Few insulated jackets stand out with as unique of a feature as the Apu Parka. Paka blends alpaca and synthetic fibers into a proprietary insulation called Pakafill.
Why Alpaca Fibers?
Alpaca fibers are pretty unique and quite different from sheep wool. Technically alpaca’s have hair and is referred as fibers or fleece. The fibers are partially hollow, similar to polar bear fur; have smaller scales on the surface; is naturally water repellent; fire resistant; and has no lanolin (a natural wax that can irritate some skin types and is part of what makes sheep wool feel itchy). Alpaca fleece is also warmer than sheep wool—up to three times warmer in some comparisons. And the Pakafill blend with synthetic fibers is claimed to rate warmer than most synthetic only compositions. While, the water- and fire-proofness of the fleece is mostly moot when it’s wrapped in a 10,000mm waterproof (100% recycled Bluesign certified) polyester shell, the insulation value remains a strong contender.
The other reason the team at Paka is so keen on alpaca fleece is the harvesting method of the fibers. Like sheep, the fleece is trimmed off and the alpaca then grows more. For goose down, once the feathers are plucked the goose is done—and how that’s handled (live plucking, etc.) depends on the harvester. However, goose down is warmer and packs smaller than any of the other insulators: wool, alpaca fleece, or synthetic.
Paka Apu Parka Features
The Apu Parka is designed to be a backcountry piece, thanks to features like the helmet compatible hood, double zipper to accomodate a harness, thumb loop cuffs, four zippered pockets, and two large stash pockets. The team at Paka included pit-zips on this insulated jacket which is pretty rare. Between the natural thermal-regulation of the alpaca fleece and the pit-zips, this piece was designed to be put on and left on through a wide range of temperatures and activity levels. This brings a little reprieve to the fact that the Apu Parka does not compress much or pack down as well as down-filled jackets. But it will always be slightly heavier than down.
This second version of the Apu Parka was just released last month (Dec ’24). Thanks to the polar vortex coming through Colorado in January, I was able to test this jacket in 0ºF days biking the kids to school as well as taking it skiing at Eldora in negative Fahrenheit temperatures which included some very windy days. With the right layers underneath, the Apu Parka did great in keeping me comfy in all of those situations. I’m not usually a fan of the thumb loops, but they did a great job of covering the gap that would have been between my gloves and parka sleeve.
The design team used 130gsm Pakafill insulation for the body for core warmth retention. The arms use 110gsm Pakafill to minimize mobility restrictions.
The Apu Parka has two notable visual hits. The most visible is the Mayan Key strip along the zippered outside chest pocket. The other, which is much more subtle, is the topographical lines adorning the 90% nylon, 10% spandex liner (also Bluesign certified).
Paka is a small company and alpaca fleece is substantially more expensive to sheep’s wool, so the Apu Parka is priced at $349. This may hit as pretty pricey for some, but it’s competitive to similar types of parkas from smaller to medium sized brands. Sure, there are plenty of sub-$200 parkas out there, but I’d consider those a different category.
