About Alpacas

Baby alpaca wool / fleece is a favorite among peoples of South America and Europe. Watch this video about alpacas being grown in Georgia.

Alpaca is an animal from South America. They graze in the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Bolivia and northern Chile. Alpacas look similar to smaller camels and sheep, but are larger than sheep although smaller than llamas and have long necks. Alpacas only have fleece fibers, not woolen fibers used for blankets, sweaters, hats, coats and ponchos in South America Arequipa, Peru in the Puno and Cusco areas. The original - Peruvian, alpacas are not fed hormones.

Alpaca's fleece is lighter but warmer and softer than wool. It will breathe naturally, provide warmth and be gentle and non-allergic to the skin. The alpacas colors are from the pure white to deep black with well over twenty brown and grew tones.

Alpaca fleece ranks among the most valuable natural fibers, which there are in the world. Alpacas were originally bred by Incas from the Vicunca, the finest fiber animal of the world. Alpacas can produce up to 6 kg of fleece per year.

Quality classes: The fiber thickness of the Alpacas can range between 13 and 30 Micron. The alpaca fiber industry in Peru differentiates between 5 refinement stages of the Alpaca fleece:

1. Royal: under 19 micron
2. Baby Alpaca: between 19 and 21.9 micron
3. Superfine: 22-24,9 micron
4. Fine: 25 - 27,9
5. Regular Alpaca: 28 - 30

Textiles from fibers over 30 micron are sold under the label “huarizo” (interbred Lama and Alpaca).

Why Alpaca fleece is better?

• Alpaca fleece is valuable, because it combines many valuable features in only one fiber. There are practically no negative characteristics with the fleece of Alpaca.

• Alpacas produce a fine fiber, which is characterized by the absence of cover hair.

• Alpaca fleece is soft, supple and feels pleasantly. Why is Alpaca so soft and why does it feel finer than even Cashmere? That is because of the height of the hairs.

• The fiber of the Alpacas is unusually strong and resistant.

• Because the Alpaca live in icy cold weather of the Andes, they naturally developed more thermal capacity than nearly all other animals of the world. Their fiber contains microscopically small airbags, which create high levels isolation values. The alpaca fiber functions like an air conditioning system, it warms up with cold weather and does not sweat as easily as with other fibers or with art products; there is no heat buildup.

• Alpaca can be colored simple with any color and always receives its natural gloss. The rich gloss lends a high visual attraction to articles of clothing, which are made from 100% Alpaca.

• Alpaca is highly compatible with worsted (comb yarn) and woolen fabrics. Alpaca does not tear easily, pollution- and static electricity resistant. It is also a great fire retardant.

• Alpaca can be cleaned without chemicals and presents itself for it almost for the organic clothes without chemicals. No wonder alpaca is called the fiber of the future.


Are there any alpaca-breeding farms in Georgia? And if there are some, would not be the locally grown Alpaca poore quality because of climatic differences in environment. Since in Georgia is generally warmer than in the Peruvian mountains.

There's plenty to do in winter: skiing, whitetail or bird-watching, snowmobiling, moose-trapping, animal tracking, and ice fishing. The campgrounds are aplenty off-season, as most people tend to stay home in warmth. Check with the campground owners to find out if they're even open for camping. Did you know that so-called Arctic weather conditions kick in when the wind is blowing and the temperature drops just below 20 degrees? Obviously, it’s a good idea to bring lots of layers: boots and hats, jackets and coats, sweaters, underpants, woolen socks and blankets. Your number one defensive strategy is to conserve your own body heat, whatever you have in your warm blood stream do not waste it - preserve it. Since it costs you more resources to to build it up from scratch.



There are multiple ways to keep the warmth in and the cold out. They all are based on the insulative properties of a trapped and dry air. Weather-strip the doors and windows in your house. Don't let the warm air out and the cold air in. Since the warm air is lighter than the cold air it flows on top of the cold air through the cracks and openings above the door or window frames, and the cold air sneaks in through the cracks between the bottom of door or window frames, and the floor. That's why we feel cold with our feet and not with our heads. Get yourself an extra pair of warm sheep's wool socks, and seal those cracks for x sake!



And yes, it does make a lot of sense to seal all the windows upstairs, downstairs and in the basement with plastic (do double-layer so that it - the plastic would trap some air in between the layers - the air is the best insulator, when it's trapped, dry and not moving in and out) or use one of those Walmart-type protective films to help trap the heat. Cover or block the insides of roof vents with plastic as well. Drop a few floor rugs or unused blankets over uncarpeted flooring as yet another additional thermal layer. Blankets and rugs must be clean, dry and fluffy so that they would trap enough of that excellent insulator - the air.



There are a couple of ways to lose body heat; from the skin areas exposed to the elements or from sitting or laying on cold ground in direct contact without any insulation. Remember - Insulate to Save and Preserve. Even a thin but clean and dry fleece or woollen blanket in between your ass and an icy surface of rocks, concrete, asphalt or metal rails will stop the flow of your own warmth from your body to the elements and will keep you warmer longer. If that blanket gets greasy, wetter, or compressed into a thin sheet it will lose all the protective air that helps separate your body from the cold. Don't move, and stay out of the wind - don't let the wind blow your warm air off your body away. A good set of gloves, hat, and scarf can help best in keeping bare skin to a minimum. A camp stool or chair is a definite must on a winter camping trip.



Have a good high-calorie snack before bedtime, drink hot tea coffee or other liquid if you can - whiskey, or rum mixed with hot water will help you stay warm. Don't do it if you pregnant or underage - check with your parents. Do not overeat! Do not sleep with your mouth open and nose in your sleeping bag or under blankets. The moisture of your breath will condense in the bag, and cause the air inside and the bag material to get wet and unprotective. Wet clothing will accelerate the process of losing your body warmth, because it will be used up to dry that wet bag, rugs, or clothes, so do not ever use your body warmth to dry your clothes unless its a hot summer and you want to cool off.



Bring a thick pair of sweats or thermal underwear to sleep in. Keep the thermals and sweats for sleeping in only. Do not wear them during the day, to keep them clean and dry. Have a couple of layers of wool or heavy thick cotton socks on. Try to sleep with a stocking hat on your head away from any unsealed crack or opening. Since insulation is only effective when heat is trapped by dead air spaces, keep your insulating layers clean and fluffy. Dirt, grime, and perspiration can mat compress those air spaces and reduce the protective abilities of that item. Keep the clothing around your neck loosened so that body heat and moisture can escape instead of soaking wet several layers of clothing. Keep your clothes dry.

What is warmer in the winter? Alpaca or fleece, goose-down or fiber, hot liquor or hot chocolate, what about Jamaican Rum? It's cold here in Georgia, so what in Canada, or Minnesota, or Julian Alps, and how about Russian Siberia? (Image size 548x339)




We gotta do something about it! Let's research the warmest offerings, step-by-step.