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Trail Yeti
10-03-2002, 15:21
No, that's not a skirt I'm wearing in that picture w/the funny hat- its a Mountain Hardwear Hiking KILT[B]!:eek: I just wanted to share my enthusiasm for this great piece of gear!
I bought my kilt at Neel's Gap and hardly took it off for 6 months.
In fact, now that I am home shorts and pants feel almost restrictive.
So there are a couple of good reasons to wear a Kilt as opposed to shorts. You can change clothes in front of anyone and not have to worry about finding some privacy. Its very easy to "take care of business" out in the woods. It reduces chafing, and on windy days on a ridge line it....well lets just say it makes "the boys" really happy.
Now granted you do get some funny looks in town, but that just adds to the appeal. Most people think thruhikers (or hikers in general) are crazy so why not have fun with it?
I know what you guys are thinking..."I am NOT wearing a skirt!"...
well all I can say is don't knock it till you tried and believe me when I say that chicks dig it!:D
The mtn hardwear kilt is pretty pricey, but it does last very well, mine has not a rip or tear in it after all those miles.
I have also found another kilt website at www.sportkilts.com that has kilts for all occasions that come in actual tartans. I don't know much about them yet, but I am buying one and will let you know what I think when I get it.
Anyway, just thought I would let all y'all know about some options instead of just following the main stream and wearing shorts.
I know that I will NEVER hike in shorts again.
so remember,
life is good, WEAR A KILT!
Trail Yeti:cool:
ps-for the girls mtn hardwear makes a hiking skirt if you want...I heard some complaints that their kilt doesn't "fit" women since y'all are anatomically different.

EarlyRiser
10-03-2002, 15:35
ive been thinking about getting a kilt for a few years now. ive always wanted one it just seems so much easyer. i was even planing on being a scotsman for halloween just to wear a kilt. maybe ill get one. i mean hey id wear it all the time if i could, but i doubt thatd go over well with most people. im sure i could hiking though. ill see about it. thanks for the idea.

Hammock Hanger
10-03-2002, 16:18
I saw a number of men out on the trail in skirts, kilts & batik wraps.

I myself wore a skirt 70% of the time. In actuallity it was a pair of Patagonia men's boxers with the crotch cut out. I loved the freedom of the skirt. I wore a dress as well but the skirt was more versitle.

Hammock Hanger

The Weasel
10-03-2002, 20:45
Have the same Mountain Hardwear kilt, LOVE it!

EarlyRiser
10-03-2002, 21:12
one descrepancy, it is www.sportkilt.com

Trail Yeti
10-03-2002, 21:49
ooops!:eek: sorry about that. Cool site though.
Also, a lawyer in a kilt...this I gotta see!! ha ha ah

EarlyRiser
10-03-2002, 21:58
yeah it really is a good site too, pretty good prices compared to everything else ive seen (unfortunately it still might be a bit high) although im not sure if im going to get a traditional kilt or a hiking kilt first. do you think one of those sport kilts would last on a trail?

Trail Yeti
10-03-2002, 22:21
I don't know because I haven't seen one. I can tell you that the Outfitter at Harper's Ferry was selling kilts that looked similar to a sportkilt (the lady there had them made). I know a guy that bought one of these at Trail Days and he was still wearing it when I saw him in Baxter.
The mtn hardwear does have pockets on it and I am sure the sporkilts don't....but if you don't want pockets then its not a big deal.
I read the "testimonials" from sportkilts site and everyone seemed really happy w/them. They advertise them as perfect for the scottish athlete. If you have ever been to a scottish games festival some of the competitions are pretty rough...I would think they would hold up well.
But don't hold me to that ....when I get one I will let you know.
Trail Yeti
ps- Early Riser you are to be commended on your vision in even thinking about wearing a kilt.... be different! Set your boys free!
they will thank you for it!! ha ha ha
pps-weasel, we should start a "hiking clan" for all the "kilted hikers" ha ha ha

SGT Rock
10-03-2002, 23:13
I must admit it sounds a little girly to hike in a kilt, but maybe I should try it.

attroll
10-03-2002, 23:59
I personally have been thinking about buying a kilt and trying it. It would eliminate the rash I get from the shorts rubbing the inner part of my leg. I really like the idea. But the only downfall I see is letting the boys free as Trail Yeti calls it. I personally like the support. I like at least having an inner lining. Is it possible to maybe get a kilt with a lining in it? Does anyone know?

I don’t care about what that Macho Army guys say about it being girly. If it works don’t nock it is what I say.

SGT Rock
10-04-2002, 06:30
Yea, I'm the macho Army guy, but Yeti is the Macho Marine that just hiked it to. And even though Weasel may be a lawyer, he looks like the burly hiker type.

Macho Hiker Clan Tartan. Take the green black and white from this forum for the weave.

Trail Yeti
10-04-2002, 11:38
"Macho Hiker Clan Tartan"-that is classic!
People couldn't believe I had just gotten out of the Marines w/my hair, beard and Kilt!! ha ha ha
As for the lining....I don't know of any that come with a lining, but it would probably be pretty easy to put one in...use the lining from an old pair of running shorts or something.
I didn't find "support" of the boys a problem...
I only chafed in my kilt a couple of times. This was in high summer when the humidity was horrrendous... Even then I wasn't chafing against the kilt but against my own "equipment" if you get my drift.
So what I did for this was buy some BODY GLIDE. Body Glide is this stuff triathletes use to make it easier to put on/take off wetsuits, and reduce chafing when wet etc etc... It works GREAT! It looks like a little deodarent stick and you just rub it on. I never chafed again when it was super hot.
So even if you don't wear a kilt you should look into the bodyglide.
life is good, WEAR A KILT!
Trail Yeti
ps- Rock, the boys back at Lejeune thought it was hilarious that I was hiking in a kilt!

EarlyRiser
10-04-2002, 15:57
yeah see id like pockets and all, i just dont want to spend a lot of money, and the mountain hardware kilts were almost fourty bucks more expensive. yeah it seems to me theyd hold up rather well. i also saw a part somwhere about hiking with a sportskilt and it seemed to be encouraged, so im sure it would be fine.
the way i see it, wearing a kilt isnt a girlie thing, look at the greeks, they never wore pants. and i dont think anyones about to call Mel a girl. (or any of the scottsman in those highland games)

The Weasel
10-04-2002, 19:51
Anyone who wants "support" for their genitals need only get a decent athletic supporter. Frankly, unless you're some kind of a perv and try to expose yourself, no one's going to notice much, and nearly everyone will be too tired to care anyhow.

A kilt with support? Damn. What will you Sassenachs come up with next? Ice in your malt? Heathens. Damn.

The Weasel

Trail Yeti
10-04-2002, 20:09
Well the sportkilt website sells sporrans to go w/their kilts. They even have a "sport sporran" which looks like a fanny pack to me....
I didn't use the pockets on my mtn hardwear kilt except to stuff my data book in the side. the only other time was in town.

Singletrack
10-05-2002, 04:11
I was over at Victoria s Secret the other nite doing their annual inventory. They had some Bras that would probably fit some of you guys. Maybe I should post this in the gear section.

Former Admin
10-05-2002, 07:05
Originally posted by Singletrack
I was over at Victoria s Secret the other nite doing their annual inventory. They had some Bras that would probably fit some of you guys. Maybe I should post this in the gear section.

Singletrack,

Are you refering to overweight fat ass big boobed hiker men?:D

Why not, if other men are wearing skirts, they might as well wear a bra to keep they're boobs from shaking around:D LOL

Heavy ones, please don't take this seriously, I'm a little over weight myself.:D

highway
10-05-2002, 07:18
I suspected as much, we are becoming "adult"!
... I can't imagine why I felt so uncomfortable bringing up the "hiking naked" thread amongst this group. You have now moved on to even juicier topics like "men in drag", then quickly progressed to "women in men's underwear" and finally men shopping for women's undergarments. I can hardly wait for the next racy topic of discussion! Hell, is everyone "coming out of the closet" here and airing their fetishes? And I thought "hiking naked was controversial"!:D :D

Former Admin
10-05-2002, 08:53
I already came out of the closet this month in revealing my trail name.:D

Trail Yeti
10-05-2002, 12:04
Yeah, yeah, yeah, trust me, you guys aren't coming up w/anything I haven't already heard...
but since y'all think its so "girly" how about this for a fact.
Of the 4 "Trail tail" couples this year....2 of the guys wore kilts, and 1 wore a skirt. I said earlier that CHICKS DIG IT, and I wasn't lying.
so lets get this thread back on track huh?
life is good, WEAR A
KILT!!!
Trail Yeti

The Weasel
10-05-2002, 12:45
Well, I think the 'sex thing' is getting a little carried away, and approaching being offensive, to be honest. If you think wearing a kilt is a "girly thing", and that it's somehow related to "sex", you belong at an adult video store and not on the Trail.

A kilt is merely the Scots variant of the age-old "wrap" that was commonly worn by men in a variety of cultures, from First Dynasty Egypt through much of Southeast Asia (the "sarong", for instance), as well as Greece and Latin Europe; the word "kilt" is, in fact of Scandinavian origin. In Scotland - where much of my family comes from - they were functional in a variety of ways. Of wool, and generally a length below the knee, they were warm, easily made (once the weaving was done), and, by their pattern, at least in "formal" kilts, a way of describing the clan one belonged to. They could be used as a blanket at night, and were comfortable and less likely to be 'soiled' than were pants, in an era where undergarments were simply uncommon for any but the noble classes. Men wore them because they were what men wore. In much of rural Scotland today, a kilt is not uncommon, simply because it is practical clothing for those who work out-of-doors. One of the most hated edicts of the still-loathed English was, in the 1700s, to forbid the wearing of clan patterns, or "tartans". Not only did this seek to destroy family strengths - a source of opposition to English domination - but it had a practical effect, as well: Rough wool isn't suitable for pants, as most men know, but cotton IS. English cotton mills found a very nice new source of business in selling cotton clothing to the Scots and, conversely from wool, cotton doesn't function well as a kilting material in a damp climate such as Scotland. ("Cotton kills" was known then, as well as it is now on the AT.) But cotton DOES hold some warmth value when made as pants. So English cotton mill owners thought the prohibition against tartans to be a VERY useful "marketing" technique. So to those who think a kilt is a "girly thing", I suppose my Scots heritage says, "Ach, ye Sassenach just love to prove your money-grubbing colonial prejudices, don't ye?" Neither is true. So let's drop the insults, cute or otherwise.

Functionally, I find a kilt to be good trail clothing from Spring through early fall: My primary one is a Mountain Hardwear kilt, because I like the styling, but I have used simple wool sheets, 36" wide by about 4'long, and wrap it towel-fashion around me and secure it with (yes, it's the best way, probably because it's the SCOTS way!) a large safety pin at the top and half way down. I don't like pockets much in my other clothing, since I always seem to lose things from going in and out of them as I walk, so I just use a small pouch on one shoulder strap of my pack; a sporran would be uncomfortable for serious walking. The kilt minimizes upper thigh sweating, due to the increased ventilation, while minimizes chafing for me, which - given my size - is a serious problem and one I almost never have when I'm wearing a kilt. It's also more comfortable, once I get used to it - about a day of transition.

Against the question - which is as invasive for me as it would be if one asked (or wondered) about a woman - whether I wear underwear, I will say that there are two schools of thought, and that there is no need to be exclusively one or the other: One school, for wearing, is that one can keep a bit cleaner, and there is less risk of accidental exposure. The other, for not wearing, is that it saves a bit of weight, it's more comfortable, and a "short kilt" that exposes genitals is as inappropriate on the trail for a man as a miniskirt is as for a woman (which is why you don't see them), as well as the fact that cleanliness is not a hard thing to maintain if one cares about oneself.

You can agree, or you can disagree. But hey, Rock! Still sounds a little girly to you? Did you see "Gladiator"? Sergeants - and generals -like YOU conquered pretty damn much the entire Western world - from Britain to Persia, Germany to Egypt with "that girly look".

I like my kilt.

SGT Rock
10-05-2002, 13:37
I'm not worried about appealing to women on the trail, the point is mute on that one Yeti. If she sees me in a kilt and hears about this my hiking privledges will be revoked.

As to hiking in a kilt, I'm open to it. I learned a long time ago, if it looks stupid but works, then it isn't stupid.

If Gladiators are so tough, why are they all dead. :rolleyes:

The Weasel
10-05-2002, 15:04
Rock ---

I'd rephrase that: If the Romans WEREN'T so tough, why is most of Western Civilization really modernized Roman culture? Do you know where the name "Germany" comes from? Look this up - I dare you! - and you'll see why some of the Latin-based languages including - gasp! - English call it "Germany" in slightly different ways, while "Germans" call it "Deutschland"). Latin is the source of most Western languages (French and Spanish aren't really languages, some scholars agree, but simply dialects of Latin) and even forms of government west of the Urals (quick! Who was the last Caesar to rule? Answer: KAISER Wilhelm of GERMANY. Who was the second-to-the-last? TSAR Nicholas. When did the Roman Empire end? In 1918, when the last Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire abdicated the throne of Austria). Most large English (but not Scots!) cities were named by the Roman armies ("chester" and "caster" mean "army camps... Rochester, Manchester, Lancaster, and so on). The list goes on...

Not bad for a lot of "dead gladiators" wearing "skirts"? Ah, the value of kilts! Today, the AT! Tomorrow, the world!

Besides, Rock...don't you feel a little "girly" wearing a beret? (OUCH! No hitting in the face! OK, I'm sorry! But I couldn't resist!)



The Weasel

SGT Rock
10-05-2002, 15:51
LOL, good point. I'll wear the Macho Hiker Tartan and my beret. Hey, did't some of those highlanders wear berets too?

BTW, I just saw a promo for some new Samuel L. Jackson blockbuster shoot 'em up, he was wearing a kilt.

The Weasel
10-05-2002, 18:21
The Scots cap is called a "Tam O'Shanter" and looks like a beret, somewhat. But nicer, as in so many things that are Scottish. :D

Lugnut
10-05-2002, 19:55
The real reason that Scots wear kilts is because sheep can hear a zipper a mile away!:D

The Weasel
10-05-2002, 20:19
Lugnut is very correct. The affinity of Scots for their sheep is one of the reasons there are so many Englishmen.

The Weasel

Lugnut
10-06-2002, 01:44
Man Russ, kinda tough on the Brits!;)

The Weasel
10-06-2002, 10:21
Nah, laddie. It accounts for their gentle disposition (the sheep) until provoked (the Scots!). And it makes the sheep happy.

The Weasel

Trail Yeti
10-06-2002, 14:08
WOW!!! I didn't think this thread was gonna take off like it has!!!
So for a little more history....
The Irish were also known for wearing kilts in days long ago, the difference being that they were not in tartan..they were usually shades of brown and grey.
Also Weasel, when you were recounting your "historical references" you forgot the SPARTANS!!! Not sure you would call what they wore a kilt, but it WAS similar. And if the those guys weren't the toughest sob's I don't know who was (read "Gates of Fire" by steven pressfield, excellent book).
As for the "chicks digging it". Well, I mainly put that in there for the young single guys. However, just cause you are married (or involved) doesn't mean you are dead, you still can look good for the ladies. Also, you don't have to be scottish, Irish, scotchirish etc to wear a kilt (although we do look better in them than anyone else)
they are just cool (in more ways than one).
anyway, I am thrilled that my thread has fueled such interesting conversation and debate....
life is good, let em hang and WEAR A KILT!!!
Trail Yeti
oh yeah, one more thing. You will accidentally "flash your dirty bubble gum" if you wear a kilt the proper way. Its inevitable. Hikers understand and if you are careful, it rarely happens. I for one got caught a couple of times, but my girlfriend was always "on the watch" and would warn me if I was about to "reveal my innermost secrets" (why was she looking down there I wonder?;) :D ).
and another thing- it makes it REALLY EASY to "moon the cog" on Mt Washington:eek: :p ....not that I would know ANYTHING about that...(I hate coal!!)

Trail Yeti
10-06-2002, 14:16
Weasel, good job w/your rebuttal!!!
and guys, haven't you learned by now that arguing with a lawyer is like hitting your head against a wall? You are not gonna win, the most you can hope for is a draw! LOL

The Weasel
10-06-2002, 17:42
There are no "draws". Arguing with a lawyer is a lot like wrasslin' with a pig. When it's all over, even if you win, you're gonna be covered with manure, and the pig's gonna have had a pretty good time!

As for the Spartans, they were Greeks, unless you're referring the Michigan State University (in my home state), which is not Greek, but Drunk.

The Irish have clan plaid as well, as do most of the Celts (of which the Scots are the other dominant group in Britain). "Working kilts" are generally not the same as "dress plaid", although they may have the same pattern. They're usually a dark tan or brown instead of deep green.

Those who follow my philosophy (borrowed liberally from Ray Jardine) of "ultralight" backpacking, will recall that I prefer every piece of gear to have at least 2 uses (a bandana is the best example of this). That includes clothing, which is why I like my wool "home made" kilt the best, since it is a bit larger and lower in the leg. It's not that it doesn't show off my otherwise uninteresting body, but that I can use it as a shawl when sitting in my sleeping bag and many other uses.

The Weasel

Trail Yeti
10-06-2002, 18:17
Ok, I reread your post, I didn't catch the reference to the Greeks.
I am Irish as can be and didn't know that Irish had clan plaids....any idea where I could get a glimpse of the patterns/colors?
And for general info...there is a SOBO this year, I think his name is Strider that uses a "authentic" wool kilt like you use yours weasel.

The Weasel
10-06-2002, 18:28
A brief search in Google for this inquiry:

"irish tartan" pattern

gave me several results. This one has Irish County tartans:

http://www.irishtartans.com/longford.html

The Weasel

The Weasel
10-06-2002, 18:31
This site has Irish county tartans and some family ones, although the actual patterns don't seem to be shown.

SGT Rock
10-06-2002, 19:14
I did a little investigating on this since my grandmother's family is Scottish (wayyyy back) and was able to track the family name Bird (not Byrd) back to the affiliation with Aberdeen, Edinburgh - then see the tartan for that area.

Something interesting is that the Marines also have a Tartan according to that site.

Light Brite
10-07-2002, 21:45
I think this whole kilt thing is crap. I'd hike naked before I'd wear a damn kilt. UUHHHHH:eek:

Trail Yeti
10-07-2002, 22:03
I've got pictures of you in a kilt buddy....so don't you be talking no crap! lol

Jumpstart
10-08-2002, 16:51
The Mountain hardwear equivalent of the kilt for females is the pack-wrap...I bought mine in Daleville and wore it (combined with lots of body glide...one of the unsung secrets for trail chafe) for the remainder of the trip. It was nice to feel like a girl on the trail after feeling so disgusting all the time, and it washed and wore easily...

Jeff
10-09-2002, 15:45
What about ticks and mosquitos when wearing a kilt?????

Trail Yeti
10-09-2002, 15:52
Jeff,
I only had one tick that went higher than my knees the entire trip.
I found him in Harpers Ferry, he was on my thigh. I never had any mosquitos( or anything else for that matter) try to fly up my kilt.
Yeti
Hey Rock- what is that website where you found the Marine Tartan?

highway
10-09-2002, 16:07
I guess its easier to check yourself for them...just hike your dress up and gaze away.

This has to be the most unusual thread of the year...who was the cross dresser that started it. I am certain you didn't know you would be "dragging" so many others out of the closet with you, did you?

I was just thinking. I am going to meet Hacksaw in a few weeks, getting a shuttle from Atlanta to Springer and when we do meet and he has some such "dress" wrapped around his hairy legs, I am damn well not getting into the cab of a tiny pickup with him!

The Weasel
10-09-2002, 18:48
At least along ridges and most shelters, skeeters weren't a problem for me through Grayson Highlands. And I didn't pick up a tick through there. Generally, when I wear my kilt, I don't get a lot more problem than with loose shorts.

The Weasel

slabfoot
10-09-2002, 20:01
the subject of this thread came up while enjoying a few pints here at the ridge run tavern and after asking the barmaid if she would find the wearing of the plaid objectionable she offered that wednesday could be ordained kilt night and she would buy the first pint for he man enough to do it.

Operator
10-10-2002, 22:54
Another good site to check is http://www.utilikilts.com/
They make practical working mans kilts.

Oh yes as far as accidental exposure goes my own record is 37 people. At least until my friend Pam informed me of the show. I still wish there was a way to capture some of the shades of red my face turned.( I think there were some new ones:rolleyes: )



When life is a journey miles are nothing but numbers.

Trail Yeti
10-11-2002, 12:44
Man, wish I lived near you slabfoot! ha ha ha
Have you guys have seen my pic by admin in Gatlinburg w/my leprechaun hat? Well I carried that hat from GA-ME. When I stayed at the inn atthe Long Trail I wore my hat into the pub....when they found out I had carried it from Ga...FREE PINT!!!(Harp, yummy)
As for the number of "accidental flashes of my dirty bubble gum" operator, I have no idea....but I did myself turn redder than my hair on a couple of occasions...so I know how you feel.
Yeti

MedicineMan
10-14-2002, 23:34
Trail-Yeti, I did it , broke down (a major break down too at 85$) and ordered the MountainHardware Mountain Kilt.....I have been playing bagpipes for 13 years so I have a legitimate excuse...but the real reason was hearing in the discussion of the pros that chafing is minimized.....one luxury I allow myself is a bottle of Gold Bond Powder just for chaffing, so maybe in the future I can eliminate the Gold Bond from the pack list....wish I did it because the girls dig it but my lady wouldnt understand me trying to lure trail women!

The Weasel
10-15-2002, 00:00
Ach, and I'm proud of ye, laddie! (Replace the Gold Bond with some good Macallan's!)

The Weasel

Trail Yeti
10-15-2002, 14:31
Another convert! Yippee! Dachonkin, congrats on your wise decision.
The way I looked at the money was this-I was gonna be wearing it for at least 6 months...so 85 bucks over 6 months ain't all that bad!
So welcome to THE CLAN!!!
Down w/pants....let the boys taste some FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOMMMM!!
life is good, WEAR A KILT!
Trail Yeti

SGT Rock
01-26-2003, 13:03
Yeti, how can I convince my wife I need a kilt, she keeps saying no! :(

Maybe I should get your girlfriend to answer that ;)

Trail Yeti
01-26-2003, 18:07
Rock,
first, I guess your wife's rank is Sgt Major huh? ha ha ha
I suggest you present it as a "fait accompli" (sp??)...in other words, just get one and wear it. The worst she can do is make you sleep on the couch!!! ha ha ha
Besides, your wife doesn't ALWAYS go hiking w/you does she? So what she don't know ain't gonna hurt you!
life is good, BUY A KILT!
Yeti

SGT Rock
01-26-2003, 18:35
I consider her a General, her callsign is Household 6.

MedicineMan
01-26-2003, 21:08
hehehe, just ordered a pair of Marmot Primaloft belay shorts just for the boys on cold hikes!

Lugnut
01-27-2003, 00:32
Call sign of 6 makes her the boss.:) Guess that's still the case?

Grimace
01-27-2003, 14:36
You gotta check out www.utilikilts.com. They are an awesome company with a great product. Mine just came last week. The shipping email read...

"Burn your pants, your kilt is on the way"

Trail Yeti
01-27-2003, 19:48
Grimace,
I saw the utilikilt website. I was interested, but I like my mtn hardwear....seems lighter. You should also check out www.sportkilts.com
but definately give us a report on how well the utilikilt works!
life is good, keep on wearing that kilt!
Yeti

jlb2012
01-28-2003, 09:16
actually the link is Sport Kilt (no s) (http://www.sportkilt.com/)

Haiku
02-05-2003, 23:40
How do you handle hiking in a kilt in the snow (Georgia in March)? I just ordered a kilt of my own, but was wondering how the beginning of my hike would feel.... I have Capilene silkweight long underwear that I could wear, but no gaitors. Would taller socks be enough to beat the cold?

Haiku.

Grimace
02-06-2003, 10:37
I used gaiters with my kilt like Trail Yeti. Pulled em up in the cold and pushed them down in the hot. I think there was just 2 days that I actually wore long underwear under my kilt. I was comfortable, even at 35-40 degrees. I did however, find that my "business" got cold more easily. You'll laugh, but I solved that problem with a sock.

Everyone got a big kick on Thomas Knob when I climbed through some barbed wire and sock stayed behind. Close one!

SGT Rock
02-06-2003, 10:43
OK, if you are wearing long underwear under a kilt, then why wear the kilt? Am I missing something?

Trail Yeti
02-07-2003, 16:59
Haiku, the only time I wore tights under my kilt while hiking was in the hoar frost/snow in the smokies. I didn't want to get "freezer burn" if I fell down. Tights stay close to your legs so they don't interfere w/the movement and the kilt wears exactly the same.
Rock, if you are wearing a kilt, you SAVE WEIGHT! heres' how- if you are a shorts hiker, you probably carry pants too. If you are a kilt hiker you can just put your long johns/tights on and keep on hiking. And if you do wear shorts and don't carry pants, you carry long johns and long johns w/shorts is just not comfortable to me.
And the most important thing is....wearing a kilt is JUST PLAIN COOL! Come on top, ditch the shorts, embrace the freedom of free swinging boys! You know you want to!! ha ha ha

SGT Rock
02-07-2003, 17:19
My long undies are made from powerstretch, makes great outerwear, probably why it don't matter to me. But even when I still used the old brown polypro I still wore them as outer clothing at times. If it looks stupid but works, it isn't stupid.

Haiku
02-07-2003, 17:46
Originally posted by SGT Rock
OK, if you are wearing long underwear under a kilt, then why wear the kilt? Am I missing something?

If you're wearing a kilt for the "freedom" but the price of that freedom is to freeze your 1) cojones, 2) legs, then yes you're correct. But if you're wearing pants and it's so cold that you want a pair of longjohns under them for extra warmth, that doesn't negate the pants that you're wearing. As well, if I'm going to wear a kilt, I don't want to carry extra pants for cold weather. The only option to retain that extra "freedom" would be to wear a floor (dirt) length dress to cover up your legs, and that would get in the way more than anything else.

A traditional kilt is actually quite warm in cold weather, but a traditional kilt offers you six to eight yards of wool wrapped around your upper legs, and tall wool socks to just below your knees. The kilt I ordered (a Sport Kilt, after reading this thread) is polyester, and my socks aren't that high, so I was curious what other people suggested. As much as possible, I'd wear the kilt with nothing on below.

Haiku.

Trail Yeti
02-07-2003, 20:58
Haiku, in that case, get some tall gaiters, not the goretex kind, because they are harder to push down. I only had to pull the gaiters up a couple of times, but they are more than adequate to keep you warm. Also, even in my mtn hardwear kilt the "boys" never got real cold, chilled perhaps, but not cold (except for that breeze in your knees, but its a good kind of breeze). like I said, I just wore the tights in the Smokies to lessen the chance of freezer burn, actually, I just didn't want to get a piece of hoarfrost/ice up my back door!!! YOUCH!

Trail Yeti
02-07-2003, 20:59
one more thing, give us a review on the sport kilt will ya? I am thinking of buying one as soon as I get some money!

Haiku
02-07-2003, 22:01
Sure thing. I plan on wearing it out pubcrawling on St. Patrick's Day, so that might very well answer my cold weather questions as well. =)

Haiku.