Himalayan Yak Wool For Hikers – Best Kora Base Layers For Men And Women
Find the perfect Kora Base Layers for your next adventure.
For innovation in design you can always be assured you’ll find inspiration in nature. This was definitely the case when kora founder, Michael Kleinwort, had a taste of nomadic life at 4,500-metre altitude, with a family of Himalayan yak herders.
Way out in a remote nook of those eastern mountains, Michael observed an animal that could bear and shrug off the harshest winters – the revered yak in its natural battleground.
Of course, he was in awe of his Tibetan hosts too, but this giant mammal was unmatched in its ability to withstand the extreme cold, owing to the armour of soft wool beneath its outer coat.
Michael was intent on being able to trek at these high altitudes and follow the trails of the wool-armoured yak. So, he started to investigate the properties of this wool – what weathered secrets did this miracle hold to enable such warmth, comfort and dryness?
The answer didn’t unspool without hard effort and years of study.
In fact, Michael examined and tested the yak wool for years. What he found was that production needed to be continuously adapted to reap the rewards of this precious wool.
Yet the frost-swept plateau was an ideal testing ground and Michael befriended many of the nomadic local herders, gaining greater insight into the workability of early prototypes.
In 2013, Michael decided upon a formula for optimal warmth, comfort and durability. Thereby kora was born and so too was world’s first outdoor clothing made with wool from the hardiest mammals ever to brave the Tibetans peaks.
Today, kora continues to strengthen its roots in the Eastern Himalayas.
- Men
- 5. Yushu Bottoms
- 4. Neema Tank
- 3. Kora Base Layers – Yushu Shorts
- 2. Kora Base Layers – Neema LS Crew
- 1. Kora Base Layers – Yushu LS Zip
- Women
- 5. Yushu LS Zip
- 4. Neema LS Crew
- 3. Kora Base Layers – Neema SS Crew
- 2. Kora Base Layers – Yushu Bottoms
- 1. Kora Base Layers – Neema Tanks
- More Great Outdoors Equipment
The company gives back to the native nomads by supporting the Kegawa Herders’ Cooperative, sourcing their yak wool at a set mid-market rate (with a 10% stipend) directly from the locals. Around 90 families live year-round at 4,5000-metres in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
The brand has held true to its origin in the mountains. After years spent testing the properties of yak wool, discovering how wool can be woven into yarn and made into lightweight fabrics, kora still refers back to its earliest encounters with those shaggy-haired mammals, who will always wear the wool best.
Let’s dive in and take a closer look at our favourite Himalayan yak wool base layers for men and women:
Men
The best choices for the guys.
5. Yushu Bottoms
First up in our list – it’s the next generation of base layer leggings for men, styled and refined for those harsh winter months. Described by kora as the ‘ultimate base layer’ for cold weather, with natural insulation and retained breathability.
Nothing is lost in terms of comfort and the material feels soft against your skin.
It also features reinforced panels to give you added durability on wind-buffeted trails. They call this fabric Hima-Layer™ Yushu, which is a combination of 60% yak wool and 40% merino of superfine quality.
The cool colourway kora trim is unique for each item of clothing and the large version weighs just 250-grams. Throw in an ideal fit, contoured to your body, and you’ve got leggings that wont ever let you down, especially if temperatures start to plummet.
4. Neema Tank
Sticking to the lightweight theme (what else would you expect from a good base layer?), we’ve got this uniquely breathable tank with a blend of yak and merino wool. You can throw this one on in summer and winter, backed by an adaptability that comes from years of refinement.
The material is wicking and dries fast, but also feels great against the skin, like the Yushu Bottoms. Again, they’ve used Hima-Layer™ fabric for this one, with the Neema variety consisting of 20% yak wool, 40% merino and 40% recycled Coolmax polyester.
All that comes in at a backpacker’s dream weight ratio of 160gsm. Enjoy the body-fit cut and a fit that conforms to your individual body size – you can of course refer to their Body Measurement Chart to ensure best fit before you buy as well.
3. Kora Base Layers – Yushu Shorts
The next generation of kora base layers isn’t just focused above the waist. These base layer shorts are made for winter, like the bottoms listed above. They offer the same natural insulation and breathability you rely on in cold weather.
Sacrificing nothing when it comes to comfort, they’ve used the eponymous Hima-Layer™ Yushu fabric in their design and wrapped your legs in 60% yak wool and 40% superfine merino.
You’ll get that popular kora trim as well, unique to each pair, with high-wear areas covered by a corespun merino panel (soft merino over nylon yarn) for added durability. The seams are ultra-flat and double stitched too, so you can avoid any rubbing discomfort as you hike.
2. Kora Base Layers – Neema LS Crew
Now, we’ve covered you in winter – how about the rest of the seasons?
For that year-round comfort we’ve listed this lightweight long sleeved crew with a blend of yak and merino wool. Wearable in all seasons, the material is again fast drying and wicking, but breathable as well, so you wont feel yourself melting slowly under the folds. You can thank the Hima-Layer™ Neema fabric for that.
It’s a combination of 20% yak wool, 40% merino and 40% recycled Coolmax polyester. The Coolmax Eco™ technology helps to keep you dry on the trail and the crew is available in very eye-catching natural tones (Light Grey and Sky Blue), refined for an elegant body-fit cut and trimmed of fat at 160gsm.
1. Kora Base Layers – Yushu LS Zip
Last up for the men, here’s the Yushu LS Zip – another example of next generation base layers that will stick with you as you head out to get happily wintered. You’ll have the expected natural insulation and breathable design, reinforced in all the right places by durable panels that don’t irritate the skin.
The Hima-Layer™ Yushu fabric gives you that aforementioned blend of premium yak wool and merino.
Weighing in at 230gsm, it’s still lightweight, skin-fit for maximum comfort and suitable for everything from cold expeditions to casual multi-day usage in sunnier climes. Plus, the YKK zip tape is created using recycled materials and Mechanical Recycling technologies.
Women
The top gear for the female explorers and outdoor lovers.
5. Yushu LS Zip
Let’s dive into our pick of the best kora base layers for women with the winter-designed Yushu LS Zip.
Branded as the ultimate protection for cold weather, you’ll find yourself enjoying those usual features of insulation and breathability.
The softness you feel against the skin shouldn’t be understated either, strengthened by reinforced panels that grant you some added durability out there in the freeze. They rely on the yak wool and merino blend of Hima-Layer™ Yushu fabric for this one, weighing in at 230gsm and 240-grams for the medium size.
4. Neema LS Crew
Long sleeved and lightweight, with a comfortable blend of yak and merino wool, this item is specifically designed for all seasons. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s weakened for those harsher winter months either.
You can expect the wicking and fast drying material to complement whatever pace you set up on snow-covered ground. This item is made with the Hima-Layer™ Neema fabric, befitting the many different moods of the Eastern Himalayas.
That means you’ll also be treated to better body temperature regulation, with a yak and merino blend and Coolmax Eco™ technology to ensure you’re always dry and happy.
3. Kora Base Layers – Neema SS Crew
Very similar to our previous pick, but of course this is the short sleeved version.
This design still retains the yak and merino wool blend, suitable for all seasons, with breathability that is hard to match anywhere else in the base layer market. Soft, wicking and fast drying, you’re wrapped in that elegant Hima-Layer™ Neema fabric and suitably prepared for the vagaries of the outdoors, supported by the Coolmax Eco™ that keeps you dry and odour-free – an important note for campers in close quarters!
2. Kora Base Layers – Yushu Bottoms
We didn’t overlook base layer leggings for the men, so we’ve picked out this next generation design for women too. Cold weather will have a hard time trying to beat down the breathability and insulation these leggings afford you.
While you can also count on that yak and merino wool blend we should all know well by now, courtesy of the Hima-Layer™ Yushu fabric. Areas that take a beating on the trail are strengthened with corespun merino and the seams are all carefully double stitched.
These leggings are strong for tougher conditions, but comfortable for indoor lounging as well.
1. Kora Base Layers – Neema Tanks
Finally, we arrive at the always trustworthy Neema Tank for women. It’s as lightweight as base layers come, styled with a blend of contoured yak and merino wool. Wear it out in both summer and winter, reaping the benefits of Himalaya-tested wicking and fast drying Hima-Layer™ Neema fabric.
If all that wasn’t enough, you can discover exactly why Coolmax Eco™ technology is such a big deal – worthy of multiple mentions in this article – when you experience that next level of dryness on the icy trails.
