DIVE DEEPER:

• The two main options for outdoor apparel insulation are down and synthetics. Down is a natural fibre but stops insulating when wet, which can be deadly on a mountain. Synthetics remain insulating in the wet but are made from oil and can exist within the environment for hundreds of years.

• Recycled synthetic alternatives exist, however most also require the fossil fuel-powered thermal binding process, and they still shed microplastics and pollute if they enter the natural environment. 

• Pakafill is designed to combine the environmental benefits of natural fibres with the functionality of synthetics. It is made by Paka, a Peru-based apparel company which was founded in 2017. The first Paka sweater made from alpaca Wool was launched on Kickstarter and raised over USD 350,000 in 30 days.

• Paka champions alpaca fibre because it can be transformed from fibre to garment by hand, meaning it doesn't consume many natural resources – it's simply sheared, sorted, spun into yarn, dyed if required, and woven or knitted.

• Alpaca fibre has numerous beneficial qualities. Its tensile strength is 50 N/ktex, while Merino wool has a tensile strength in the range of 30-40 N/ktex. It has a water retention rate of 8% compared to 16-20% for most other wool, and it is three times lighter than sheep’s wool.

• There are currently 3.6 million alpacas in Peru and they are intrinsic to the way of life in the Andes Mountains. As intermediaries have emerged, making the selling system more complex, producers can lose out financially at multiple points along the chain. To combat this, the fibre used within Pakafill is fully traceable according to the Traceable Alpaca programme.

• The Pakafill Lightweight Puffer Jacket features the patent-pending Pakafill insulation, a PFAS-free, durable, water-repellent coating, an antibacterial Silvadur-infused outer membrane, and Bluesign approved textiles.

• The jacket was field tested by Paka's founder and CEO Kris Cody during a summit of Yanapaccha in the Andes Mountains, which has an altitude of 17,913 feet. Peruvian mountaineer Jose Mostajo, who accompanied Cody, said: "The puffer was the only jacket I used… from the 2am freezing cold to the final ascent under a full sun, I didn’t need to add, remove, or switch layers."

• While the first use case of Pakafill is a Paka jacket, the technology was never intended to be used solely by the brand. From 10 January 2023, the insulation was made available at Outdoor Retailer, an outdoor industry tradeshow based in Salt Lake City, US, to any retailers who wish to use it within their garments.

• In December 2022, Pakafill was one of 29 finalists for the fifth annual Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards, selected by an independent panel of expert judges based on four criteria: Spark, Desire, Function, and Impact.

• Paka’s knowledge and use of alpaca fibre comes from the indigenous Quechua people of Peru, with whom the company has worked since its launch. In 2021, the legendary Quechua weaver Nilda Callañaupa was brought on board to oversee the teams of women textile weavers.

• Paka is a founding member of The Good Ocean and is a certified B Corp. It was named Best for the World in 2021 and 2022, reaching a 124.4 impact score most recently.