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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the All-Paca shirt truly 100% Alpaca fiber or is it blended with something else?

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The All-Paca fabric is 100% Alpaca fiber and it is NOT blended with any other fiber. 

Why aren’t there other lightweight 100% Alpaca performance garments on the market?

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The short answer: it’s hard. 

A 100% Alpaca Fiber lightweight performance garment is extremely hard to produce for a variety of reasons, many that we had to learn the hard way. Alpaca fiber is also expensive. Products have to be produced efficiently with a high level of attention to detail because mistakes are costly. Most performance fabrics are made from cheap and plentiful synthetic fibers or blends of natural and synthetic fibers. They can be run at very high speeds on fabric forming equipment. Large companies can standardize the process and repeat it all over the world in massive quantities. Most large companies are not set-up to produce custom fabrics with specialized processes that require specialized skill and knowledge.

Are the Alpacas from which your fiber comes from treated with respect?

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Alpacas are native to Peru and have been around for thousands of years. Interestingly, alpacas were not bred to be working animals. In fact, they were domesticated and have been revered and respected by Peruvians through the millennia, specifically for their high performing and luxurious fiber. The fiber and resulting textiles have historically been a primary source of income for Peruvians. 

Peruvian alpacas are primarily raised on small farms in the majestic Andes of Peru. They are generally raised in herds numbering between 50-100 in their natural habitat.

Our suppliers obtain 99.9% of their fiber from these small Andean communities,whose primary source of income is derived from alpacas, and require that the farmers and breeders follow the protocols of "Technical Norm of Shearing and Handling of Alpaca Fiber Fleece" established by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Additionally, it is important to consider that alpaca breeding and shearing is an ancient tradition from the Incan times, and alpacas represent the main economic source for all the families of breeders.  As a result, they take care of their alpacas as they are part of the family.

Do you ensure that your yarn suppliers follow best practices?

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Yes. We require our vendors to achieve the Fair Trade,  OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and the Responsible Wool Standards & Certifications.

How is Alpaca different from Merino and Synthetics?

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All synthetic fibers are basically plastic — just like plastic bottles, bags, and toys. Plastic is naturally waterproof. Synthetic fibers have to undergo chemical treatments to enable them to “wick moisture,” or transport water vapor from your body to the environment outside your shirt. If you are sweating profusely, though, the shirt just becomes wet. And funky. Most synthetic fibers in thin performance shirts do not insulate well by themselves. So, a thin wet polyester shirt on the top of Mount Washington is not very comfortable. Also, these chemical treatments wear away as you wear and launder the shirt. Once the finish is gone, the shirt feels like a plastic bag and begins to stink.

Merino is a great natural and high-performing fiber, but it has some drawbacks. First merino has scales that can cause it to not only shrink - but to stay shrunk because the scales act like “zip-ties”. The scales are also what cause un-treated merino to itch really badly. Many merino shirts have been treated with some rather rugged chemical processes to eat away the scales, and then coated with a smooth polymer in order to make it launderable and less itchy. 

Merino wool also contains lanolin, a greasy oil that is a well-knonwn skin sensitizer. It is largely removed in scouring processes, but may still be present enough to cause allergic reactions. To move away from environmentally-unfriendly processing, many merino fabric producers have turned to using blends — often merino/polyester blends and merino/nylon blends. The synthetics can negate the breathability, insulating, antibacterial and anti-funk qualities of the merino. 

The quality of alpaca fiber we are using is finer, more insulating, and stronger than merino. It doesn’t have lanolin that has to be scoured-off, and it is naturally bacteria resistant. 

Alpaca also retains very little water even though it is a highly breathable fiber/fabric. Alpaca only retains approximately 10-11% of its weight in water, whereas Merino can retain up to 30% of its weight in water. When wearing the first All-Paca prototypes, we found that the shirt can get wet and then wrung out to almost completely dry, and it dries very quickly as you are wearing it. So if you’re in the rain and get wet, once you get back to shelter you can wring it out, put it back on, and let it dry as you are chowing on some Ramen. 

Will Alpaca make me better looking or smarter?

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While we can’t make any official claims, you’ll definitely BE smarter because you’ll be wearing alpaca. And, as an early adopter of this great new product, you’ll be one of the coolest people we know. We’ll have to get back to you on the better looking part. 

Is Alpaca JUST useful for cold weather?

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No way. As a protein fiber with hollow voids, it’s true that alpaca is highly insulating in cold weather. Like wool, it can keep you warm even when you are wet. But, it’s also breathable and lightweight. It will help transport moisture to keep you cooler in hot weather. It’s a great fiber, whether worn by itself in warm weather or as a layering piece in cold weather. 

Can you machine wash the All-Paca products?

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Yes. We recommend washing All-Paca products using the gentle cycle with cool to cold water and a mild detergent like Woolite or natural liquid soap (the kind you use on the trail). It doesn’t take much to get alpaca clean. You should avoid washing in over-stuffed loads, with heavily soiled garments or tough items like towels and jeans. Part of Alpaca fiber's strength and resilience is due to its characteristic “crimp” that allows it to have great stretch and regain properties. Our major goal was to produce a fabric without any crazy chemical processing, so while it is launderable, we do not recommend throwing it in the dryer. The “crimpy fiber” may cause it to shrink. It’s easy to avoid tumble drying Alpaca since it doesn’t retain much moisture, and we have found that it is damp after the spin cycle — not wet like cotton. Just hang it up, or lay it out on a towel.

Important note about Alpaca storing and washing:  

As an animal fiber made from protein, there are 2 VERY important things for you to remember about alpaca. (1) Moth larvae will eat it, so store it like you would any wool garment. While it is possible to chemically-treat it, we have avoided that option to minimize our environmental impact. (2) Protein fibers can be broken down by high PH detergents. Products like Bleach,  Washing Soda (aka Sodium Carbonate), and  Powdered “Oxygen Cleaners” are examples of products with a high PH that can damage Alpaca fibers.

Where do the All-Paca products come from?

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The All-Paca fabric is produced in our facility in Charlotte, NC from yarn that is imported from Peru. We do not put it through any hazardous chemical processes. Our garment sewing is performed by small entrepreneurial outfits located in the Southeastern United States who are also dedicated to producing high quality clothing.

Why do you import your yarn?

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We did look into the possibility of starting our own yarn manufacturing plant as part of the All-Paca process. After years of research and networking, we found that we would not be able to source fiber that would meet our strict specifications in the United States. 

Whats the deal with your inventory?

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We make all of the fabric that goes into our products right in our facility in Charlotte, N.C. - and in limited quantities. By keeping quantities small, we are able to offer more custom colors more often. This model also helps us keep our pricing competitive for these high quality, made in the USA pieces.

Do you ship overseas?

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Yep, we sure do! Let us know if you have an issue shipping to your address, and we'll figure it out.

Many countries charge customs fees or VAT taxes when your package is delivered. This is not paid-for or determined by Appalachian Gear Co. — Customers are responsible for VAT or customs fees at the time of delivery or receipt. We are required by law to accurately report the value and contents of international shipments — please do not ask us to undervalue the content on customs declaration forms. 

I had a product in my cart, but it was gone when I tried to checkout. What gives?

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Our eCommerce website, as with most eCommerce websites, doesn’t reserve products when they’re in a customer’s cart - this is to prevent bad actors from going in and reserving a company’s entire inventory. The inventory is not reserved until the purchase is completed.

I went to your website as soon as I got the newsletter, but everything is sold out. Did you even add any inventory?

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Our products really do sell out that quickly. We are a small and growing Outdoor Apparel company, and we make 100% of our fabric in our own facility, and 100% of our garments are assembled by other Southeatern U.S. Factories.  There is a trend of bringing textile & apparel manufacturing back to the U.S., and we are right in the middle of it. The issue is that 98% of the apparel industry moved over seas (so,generally 2% of apparel sold in the US is made in the US). It takes time to rebuild an entire industry, and because we partner with other small companies for sewing and assembly, we produce in smaller batches.  The great thing is that as our company, and our partners’ companies grow - we are creating new U.S. Jobs. We understand that lack of inventory can be frustrating, but we appreciate every customer - and our supply chain that was so badly broken due to COVID is also on the mend, and you will be seeing a more even flow of inventory over time.

You told me that you'd have inventory on a certain date, but the inventory wasn’t released until days later – what gives?

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We know the inventory restock dates can be frustrating, but remember, there was a massive worldwide supply chain disruption due to COVID, and it has had a significant domino effect.  We are in much better position than most because we make our own fabric, but lead times are still much longer than they were, and the majority of the Cut & Sew industry domestically is still sewing COVID Face masks.  The result is that often when we think our garments will be ready, we find out that there has been an extra delay. Obviously, we would like to sell a hoodie to every single customer that wants one, so it has been very frustrating for us as well. We have been combating this by increasing our yarn and fabric inventory, and are slowly building a more stable pipeline for the coming months.

I'm tired of trying to buy a hoodie when you release inventory on your website, could you just pre-sell me a hoodie right now or put me on a waitlist?

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We would really like to help everyone that emails us in a situation like this, but we are not staffed yet to provide custom service, and we feel that making promises that we can’t keep would be a much worse situation than struggling to keep up with demand. As a result, we will not be offering individual pre-orders or a waitlist for our inventory. The good news is that we have run a pilot program on “pre-orders” recently, and so far, that has gone well. With that said, we are not currently offering any pre-orders, but when that changes, customers will be notified via our newsletter.

The tracking on my return package says it was delivered to AppGear, but I haven't received a refund yet. Why the delay?

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We will typically process your refund about 10 days after we receive the package, as we quarantine incoming packages for approximately 10 days after we receive them. This is to prevent the transmission of COVID to our employees or customers.

Can I swing by and pick up my order so that I don’t have to pay for shipping?

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We do not have public access at our location because it is a manufacturing location and not an office, and as such, we do not have the facility or personnel attributes in place to support non-business visits.  We also have COVID restrictions in place that further complicate traffic in and out of our facility even for vendors and contractors.

I've placed two separate orders; can you combine them and refund me the shipping?

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We do not currently combine orders after they have been placed. Sorry for this inconvenience!

Can moths damage my alpaca garments?

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Moth holes do not come from the flying moths themselves, but a result of the adult moths laying eggs on garments. The eggs then hatch into larvae and in this stage, they feed on garments in turn causing holes. Natural fibers, including alpaca, are susceptible to moth holes — you can treat your garments with permethrin for moth prevention. You can also store your All-Paca gear in an air tight bin or cedar chest for moth prevention. Cedar chips can also aid in moth prevention.

What detergents can I use to clean All-Paca Garments?

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Use any normal detergent. DO NOT USE “washing Soda”, Chlorine OR Peroxide bleaches, or “Oxygen Cleaners” -- That means Norwex and Oxyclean are no-goes.

Can I exchange items for a different color?

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Yes we do! That being said, we do not hold items for exchanges, and we do need at least 3 color preferences for the exchange. Since all of our color runs are limited batches, we can not guarantee you will get your first color preference for the exchange. To ensure you receive the color you want, we recommend purchasing your preferred item that is in stock on our website — you can then mail your existing hoodie back to us for a refund. Please reach out to customerservice@appgearco.com for more exchanges or returns information.

Can I change the shipping address on my order?

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Yes you can! To ensure the proper shipping address is on your order, please reach out to customerservice@appgearco.com as soon as possible so we can further assist you! Once an order is fulfilled and handed over to our postal carrier, we are unable to update/change the shipping address.

I paid for 1 to 2 day shipping, but my order has not shipped yet, several days later. What's the deal?

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When purchasing shipping at checkout, the postal carrier will auto-populate the length of time it takes for them to ship an item from our facility to your address. It does not mean your order will ship in this time frame. It can take us one to two weeks for orders to be processed and shipped. However, in many cases we can get orders shipped sooner.

How will I know when my product has shipped?

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When your order is ready to ship, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. This means we have printed your shipping label and our fulfillment team is packaging your order. It may take a day or two to ship your order after we have printed your shipping label. Note, the expected date of delivery on your shipping confirmation email is auto-populated by the postal carrier -- it does not include the time that it takes for us to package your order and hand it over to UPS after the label is printed. Once the order is shipped, the tracking estimate is reevaluated and is typically much more accurate.

Can I ship to a P.O. Box?

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UPS will only accept shipments to a valid street address. They do not deliver to P.O. Boxes. If a shipper should use a P.O. Box address, the recipients telephone number must be included on the label. Your package that is addressed to a P.O. Box may be delayed, will not be covered by any UPS Service Guarantee, will not be replaced if lost, and will require an address correction charge.

Will you be adding a mummy-style Sleeping Bag Liner to pair with mummy-style sleeping bags?

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The design and construction of our Sleeping Bag Liner is based on simplicity, durability, comfortability, and insight from the trail. We will most likely not add a mummy style bag liner in the near future.

What is the difference between the Neck Pipe and the Ski Gaiter?

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Our All-Paca Ski Gaiter is constructed with two layers of our unique fleece with a bandana-like shape for more coverage to keep your neck and face toasty when the winds are howling. It is great to use when participating in winter sports such as high alpine hiking/backpacking, snowshoeing, and skiing/snowboarding. Our All-Paca Neck Pipe is a single layer of micro fleece (lighter weight compared to the gaiter). It is a bit more versatile as far as use goes — you can double it up around your ears when more exposed to the elements, throw it around your neck to give added warmth with high breathability, and even shape it into a head band or beanie. Since the Neck Pipe is made from a light weight single-layer fleece, it may not be as ideal as the Ski Gaiter for the really cold days on the mountain, but it will give you that added warmth with higher endurance activities such as trail running below tree line or road running in town. We hope this helps clarify the difference between the two pieces of gear!

Can I stack my discount code with the current site-wide sale?

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Promotional discounts (Like the "Herd" 10%) and site-wide sale discounts cannot be combined. If there is a site-wide Sale going on - you can take advantage of the Sale first, and then use your discount code for another purchase after the sale is over.

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