Yak wool is versatile by evolution. Over thousands of year, yaks have developed to adjust to the harsh high-altitude climates of the Himalayas. The Tibetan yak lives comfortably at 15,000-20,000 feet and is the highest dwelling wool-bearing mammal on earth. These majestic creatures are forced to create extraordinary fibers under the most extreme conditions. Khullu ("coo-loo") is the fiber that is grown around the neck and the belly of yak. Khullu has been known for its strength, durability, and antimicrobial qualities. Khullu wool is among the strongest and most efficient wools. We even consider it the best wool on the planet. It's extremely durable but it also has the soft and luxurious feel. Products made from yak wool last for decades, particularly when they're produced in a proper manner. It's ideal for many wear due to its inherent properties. That's the reason we select it for our most-worn sweaters.
What Are Yak Wool's Benefits And Properties?
Wool is available in a variety of forms with different feels and purposes. Animals in the sheep family goats, yaks, camel, and even ox produce the fiber commonly referred to as "wool." Crimps, or very limited in nature "waves", are a characteristic of wool. These crimps are largely responsible for the amazing utility of wool.-Thermoregulation: As the highest dwelling mammals in the world, yak live through a big range of temperatures, and over time they developed hollow fibers in addition to crimps. This creates dynamic air pockets which regulate temperatures. It is among the most sought-after. best base layer for skiing clothes as well as thermal trunks, tencel base layer, base layer pants skiing, adidas thermal shirt, merino 200 base layer, fleece lined long johns, best long sleeve thermal undershirts, mens merino thermals, st john's bay mens thermal shirts, best base layer womens ski, and more.
-Antimicrobial. The sweat of Yakwool travels from the skin's surface to outside, where it evaporates. Yak fibers actively stop and eliminate bacteria during this process. The isolation of bacteria reduces odor to the point where unwashed khullu has 66% less odor intensity than plastic-based fibers and 28% less than cotton fabrics.-Moisture-Wicking: Wool can absorb and retain up to 35% of its weight in moisture and still feel dry to the touch, which reduces sweat buildup and discourages bacterial growth. Yak fiber has a 17% greater rate of moisture transfer than pure merino Wool.
Durability: The crimps found in wool are comparable to a molecular-coil spring. This allows wool fibers to be stretched to at least 50% of their length when they are dry, or 30% when they are dry. When stress is released, the fibers will bounce back to the way they were originally formed.
What Is Yak Wool's Comparability With Other Wools?
-Yak Wool and Polyester: All things beat polyester. Synthetic fibers offer one benefit, which is softness. They come at a price. Fine synthetic fibers that help polyester soft when it is washed after every wash is costly additions to the fabric. This is the reason Khullu beats cotton nearly everywhere. It's a better thermoregulator as well as being significantly more robust. While cotton may be breathable, its inability to wick away moisture causes it to keep the smell.
-Yak Wool is different from. Cashmere. Yak is usually thought of as an eco-friendly alternative to cashmere. It's soft and manageable like cashmere. It's 30% more warm and twice as breathable as cashmere.
Yak Wool and Merino: Yak wool and Merino have lots in common, and yak is almost an improved version of. A bit more antimicrobial, a little more thermoregulating, a little softer, and a little more expensive. See the best merino wool base layers for more examples including lapasa merino wool base layer, mens thermal shirt tall, big mens thermal underwear, red polo thermal, best mens thermal shirts, 100 percent cotton long johns, 3xl mens thermal tops, david archy thermal underwear, regia 4 ply merino yak stores, base layer pants skiing, and more.
How Sustainable Is Yak Wool Wool?
Wool is a naturally environmentally sustainable option for manufacturing clothing. It's biodegradable, renewable and durable. Yaks play an important ecological function in the ecosystems they reside in. Yaks are essential for human existence due to their ability to reuse nutrients and their the ease of their grass grazing. They have been a part of nomadic herders for many centuries. Yak can be gentlegrazing animals, meaning their steps are as soft or as their lips. Other animals that produce fiber, such as cashmere and cashmere goats pull the grass up from its roots, destroying the ground they are able to call home. Yak is on the other side, lives in the mountains and grazes by removing only the top of the plants instead of the entire root. Yak fiber is among the most sustainably-produced wools on the planet since it permits an easy grazing, as well as a nomadic life.
Why Isn't Yak Wool More Popular?
Tibetan communities have been using yak wool for centuries. However, the emergence of cheap durable synthetics has reduced its use to ceremonial garb only. The demand for the luxurious wool has ebbed and flowed but has not caught on due to readily available alternatives such as cashmere, merino wool, and alpaca. All of which are naturally white and therefore easier to dye than the naturally brown yak. However, change is on the horizon, as the impact of overgrazing cashmere goats becomes more and more clear companies and consumers are looking for a sustainable alternative. See the best best base layers for both men and women, including footjoy thermal base layer shirt, base layer ski mens, smartwool 250 base layer, organic long underwear, smartwool long sleeve base layer, thermal hooded shirt, long underwear turtleneck, 100 percent merino wool base layer, smartwool base layer 150, northface thermals, and more.
Is It Harmful For The Yaks To Brush Their Fiber?
Yaks naturally shed their fiber each spring. All that is needed by herders to get it back is to scrub them. But, the majority of it is collected by herders at the time of shed. Yaks have better health when their wool is laid out. Gathering khullu is a cooling process which helps yaks stay cool, even in 90-degree heat. Nomadic herders maintain yaks. They don't restrict them to tiny pins or in cages. They get all the open space they could ever want to play and run.
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Khullu And Other Types Of Yak Fiber
The Yak grows three different types of wool. The first layer is directly above the skin and very delicate. This layer is also called yak down, khullu or simply yak. It is what we use to create our sweaters. The transitional layer, or the second layer of fur, is also known as. It's a coarser type of wool that can be used as insulation, or in combination with the topcoat to create various products. The topcoat is a rough, wool-like layer that can be used to make ropes and tents. When tightly woven by the topcoat, it will be water-proof. They are a long-standing animal that dates back to Pleistocene that is, they are on the same territory as giant sloths, woolly mammoths, and bears with short faces. The large wild yak population was domesticated in the last 10,000 years. Even though they are domesticated, they continue to roam semi-wild along with nomadic herders through the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, and Mongolia's interior. In the United States, there is a growing population domesticated yak. Read more- Good Facts For Choosing Yak And Merino Wool Fiber af50bbe , Good Tips For Picking Yak And Merino Wool Fiber and Top Facts For Deciding On Yak And Merino Wool Fiber.