From the Kumaon Himalayas to Kerikeri — Equil's Supply Chain

TL;DR

  • Equil's Shilajit travels from hand collection in the Kumaon Himalayas to purification, NZ testing, and delivery from Kerikeri
  • Every step of the supply chain is transparent — we can account for what happens at each stage
  • We source from a small local Kumaon community using traditional, low-impact collection methods
  • Stock is held and shipped from New Zealand — not dropshipped from overseas
  • Understanding the supply chain from mountain to door is the foundation of understanding why Equil's Shilajit is different

Introduction

A supplement's quality is determined not by its marketing but by its supply chain — the specific choices made at every step from source to customer. For a product like Shilajit, which comes from one of the most remote and geologically unique environments on earth, those choices matter enormously. Here's exactly how Equil's Shilajit gets from the Kumaon Himalayan mountains to your door in New Zealand.

Step by Step — The Equil Supply Chain

1. Hand collection in the Kumaon Himalayas, India
Between May and September each year, as Himalayan temperatures rise and the rock formations warm, Shilajit resin naturally surfaces through fissures in the high-altitude rock. It is collected by hand by a small local community in the Kumaon region — a traditional, low-impact method that has been practiced in this region for generations. The collection is seasonal and cannot be rushed or industrialised. This is where the quality of Equil's Shilajit begins.

2. Initial purification at source
The raw collected resin undergoes initial purification — dissolved in fresh spring water, filtered to remove natural grit and debris, and concentrated through low-temperature evaporation. Temperatures are maintained below 40°C throughout to preserve the bioactive fulvic acid, humic substances, and DBPs that give Shilajit its properties.

3. Tablet production
For Equil's tablet format, an additional gentle drying step reduces moisture content to approximately 4–5%, creating a stable, concentrated dehydrated resin that is pressed into tablets with no fillers, binders, or additives. The result is a consistent, pre-measured daily dose of pure dehydrated Shilajit resin.

4. Arrival in New Zealand and quarantine
Each batch arrives in New Zealand and is held in quarantine before release. No product reaches customers without completing the next step.

5. Independent testing in New Zealand
A sample from each batch is submitted to an independent, accredited NZ laboratory for analysis. Testing covers heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium), fulvic acid content, mycotoxins, and microbial safety. Results are reviewed against established standards. Only batches that pass all parameters are released.

6. Results published
Passing batch results are published at equil.co.nz/pages/analysis — openly accessible to every customer, before or after purchasing.

7. Stocked and shipped from Kerikeri
Released stock is held at Equil's Kerikeri, Northland facility. Orders are packed and dispatched directly by the Equil team — no dropshipping, no third-party fulfilment. Typically 2–5 business days to any NZ address.

Key Points

  • Traceable from mountain to door: Every step of the supply chain is documented and transparent
  • Community sourcing: Hand collection by a small local Kumaon community — traditional, sustainable, and directly traceable
  • NZ testing before release: No batch ships without passing independent NZ laboratory testing
  • Local accountability: Stock held and shipped from Kerikeri — Equil handles it directly
  • No shortcuts: Low-temperature purification, no additives, batch-by-batch testing — the supply chain reflects a commitment to quality at every step

Who This Is For

  • People who want full transparency on where their supplement comes from and how it gets to them
  • Those who value traceability and ethical sourcing
  • Anyone who has been frustrated by vague sourcing claims from other Shilajit brands

FAQs

How do I know the Shilajit is genuinely from the Kumaon Himalayas?

Third-party testing verifies the fulvic acid content and mineral profile that are characteristic of genuine Himalayan Shilajit. The Kumaon region consistently produces Shilajit at the high fulvic acid concentrations our testing confirms — 79.21% — which is characteristic of high-altitude Himalayan sourcing. See Why We Test for Fulvic Acid — Not Just Claim It for more.

How long does the journey from collection to NZ take?

Collection happens seasonally between May and September. After purification and production, batches travel to New Zealand and go through our quarantine and testing process before release. The full journey from mountain to NZ customer typically spans several months — this is a premium natural product with a real production timeline, not a commodity supplement.

Does Equil use any middlemen in its supply chain?

We work directly with our sourcing community in the Kumaon region and handle NZ testing and fulfilment ourselves. We aim to minimise supply chain steps that reduce accountability and transparency.

Why Kerikeri?

Kerikeri is where Equil is based — it's home. Shipping from where you live and work means the business is genuinely local, the team is genuinely accountable, and the product is handled by people who care about it personally.

Can I visit Equil?

We're a small family business — contact us at hello@equil.co.nz for any direct enquiries. We're genuinely accessible in a way that large supplement corporations aren't.

Summary

Equil's Shilajit travels from hand collection by a Kumaon community in the Himalayas, through low-temperature purification, independent NZ laboratory testing, and storage at Kerikeri — to your door in 2–5 business days. Every step is transparent, documented, and directly accountable. This is a supply chain built around the question "what would we want to know if we were the customer?" — and the answer shapes every choice from mountain to door.

Considering Shilajit?

Equil's Shilajit is sourced from the Kumaon Himalayas, independently tested in New Zealand for heavy metals and fulvic acid content, stocked and shipped from Kerikeri by a small NZ family business — with no fillers or additives. Visit our Shilajit product page or read the Complete Guide to Shilajit to learn more.