Massdrop x Peak to Plateau Yakino Wool Accessories

Yaks are pretty incredible creatures. To survive high in the mountains, where temperatures dip to 40 below, they’ve developed long, coarse hair and a soft down undercoat for extra insulation. Yak wool is like merino with the power turned all the way up: It’s warmer, softer, and more breathable. It insulates when wet, protects from the sun, and provides exceptional temperature control. Factor in that it’s naturally antibacterial and resistant to static cling, and it’s no surprise that yak wool goes into some of the best-performing base layers in the outdoor industry. We teamed up with the folks behind these garments—New Zealand–based Peak to Plateau—to make a winter collection that transitions smoothly from the mountains to the coffee shop. It uses a newly developed fiber: 50 percent yak, 50 percent merino, 100 percent awesome.

After months of living and working with the local yak herders and nomads of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, Stefan Warnaar set out to make better outdoor products—ones that would encourage adventure and stand up to the world’s most extreme environments. Soon, Peak to Plateau was born, and it’s been producing performance garments using yak fiber ever since. Dedicated to environmental and social sustainability, the company purchases ethically sourced yak fiber from cooperatives on the Tibetan Plateau to ensure herders receive the fair income they rely on. The rest is done in house: the fiber spun into a superfine yarn, knit into a unique fabric, and crafted into the final product.