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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2023
- The latest in a series of tests on which natural fibre makes for the warmest and best choice for wild camping and bushcraft. This video looks at two premium fibres, Alpaca and Cashmere. Find out if they are worth the expense over a conventional wool blanket.
For more testing fun (each to their own ;) ) please Like/Subscribe and see the blog, which includes a league table of results so far:
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Alpaca is awesome and the best fiber that I know of all around except for durability. I will look forward to more Alpaca tests. Another thing that I should have bought was a Camel hair suit. It was under 20$ used exct condition and would have been a good base layer I think.
Love it keep going please thank you for all your hard work on these it all take time
Thanks Ben. I'm enjoying getting a bit deeper behind the claims made about the different materials!
For these to be accurate, the fabrics have to the same exact thickness and knit or weave type. Extra thickness and/or tighter weave can increase insulation.
It is pretty obvious that if the fibers are the same, or nearly the same, size between merino, cashmere, and alpaca, and they are knitted or weaved in the same exact way, then the alpaca and cashmere will be slightly warmer than merino because of the substantial air pockets inside those fibers--air being far less thermally conductive than solid materials. This is just basic physics.
And between alpaca and cashmere, whatever is finer and/or has greater sized air pockets will be warmer, everything else being the same.
Agree with some of this but not all. The medullated fibres, hollow, in cashmere are the coarse guard hairs which are removed. The finer non hollow downy hairs give it the super soft luxury feel. Most of the Alpaca fibres are medullated, hollow, which is likely the reason why it is warmer in this test. It is hard to run a perfect test outside of a lab as we have to use what is available to us but still happy with the conclusion that for light and warmth Alpaca seems top of the pile. Also have some Alpaca gloves which have been supremely impressed.with for warmth on the anecdotal side. But I am not on the payroll of big alpaca, just working out for myself what I think works best and sharing. If someone wants to supply me with a cashmere Swatch/garment they think can give the alpaca a run for its money would be delighted to test 😉
This test doesn't seem to be fair nor scientific. The fabrics used are not the same thickness etc and you did not make sure to wrap each cup with exact same amount or thickness of fabric. Therefore, the test is invalid.
Hello, in actual fact they are very similar in thickness and only one layer was used so it's as close to like for like as I could get. In fact the alpaca used is slightly thinner than the cashmere so happily stand by my conclusion. I am by no means anti cashmere but based on owning and using both cashmere and alpaca garments I definitely stand by the conclusion that Alpaca is warmer. Still have plenty of love for cashmere though.
Alpaca is 6x warmer than wool and cashmere is 4x warmer than wool . But Angora is 8x warmer than wool . Qiviut is also 8x warmer than wool but is not a hollow fiber. Alpaca is not totally hollow - only semi hollow . The only fully hollow fiber is Angora (from angora rabbits ). Natural fibers like wool, cashmere and alpaca have insulating factors that trap air between the fibers but only angora has both insulating and thermal properties that ADD warmth . But all natural fibers are warm ! Each has their best use. They are all wonderful.
Thanks for the insight Dianne. How resilient is Angora?? It's all a balancing act but warmth for weight, hardwearingness and water resistant all play their part when making a the right choice for the conditions. Another thing I would like to explore is optimum knit pattern to maximise warmth for weight.
hmm, i like your tests, but i checked the homepage, sadly i have 2 variables 10% warmer and 50% lighter. For comparison i wanna do a "point" or a "compare" system to see how much better is this kind of cloth. for this calculation i need the absolute numbers from your tests. would be really cool to get it. if you want, you can provide the compare number on your homepage.
CAF, Canadian Armed Forces, cautions: Wet is dead. Our Inuit and First Nations used natural resources to survive and thrive and near Ottawa, I once experienced 40 below for two weeks in a row. Similarly in Saskatoon I bought a high performance North Face goose down parka. Recently however I've switched to base layers of merino; mid layers of merino, alpaca , and lambswool (FjallRaven and commando); and outer layers of Columbia polyester pullover or FjallRaven Koster outer layer lined with wool blanket. I simply cut the blanket to the garment and have it sewn in. It vastly improves wind resistance whilst cross country skiing or winter cycling. I just found an outer layer zipped hoodie with about 1,000 grams of alpaca. My son tipped me off that guides on the 5 day Machu Pichu hike simply carry $2.00 pocket rain ponchos. Generally for winter activities all the wool is safer in the Canadian Rockies than goose down garments which get wet inside from sweat and wet outside from wet or melting snow. Having said that, at minus 23 Celsius, skate skiing for 90 minutes, I soak 4 layers of wool with sweat and it's cold when I stop. Ski touring for days in the Canadian Rockies is becoming more popular. The only way I can do that so far is to get to a shelter in about 2 hours, change into dry clothes and possibly start a fire. This explains the hut system in the Canadian Rockies. Unless, unless, I can use the alpaca hoodie without the synthetic pocket Uniqlo cheap shell; allow cold air to flow through my torso, and use multiple layers of merino and polyester balaclavas from the shoulder up. Little chest insulation, lots of neck and head insulation. At minus 30 Celsius, I kept taking my outer mitten off to fiddle with my clothing, including ski goggles and merino neck warmer, effectively covering every cm of facial skin. I almost got frostbite on my right hand. In effect, I am very limited respecting ski touring in the Canadian Rockies, until I solve the clothing issue. Avalanche ticket also required and that means ropes, beacon, pick ax, backpack, satellite phone, etc Summer hiking scary due to aggressiveness of grizzlies and their recent taste for human flesh and Parks Canada doesn't permit effective defence whilst they themselves are armed like Russian invaders or Ukrainian defenders.
Great thoughts and insights thanks @rodneypantony3551. I always like to set out a on the cold side as you always warm up when moving and that reduces the chances of getting sweaty. For high intensity exercise e.g. running etc. I tend to stick mainly with the synthetics with warm dry layers to throw on when stopped. As for down, yeah unbeatable for warmth versus weight so generally thats the ideal carried warm layer for stationary wear. The UK is a bit different to the rockies, rarely as cold or remote generally, although the mountains in mid winter sadly take plenty of lives and can't be underestimated. No grizzlies to contend with though!
I am a fiber artist, spinner and weaver. Alpaca is a weak fiber, it tends to break. But it's the warmest natural fiber I am aware of
Thanks @sarahjane9526. Nice to have that insight. I have been quite blown away by how warm and light it is for a natural fibre. Maybe a blend with a more structurally strong wool would make a good solution to the weakness?
I read everywhere that Cashmere is the weakest.
It (alpaca) actually has a higher tensile strength than merino. Tensile strength essentially measures how much force it takes to pull a fiber apart from the ends. Merino does have more elasticity in it than alpaca, so in a sense, alpaca is a bit more brittle than merino. Meaning merino will stretch some before breaking. There are give and takes/pros and cons to both.
I'm of the opinion that if one is looking for long term durability, then some synthetic fiber (preferably nylon, but polyester and polypropylene are fine) should be incorporated. Even a 20% inclusion blend of synthetic fibers will significantly increase the longevity and durability of an alpaca or merino garment. This is why merino wrapped nylon core is becoming an increasingly popular yarn.
Btw, a fiber's insulation properties primarily depend on its size, hollowness or lack, and its shape. Finer fibers are more insulating than larger, coarser ones, because a finer fiber matrix can trap/still more air which is the predominant insualator involved. If a fiber is also fine'ish and has significant air pockets in it, then it will be even more insulating in nature, because again, it is trapping/stilling more air which is the primary insulator. Then a shape which makes it harder for air to move around the fiber, makes it more insulating than a perfectly round.
With those principles in mind, then fine micron count angora rabbit fur will be the warmest, because it can be both the finest and most hollow (but it is pretty fragile). Then fine micron count alpaca, and then super fine silk because the fibers can be very small and they are trilobal shaped which stills/traps air better than round when woven or knitted into a fabric matrix.
@@justinw1765 You seem to know what you are talking about, I'm curious what your recommendation would be for the most comfortable throw blanket. E.g. alpaca or cashmere or a blend? Not looking for outdoor use, just maximum cosiness on a couch.
@@Spudst3r It's going to depend on micron count/quality more than anything as to comfort. Average cashmere tends to be softer than average alpaca, but alpaca can be just as soft as the softest cashmere if you're willing to pay for the higher quality. You want to look for "baby alpaca" or preferably "Royal alpaca" labeled stuff. It will tend to be more on the expensive side.
Alpaca tends to be more robust/durable than cashmere. Another big factor is that there are bugs (moths, carpet beetles, etc) that LOVE to eat cashmere. It apparently is like a delicacy for them, because I've talked to different people who have had holes eaten in their cashmere but not in their merino wool (or less so). 🤷♂ Alpaca seems less prone to it as well.
Alpaca is said to be more durable, has to do with (I believe, been a while since I read the research) it’s softer while having bigger micron size, it being hollow allows more elasticity & not being superwashed means it keeps the benefits of the hairs having the scales vs. superwashed wools that no longer have the scales whether by being chemically treated or coated by manmade substances.
I live in Alaska, believe me my gear gets wear & tear including my alpaca socks (machine manufactured & ones I hand knitted), alpaca shoe/boot liners (the company uses the coarser alpaca fibers for the felt fabric) vs miscellaneous wool boot liners. The wool liners didn’t last that long about 4 years whereas the alpaca liners I got 3 years ago look like they hardly have much wear and have not thinned out like the wool ones did, and the alpaca shoe liners were just $20. LoL the same company makes alpaca lined leather gloves & I used to have to get a new pair of cashmere lined gloves every year but 3 years later the alpaca lined gloves are still in very good condition. The company’s Island Alpacas at Martha’s Vineyard just fyi
Great insight thanks. Will check out Island Alpacas. Am definitely a convert in warmth and weight alone so durability is the icing in the cake.
Alpaca fibers have higher tensile strength and abrasion resistance than merino and other sheep wools on average. With that said, I would like to see makers of Alpaca clothing do similar with what more merino producers are starting to do. They take a nylon fiber and wrap the merino around that. It does a few beneficial things. It makes the yarn stronger, more lofted (and thus warmer per weight), and has more stretch recovery. Nylon is significantly stronger than both merino and alpaca. I would love to see nylon core alpaca yarn being made.
And I would still prefer some other synthetic blended in. Preferably some polypropylene and polyester, because these are less conductive than nylon (PP more so than polyester). Polypropylene is also very lightweight and hydrophobic, but it is not quite as strong as polyester, let alone nylon (but still stronger than natural fibers).
Thanks Justin..useful insights. The blend idea is interesting. It's definitely not always just a case of natural good, synthetic bad if it helps us get more life out of the garment. Saying that if I can find all natural solutions that do a great job I do still lean in that direction.
Cashmere is not ok.
You thinking the ethical side Brian?? I think for sure animal treatment should always factor in buying decisions be it wool, hair or down.
@@bigskies2202 Yes, the animals are treated badly to make the cashmere fine.