Organic and Eco-Friendly Products

Wild Yaks

Yaks are thought to have been domesticated in Tibet during the 1st millennium BC, and are now quite common around the mountains of Central Asia (around 12 million). Domesticated yaks are generally smaller than wild yaks, which can weigh over 1000 kilos and reach a shoulder height over 2 metres. Wild yaks are very well adapted to high altitudes, with huge lung capacities for extracting oxygen from the atmosphere of the highlands and blood cells about half the size of those of cattle and with at least three times more, increasing the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. It can also survive extremely low temperatures (as low as -40°C), through a dense undercoat of matted hair and long shaggy outer hair that almost reaches the ground, further assisted by a low number of sweat glands to conserve heat.

Unfortunately for the last decade wilk yak populations have been decreasing as a result of uncontrolled hunting and now poaching, further compounded by the loss of habitat to pastoralists, hybridisation, and disease transmission from domestic yaks. From the 1960s to 1994 wild yaks were considered an endangered species, from 1994 to the present they have been rated as vulnerable by the IUCN. In fact, it may extinct in Nepal already. Compared to its once populous numbers covering China, India, Bhutan and Nepal, it now is likely to have a population less than 10 000.

General Yak Information

Wilk yaks are found mostly on treeless alpine uplands and mountains, grazing on grasses, herbs, mosses and lichens. As running water is infrequent at those heights, they survive by crunching ice or snow for hydration. They feed mostly in the morning and evening, travelling long distances according to temperature and food supply.

They organise themselves as herds, mostly consisting of female and young yaks, although male yaks may congregate in smaller groups. The herds usually travel in single file in the snow, with each yak carefully following in the hoof prints of the lead yak. Yaks give birth to single calves in alternate years, depending on food supply, and the young become independent after about a year.

Kids Clothing

It can be difficult to buy children’s clothing whether because of the child’s preferences or the unstandardised clothing sizes. Kids’ clothing generally follows their ages, though there are differences between manufacturers and brand labels. For example, in American women’s clothing has drifted away from standardised sizes due to vanity sizing. Due to a range of factors, standardised clothing increased in size over time to cater to different markets and the increasing prevalence of obesity. As a result smaller ranges of sizes were introduced to cater for smaller sizes, especially with the rise of the Asian market.

Choosing Children’s Clothes

Here are some basic things to consider when buying children’s clothing:

- Buy clothing that is durable and will last through wear and tear, as well as through many washings. Check the clothing item for quality- are the seams going to hold? is the material going to rip? are the buttons and zips going stay on?

- Take inventory of all the kids’ clothing- what seasonal items are missing or need replacing? Get rid of all clothing that is too small or no longer wearable.

- Make a list of all the pieces of clothing needed for the season, considering all the different activities the kids are involved in. School clothes, play clothes, sport uniforms, clothes for outings, etc.

- Check with your children for preferences and current trends, preparing them for what you will accept or not before you head out.

- Check for styles online so you have an idea of what’s in store, saving valuable and frustrating time going from store to store.

- Leave room for growth spurts, unless it’s underwear and socks which need to be the right size.

- Assign a particular colour to each child for common items to reduce laundry mix-ups and arguments. It also means if there is a pair, you won’t need to throw the odd one out.

- Finally, consider whether the material is organic or not, since non-organic materials will most likely contain toxins and chemicals.

Yaks

The yak is a bovine closely related to cattle, though with much longer hair to insulate them from the cold. They are found on the high alpine slopes throughout the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, and so have adapted to higher altitudes with larger lungs and hearts and a greater capacity for conveying oxygen through their blood. There are both wild and domesticated yaks, with the wild yaks being much bigger (the males about 2 metres tall and 1000 kgs on average) than domestic ones (males weighing between 350 and 580 kgs). They are herd animals who form groups of 10 to 30 animals, and can live for over 20 years. Yaks inhabit on treeless plateaus and mountains (usually 3000 – 5500 m above sea level), grazing on grasses, lichens and other alpine plants.

While wild yaks are hunted for food, domesticated yaks provide milk, meat, fiber (from their long hair), as well as being used to pull wagons to trade goods over mountain passes. Their dried dung is used as fuel, their milk can be processed to make cheese, butter (as well as Tibetan butter tea), and is used in lamps.

Yak down

Yaks have shaggy outer hair and dense, close, matted underhair or down to keep them insulated. In fact, they actually secrete a substance that keeps their underhair matted to keep them warm. Yaks can yield as much as 25kg of hair and down fiber. This is combed or shed from the yak. The rugged hair is used to make durable products such as ropes and rugs, while the soft down is spun into yarn. Yak down comes in a variety of earthy colours from dark brown, white, tan and grey.

Yak down produces a very soft and warm material that doesn’t itch like wool does. It is a renewable fibre unlike synthetic materials or cotton, it is machine washable, and helps preserve the traditional lifestyle of nomadic herders.