This Award-Winning New Jacket’s Insulation Boasts a Surprising Source

Paka’s Apu Parka presents a compelling alternative to both traditional down and synthetic scenarios.

Published December 12, 2024

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Updated December 13, 2024

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When it comes to jacket insulation, we often view the choice as binary: either you opt for classic down or you go for some sort of synthetic-based solution.

With half the volume of down, it provides just as much warmth due to the alpaca fiber’s uniquely structured air pockets, and like down it retains heat and stays warm even when wet.

But it’s 2024, and there’s more than two ways to toast a torso. A third comes to us from PAKA, which just released its new Apu Parka.

This ISPO award winner features the brand’s patent-pending first-ever alpaca fiber insulation, which boasts some pretty notable advantages over the usual suspects.

paka apu parka hero — The new Apu Parka boasts a couple features we love: helmet compatibility and a two-way zipper.

Alpaca-in’ heat

The headline here is what Paka calls PAKAFILL, which is indeed sourced from alpacas on small farms in the Peruvian Andes — and delivers benefits on both the performance and sustainability fronts.

In testing, it proved to be warmer than 90 percent of synthetic alternatives, and can be produced without the use of fossil fuels.

actual-alpacas — These folks look chilly to you? Didn’t think so.

With half the volume of down, it provides just as much warmth due to the alpaca fiber’s uniquely structured air pockets, and like down it retains heat and stays warm even when wet.

The sourcing process seems a bit more humane and efficient as well, with one shearing generating enough material for four jackets.

As much as Paka leans into the upsides of its unique insulation, the Apu Parka offers several other traits you’d expect in any high-performance shell as well.

With a fully waterproof 10k/10k shell fabric that is made from recycled materials and PFAs-free, the jacket boasts 4-way stretch and a cotton-like feel thanks to multi-needle quilting.

paka apu womens jacket — Like the men’s version, the women’s version features pit zips and interior cuffs with thumb holes.

Ready for a range of alpine activities, the jacket also carries a helmet-compatible 2-way adjustable hood, quick-ventilating pit zips, a two-way zipper, adjustable sleeve cuffs and interior cuffs with thumb holes.

Along with interior glove pockets is a zippered chest pocket nodding to the brand’s provenance: Paka’s signature Inca ID, handwoven by a team of 200-plus Quechua women in Chinchero, Peru.