alexvpaq

I used to live close by to an alpaca farm, they would sell socks for 70$. Shirts for 200$. I kept going for Merino...

ksryder

I went down the rabbit hole of different types of animal wool a couple years ago because no matter what my feet always get cold on rides.
Apparently alpaca wool is 3x warmer than merino.
Other types of wool which are even warmer include bison, New Zealand possum, and the one of the warmest wools known, Qiviut -- Alaskan musk ox down. It's 8x warmer than wool and about a gajillion times more expensive -- it's harvested by picking the down off the ground after the animals molt -- fairly labor intensive. I think a pair of socks will run you upwards of $175.

I did not buy any Qiviut. I did buy an Alpaca wool/acrylic blend -- similar to what Smartwool uses -- from some outfit called Alpaca Direct which ran me about $20. More than reasonable for any kind of wool, let alone Alpaca.

I've been satisfied. My feet stay warmer, longer, than they do with merino wool. They still get cold but it takes longer, so I can go for longer rides in the winter.

armsofandes

Hey ksryder, I just wanted to let you know we are coming out with alpaca shoe insoles and maybe this will help keep your feet warm. I just thought I would share this.

Seattle Forrest

@armsofandes You should consider making a lighter weight base layer, line 150 GSM if possible. We're coming into spring and summer. That's backpacking season for me, I need to pick up done long sleeve layers to sleep in and for chilly morning in camp. But chilly by summer standards.

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armsofandes

Hey Seattle Forrest, thanks for the feedback. Yes, we are coming out with a lighter weight base layer of 175 GSM. We are trying to go lower but also not effecting the quality or using synthetics. We should be ready to ship this customer in mid of May. If you could subscribe to our site, you will be notified. thanks!

Seattle Forrest

Qiviut makes really good cashmere feel like steel wool. You'd think nothing can be much softer than good cashmere, but the difference is stark.

Unfortunately the stuff doesn't handle moisture very well. It feels clammy when it gets wet, saturates quickly, and stretches a lot until dry. It's wonderful stuff, but not suited to exercising in.

There's a Canadian lady running an online store called Cottage Craft Angora, she has the best prices on 100% qiviut clothing. Great support too. But stuff is made to order and takes a couple months. My stuff had held up perfectly for years and I take it backpacking in the summer ... but socks take too much abuse to spend that kind of money on. Better to go with $20 yak down socks, search Amazon for Yakamel.

I've never seen vicuna in person. $1,500 for a scarf. Makes qiviut sweet cheap.