal breeding in the European Union assures that the birds who produce our down are raised under optimal conditions.

PREPARATION / PROCESSING

The processing of the original down is executed by a European down factory. Each batch of CRYSTAL DOWN is examined in a laboratory and cleared for further work thereafter. All CRYSTAL DOWN – Quality materials are washed with special biodegradable down cleansing agent in up to 60°C warm water, in order to rinse out all undesirable residues from the down. Then, the product is dried at over 100°C. Now the down is absolutly sterile and suitable for the filling of our sleeping bags and jackets.