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Kora

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Anyone have any Kora yak wool garments?

I recently added a base layer set to my winter wardrobe. The weather is still pretty tolerable, but I’m really digging the long sleeve quarter zip top under my baggy high vis shirt. It really does a fantastic job at wicking. Plus it doesn’t stink even after multiple wearings doing high energy work.
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
Never heard of them before. Interested to hear what others have to say about them.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Never heard of them before. Interested to hear what others have to say about them.

I only recently learned about them myself. I put a pretty high priority on my winter comfort, so it didn’t take much persuasion for me to pull the trigger.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I only recently learned about them myself. I put a pretty high priority on my winter comfort, so it didn’t take much persuasion for me to pull the trigger.

Be sure to give us a report and review after a few months of cold weather and regular wear! We'll be interested ...
 

Rudy Vey

Shaving baby skin and turkey necks
Heard about the good of yak wool many years ago, but never have seen it anywhere offered. Looked at their site, seems to be quite interesting stuff, maybe....
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Did a little hand washing today and letting them air dry.
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So far I am very well pleased with this base layer. With the temperatures in the twenties and thirties (Fahrenheit) I’m finding that a heavy top shirt is all I need while actively working. The close fitting cut feels comfortable and allows the fabric to wick moisture away better than just about anything.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
I’ve been wearing these most days for nearly two months now and I’m starting to notice some thinning in certain areas. If I want them to be any good for skiing I think I’m going to have to quit wearing them for work.

It’s a little disappointing, but that’s the reality. They perform better than anything I’ve ever had but rugged they are not. If I only wore them for skiing I’m sure they would last a few years. Wearing them for 17-18 hours a day under heavy work clothes is probably well beyond their design scope.
 
Can you give us a reference point? I swear by Patagonia Capilene. Comparisons? Advantages/Disadvantages?
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Can you give us a reference point? I swear by Patagonia Capilene. Comparisons? Advantages/Disadvantages?

OK, here’s the latest update. First off, I absolutely love this top, so Im going to wear it until it is no longer serviceable.

The bottoms are where I am seeing most of the wear and is probably due to the rough fabric in my Fire Hose work pants from Duluth Trading Company. So in order to preserve the bottoms for skiing, I bought a merino bottom and it started to show the same type of wear in just two weeks!

Today I’m wearing a bottom from Minus 33 and I am less than impressed so far. I thought a synthetic would be ok for a bottom since most of the sweating and noticeable heat loss occurs upstairs. I fully expect these to be more durable, as I have others that are similar, but they were uncomfortably warm while driving and as soon as I stepped outside I could feel the cold on my legs and it was a heat wave of 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Performance wise I have never had a base layer that works as well as Kora yak wool for both wicking and maintaining body temperature. Wear wise, they are better than merino but less durable than synthetics.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
Do the bottoms have a "front vent" for going to the bathroom? It appears not from their website photos, but it's inconclusive.

No they do not, which I find rather annoying. However, I just ordered another set of 3/4 length leggings because they work so well.

I also picked up some fairly thick Under Armor brand bottoms and they are collecting dust. Same issues as most other synthetics, too warm/sweaty when I’m driving and too cold when I’m outside. It was because of these that I decided to bite the tax deductible bullet and get another expensive set from Kora.

I think I’m going to ask my wife to add an opening in front. It doesn’t need to close since I still wear regular underwear underneath.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
I’ve been working this top hard. Roughly six days a week for four months and hand washing on weekends.
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It’s starting to show a little wear.
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As you can see by my top shirt, (a Duluth Trading Company fire hose shirt jack) that I’m not babying anything. It would be nice if I could get multiple seasons out of this, but I think I’m going to need a new one for next winter.

For me it is totally worth it because it is the best performing base layer I have ever owned. As long as I am working as a self employed truck driver I can justify the need and expense.

If you only wear it on weekend adventures I suppose you could get several seasons of wear out of it.
 
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