Yak Down (18 μm)

Yaks (bos grunniens) are a distant relative of domestic cattle that are indigenous to the high plateaus of central Asia. Like many mammals adapted to cold climates, they have a dual coat made up of coarse outer guard hairs and an inner layer of extremely soft, warm down that helps them survive extreme cold. Yaks are fully domesticated and many Himalayan cultures depend on them for fiber, milk, cheese, and butter. They are also used as pack animals in the mountains in places where it is too difficult or remote to build roads; trekkers in Nepal often encounter entire trains of yaks laden with food and supplies, slowing winding their way up the mountain passes. Our Yak Down is made of the fine downy fibers in yaks’ inner coats. It is collected when they naturally shed their inner coat in the spring and is then thoroughly separated from the coarse outer hairs. Yak down is warmer than wool and exceptionally soft, and it is perfect for making warm garments for against-the-skin wear.