Hiking in a kilt?

[Vthiker77]

Was browsing the net today about the latest and greatest (and of course lightest) stuff today and came across kilts!? The idea is intriguing. I can see why they would be super comfy. Anyone else do it?? I'm thinking about it. When I'm on the trail I could care less what people think if I'm comfortable.

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[Meriadoc]

Yep. I wear a kilt. Good airflow and stylish. Kilt is my summer wear unless it is very hot and there is no wind.

Sportkilt hiking kilt worked well on my thru and is what I wear for contra dancing. An old mountain hardwear kilt that I have is lighter and shorter (it's a dice roll whether these are being made in any given year). You can also sew your own or pick up a skirt from a thrift store.

[Sierra2015]

If you're sweating then you have to be skinny to comfortably wear skirts. Otherwise there will be thigh chafing!

Source: 25 years of wearing dresses and skirts.

[Meriadoc]

If you're sweating then you have to be skinny to comfortably wear skirts. Otherwise there will be thigh chafing!

Source: 25 years of wearing dresses and skirts.

Oh yeah. And this. But it's not just skinny, it depends on anatomy. Boxer briefs (boxers with compression/snug leg sleeves) are my friends. Ex Officio boxer briefs rock.

[Vthiker77]

If you're sweating then you have to be skinny to comfortably wear skirts. Otherwise there will be thigh chafing!

Source: 25 years of wearing dresses and skirts.

Yeah, I was thinking with a pair of boxer briefs or spandex shorts underneath for the chafing issues. The air flow seems like it would be a really nice added benefit.

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[Sierra2015]

Or you could just wear bicycle shorts? Instead of a kilt? Since you'll be wearing them anyway.

[RCBear]

Can't say I've ever worn a skirt while hiking. However, in the privacy of my own home...

[Vthiker77]

Can't say I've ever worn a skirt while hiking. However, in the privacy of my own home...

'nuff said

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[squeezebox]

Keep in mind a kilt is a very specific design, length just below the knee, pleated across the back, overlapped in front wrap-around skirt style, many without a waist band, 2 beltloops in front 1 in back. plaid
if it's outside these parameters it's a skirt.
Men wore skirts way before we wore pants.
Make sure you get a skirt with pockets.
2 of my favorites are 1) my mountain hardwear hiking skirt, lots of pockets, 2) my snakeskin print miniskirt.

[louisb]

I hike in the Mountain Hardware Elkomando kilt and love it. I get a kick out of seeing the look on people's faces when they realize I am wearing a skirt. I have worn it down to 20 degrees with wool long johns from Smartwool and been fine. In warmer weather I wear UA compression shorts under the kilt to keep everything in its place.

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Thanks,

--louis

[Sierra2015]

What's the purpose of a kilt?

I'm planning to wear a skort instead of shorts and that's because of modesty. Why would you guys want to?

[louisb]

Modesty, some leg protection, mine is rain resistant so I usually don't carry rain pants. Lots of ventilation and freedom of movement. Easy to take off and put on. Love the large pockets on mine as well.

--louis

[RCBear]

It must work for some guys because I simply can't imagine anyone outside of the Wales area wanting to wear one just because. And even there I have to believe it's more about tradition than anything else.

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[R1ma]

I've worn my El Kommando kilt around town

It is the greatest bit of hiking wardrobe, after a wide brim hat. My 2013 medium model weighs 353 grams, it's not light, but it makes up for it in comfort!

Keep in mind a kilt is a very specific design, length just below the knee, pleated across the back, overlapped in front wrap-around skirt style, many without a waist band, 2 beltloops in front 1 in back. plaid
if it's outside these parameters it's a skirt.

Not necessarily. Doesn't have to be plaid. And great kilts throw all that out the window 9-ish yards of flat fabric, hand pleated in the middle every time you put it on. Circles the body and then goes over the shoulder, requires a kilt pin. But, if you wanted to hike with 9 yards of wool draped around you, you can forgo the sleeping bag - your wearing one! But it might make it a little hard to carry a pack lol.
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[Night Train]

Love my Sportkilt, but have yet to hike or wear casually in any wet weather, just fair weather. Everything noted in the thread about the pros of wearing a kilt while hiking is spot on. I would like to hear some more commentary alluding to any drawbacks to wearing in wet weather? If there is any drawback.

[Night Train]

Capilene bottoms or UA compression shorts are my choices preventing the "chafe".

[Just Bill]

A skirt is a benifit to men and women alike. Men like to call them kilt's as it has a manly appeal but in my opinion when cross dressing is an agreed upon strategy in our sport then why not just be a man and admit you're wearing a skirt.

Technically as mentioned- an official kilt is a different animal and a skirt is a better choice anyway. A kilt is different in construction, and as a result much heavier in weight. A skirt can be very light and quick drying, I have skirts that weigh as little as one ounce, although my preferred design is closer to a whopping 2 ounces.

Even if you don't want to hike in one there are many advantages-
Excellent to lounge in, especially commando as we can all use some air down there but might not want to lie around naked.
Maintains modesty when using the bathroom- guys and gals alike.
They hand wash and wear dry easily, you can wear them while doing laundry or taking trail baths.
For two ounces they are great multi-purpose or camp clothes.
Many ladies carry a skirt to wear when in town, might as well carry a skirt that functions for hiking.

Regarding chafing- increased airflow reduces sweat. Dried sweat creates the salt crystal deposits that cause chafing. Wearing boxers or shorts can increase chafing by adding another layer, and often a seam, which is additional friction and rubbing on the inner thigh. Similiar to how two pairs of socks can help blisters until they bunch up and cause a blister. Many folks are ditching traditional wisdom on socks and finding that keeping the feet dry by wearing thin socks is better than wearing two socks, I find the same holds true for the crotch.

If you are not super skinny your thighs rub together anyway. This friction is only reduced by frequent hiking, not additional layers. While bike shorts will provide a short term solution they can also lead to crotch rot and other moisture problems best avoided on a hike. Again, much like two pairs of socks prevent blisters but then cause athelete's foot or other rot issues from maintaining a hot, moist, dirty environment.

A few weeks of hiking will toughen the thighs enough so that the skin on skin friction is no longer a problem. For the long term, sweat, rot, funk, and other problems become the bigger issue so the skirt becomes the better cure for those items. When I take time off it seems about a hundred miles of hiking is enough to re-establish the tougher skin if you are curious on how long it takes.

Freedom of movement- Also a big benifit but comparible to a bike short or short inseam running short. On the other hand many runners wear skirts for this reason.

Undies- up to you, I find comando or briefs to be the better choice. When going clad I prefer Ex Officio undies. After the initial period of skin toughening is passed a brief serves you better than a boxer or short because you keep the inner thigh as airated as possible and eliminate fabric that can bunch, roll, or rub. Built in undies are less desirable. Seperate undies can just be pulled off and washed up so you aren't standing around naked. There's always a girl scout troop that seems to show up just when you choose to do trail laundry and the skirt prevents indecent exposure arrests or embarrasment.

Modesty- if you prefer bike shorts then yes, the only reason to wear a skirt is for modesty reasons regarding covering your skin tight garment. But the two in combination is only for vanity. Other than the shock factor of a guy wearing a skirt, my skirt covers more thigh than the short running shorts I would have to wear to achieve the same results.

Commercial options-
We discussed this a bit in the women's forum. Women's skirts often feature high lycra count thicker fabrics because they lay better and make your tush look nice. But they are heavy and hot which increases the problem they should prevent. They are also slow to dry as a result. Some men's designs use similiar fabric and create similiar issues. The mountain hardware skirts/kilts come to mind. Sport Kilt is considered the "best" men's skirt. Although they don't list the weight most of them are in the 6 ounce range if I recall correctly and are built of a more traditional kilt with overlapping layers of lined fabric. These extra layers make them slower to dry (45 min or so) and the fabric commonly fades from the sun, even on the AT. Some PCT hikers report color washout by the first 1/4 of the trail.

Your best bet is to either buy a cheap nylon skirt from a thrift store or make your own. On my list of stuff to do is to make a how to article for a nylon skirt. Uncoated 1.4 or 1.9 ounce per yard ripstop nylon is the best balance of dry time, durability and weight. M50, coated nylon, or Cuben makes a poor choice as the waterproofness makes them clammy and uncomfortable and stiffer so they don't drape well.

The skirt I use is 2 ounces, has two pockets, a webbing belt and drys as fast as ex officio undies does. Basically from hand washed to dry is 15 minutes or less if you wear it. Mine also has an option to button it shorter for when it's "big girl time" and the trail gets steep so you don't need to hitch it up, a common problem for commercial designs encountered on the steeper sections of the AT. Choosing a shorter skirt makes them unsuitable for sitting around so I settled on a knee length with the option to shorten while walking. There is a women's skirt like this but it is calf length to start and too bunchy when gathered high. You want it to just touch your knee, any longer and it tends to hook on your knee rather than move with you if you take a big stride.

I am considering a small run of my skirt design as a test product for some future gear production. If there is an interest I can work on this sooner than later and would be happy to sell them for cost as I know many folks don't make thier own gear. But if you do, a skirt is an excellent project to practice with.

[Just Bill]

Love my Sportkilt, but have yet to hike or wear casually in any wet weather, just fair weather. Everything noted in the thread about the pros of wearing a kilt while hiking is spot on. I would like to hear some more commentary alluding to any drawbacks to wearing in wet weather? If there is any drawback.

There is no drawback when you have the right skirt, I find they are better to wear than nylon running shorts in the rain. But people do complain about a sportkilt when soaked as it is not very fast drying.

[kofritz]

kilts are not new. i met a thru hiker years ago [hello haiku] in kilts.

[Just Bill]

kilts are not new. i met a thru hiker years ago [hello haiku] in kilts.

Take it to the other extreme- Native american's travelled in Loinclothes. An immensely practical garment.
After making a few my wife interveened and I now wear a skirt in public.