View Full Version : Hiking in a skirt/kilt?
After reading various trail journals (and an article in Blue Ridge Outdoors last spring) I've noticed what seems to be a rising trend of women, and some men, hiking in skirts or kilts.
This sounds intriguing to say the least, and even practical. This may be opening a can of worms to ask this, but I'm curious to learn WB members' thoughts on the matter, in terms of practicality and other issues, like being more open to harrassment?
I can't speak for anyone else, but I hiked last year in a skirt and really liked it--it was much more convenient for quick bathroom breaks, and quite comfortable. The only time i felt slightly uncomfortable was at camp, at night--sitting in a skirt on a log is not as easy as it is in shorts. But I adapted.
TrailDawg
01-09-2005, 10:53
I walked in a Kilt and really loved it. I began hiking in MH shorts but soon changed to MH kilt due to chaffing. The kilt helped ventilate the area and reduce the moisture quickly.
www.traildawg.com (http://www.traildawg.com)
I wore a kilt for most of the hike. I really liked it. A few of the women around me wore skirts (www.trailjournals.com/photos/1476/tj1476_042804_163842.jpg) or MH kilts. I don't think they received any "harrassment" for their choice of clothing. I think I probably got more harrassment than any women would get for wearing a 'skirt' (well, maybe it was because I was hiking with Hippie Long Stockings ;) )
Hi, I'm new at posting here but have been reading for last two years before our section hikes.
I hiked in my REI skirt for last year's section and loved it too. Was super comfy, maybe a WEE bit chilly first thing in am, but overall I was more than happy with it. My only complaint was the fabric was such that is stayed so darn CLEAN! I even rolled around in the dirt and stepped on it before bed when I had changed to try to wear it in and it stayed so pristine lol!
I suppose when we finally get ther chance to do our thru-hike after a few years, hair growth might be more of an asthetic issue (ppl seem more willing to accept smelly and greasy than exhibited hairy legs in girls hehe!) but I'll figger that out when the time comes!
I haven't come across any guys hiking in the kilts or skirts yet, but have seen lotsa pics and I have to say that they seem like the free-spirited kinda guys that are fin to be around! :)
~ Toejam
Oops meant to include a linky - http://trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=42916
~ Toejam
flyfisher
01-09-2005, 14:18
It works just fine. I have less problem with chafing when using a kilt or skirt. I may try a breechclout that can double as a kilt this year.
Here are three home-made kilts and hiking skirts I have made. Between the three of them I have hiked about 300 miles in one or the other.
http://www.imrisk.com/atjune04/atjune3.jpg
http://www.imrisk.com/atdamascus/jonesfalls_web.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/7yzjs
Bathroom breaks are easier, they stay cleaner, dry faster, and they are comfortable to sleep in.
grrickar
01-09-2005, 15:07
Flyfisher, where did you fin the tartan material in that last pic? That looks really nice. I got chaffed really bad last time out and thought about making a kilt. Do you suggest any particular fabric(s)? I saw some tartan print but it felt kinda itchy at a department store's fabric department.
I suppose when we finally get ther chance to do our thru-hike after a few years, hair growth might be more of an asthetic issue (ppl seem more willing to accept smelly and greasy than exhibited hairy legs in girls hehe!) but I'll figger that out when the time comes!
~ ToejamOf course, any pair of shorts would exhibit hairy legs! But the issue of shaving legs is a whole other thread entirely!
I beginning to think that I shall have to go out and find myself a hiking skirt! With gaitors and I'll look like a school girl.....sort of. :)
flyfisher
01-09-2005, 17:52
Flyfisher, where did you fin the tartan material in that last pic? That looks really nice. I got chaffed really bad last time out and thought about making a kilt. Do you suggest any particular fabric(s)? I saw some tartan print but it felt kinda itchy at a department store's fabric department.
It is something I happened upon in Jo-Ann's Fabrics (Dayton OH) in the "Suitings" section in October. I've not seen anything like it since. Cost was about $7 a yard. It is 60 percent polyester 40 percent vicose (dacron) and it feels fine against the skin - much like the twill that kacki pants are made from.
That design uses 2 yards of fabric cut down the long length in the middle so that the resulting material is 2 x 12 feet before sewing the pleats. It also has two large pockets designed just like men's pants pockets, but about 1/4 larger that are hidden in the bottom of two front pleats. I have not seen commercial kilts with good hiking pockets, though the Macabi skirt has them.
It is a lot easier to sew the kilt from plaid... all those plaid markings show me just where to fold/pleat/sew.
Most of the internet sources of tartan fabric are very expensive - especially the 100 percent wools.
soccrosse
01-09-2005, 18:04
On my section hike last year between Fontana Dam and Erwin I hiked in a sport kilt. I had a mixed bag weather including rain, snow, and temps in the low eighties. The kilt kept me warm as temps dropped and kept me drier than others wearing shorts during day long rains. While going across Clingmans Dome we got 2" of snow and I felt very comfortable. All in all I was very pleased and will be hiking the AT in a kilt from now on.
I havn't hiked in a kilt yet, have decided to do so from now on as I find wearing a kilt very comfortable. I have made 3 kilts: #1 is wool, is made from a blanket I got at Big lots, #2 is cotton from Hancock fabrics (since given to my youngest son) #3 was made from a wool blanket given me by a friend, it is my favorite so far. #4 (to be made when I get the mood) is also a blanket given me by another friend.
I have worn them in all temps, but not rain yet. I stay comfy in 92o down to 30o so feel that I should be fine on the AT.
In 2004 I probably wore a kilt 40 days, mostly on weekends.
One thing to keep in mind about wearing a kilt is to have a sense of humor, I found you will get from mostly men: "look at the man wearing a (dress/skirt) ha ha ha" or similar to that, at least 4 times a day. Get used to it, put on a smile & adopt your best fake Scot accent & say "it's not a skirt, it's a KILT" I usually end with something like: Only REAL men wear kilts, hmmm , , , I see YOU don't have one.
Doctari.
steve hiker
01-09-2005, 20:20
Oops meant to include a linky - http://trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=42916
~ Toejam
Toejam looks real cute but I'd be real wary of any guy wearing a skirt. I hear some male hiker wearing a dress nearly got killed in a town in Virginia.
Footslogger
01-09-2005, 20:56
I was more or less forced into a Kilt. I got to Newfound Gap in the Smokies and had a case of raging chafe. Had decided to just hang out in Gatlinburg until things "cooled off" a bit. But, I stopped into the outfitter and explained my plight. He suggested that I try a Kilt. Slipped into the Mountain Hardware Kilt and couldn't believe the relief !! Course ...I'm not sure the locals in Gatlinburg were ready to see an old dude with a huge beard walking down Main Street in a skirt. Drew a lot of stares but hey ...it was workin for me. Hiked in the Kilt for a couple months and once the weather started to cool off I went back to shorts.
'Slogger
AT 2003
Mountain Dew
01-10-2005, 02:19
A what ? A Kilt ? HHmmm...o.k. I really don't care what a hiker wears, but I will never get used to seeing a guy in a skirt. Suddenly the thought of trying to get a hitch with another guy who is wearing a SKIRT popped into my head. I wonder if the guys that wear skirts noticed having trouble getting hitches. Why wouldn't a guy try to ease the pain of CHAFE with super glide or spandex first ? oh well..... To each their own I suppose. Just don't kid yourselves....those are skirts not kilts. ;)
minnesotasmith
01-10-2005, 05:00
And he's not wearing plaid nor carrying a bagpipe, I'll bet he either gets called "ma'am" a lot, or identified by San Franciscans or Bourbon Streeters as from the same place...;)
steve hiker
01-10-2005, 05:37
That's a dainty little skirt you have on thar, boy.
(lifting up skirt)...... bend over that log thar, and let's hear you squeeel like a little girl.
eeeeeeeee
eeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!! :banana :banana :banana
willyhort0w2
01-10-2005, 06:27
Here is a few pics of me in august on the Old loggers path in PA this past August. I swear by my kilt and will never hike in anything else during the summer ever again.
willyhort0w2
01-10-2005, 06:32
i don't know what happened! when I fugure out what happened i post again!
titanium_hiker
01-10-2005, 07:28
my Dad (who's a native born scot) saw that picture of flyfisher...
"That's not a kilt, it looks like a skirt to me"
I guess it needs to be tartan to count as a kilt. and it needs to be more pleated.
Otherwise, you are a cross dresser, no matter what you say. Stick to the tartan. ;)
titanium_hiker
(of course I can wear any fabric I choose as a skirt, and no one can accuse me of being a cross dresser..)
minnesotasmith
01-10-2005, 07:57
A man wearing a skirt is a transvestite. Of course, technically, so is a woman wearing pants. Some of you may not care for that sort, while others may not mind...:confused: :-?
Old joke: bisexuals have twice the odds of getting lucky when they go out on the town, not having to worry what kind of bar they've wandered into, or what's really under that skirt (or pants)...:o
We've all watched the movie "The Crying Game", right?
Ulp...
flyfisher
01-10-2005, 21:04
my Dad (who's a native born scot) saw that picture of flyfisher...
"That's not a kilt, it looks like a skirt to me"
I guess it needs to be tartan to count as a kilt. and it needs to be more pleated.
Otherwise, you are a cross dresser, no matter what you say. Stick to the tartan. ;)
titanium_hiker
(of course I can wear any fabric I choose as a skirt, and no one can accuse me of being a cross dresser..)
A kilt is certainly a skirt. ;) A common definition is:
"A knee-length skirt with deep pleats, usually of a tartan wool, worn as part of the dress for men in the Scottish Highlands."
I don't get upset about it.
As your dad knows, a kilt's pleats are almost all in the back. That is true of the tartan kilt in one of the photos. The desert camoflage is also kilt folded. the long hiking skirt is not.
I most definately am not a cross dresser, any more than a woman who puts on a pair of pink jeans is... My hiking skirts and kilts were built for me, to fit a man, and have the pockets and etc that a man needs in a garmet. If someone puts on a skirt, high heels, and wears makeup they are a cross dresser. My ancestors knew this, and I do too.
This method of dressing is not appropriate for all places - no more than spandex bike pants are. They are sport specific. I wear a kilt for the same reason I wear bike shorts for a 100-mile bike ride in the Texas heat. It is not to be cute, but because it works better than almost every other garmet for me.
BTW, I take as much offense at some of the posts in this thread as a woman would take if it were suggested she be pinned against a wall and raped. Think before writing guys... 'Nuff said.
Kilt, skirt, dress, call it what ever you like, I call them comfortable. I work for a company that makes non-traditional kilts, no tartans, narrower aprons, big pockets, then come in a polyester blend, cotton, and even leather, but no wool. I don't just wear my kilts on the trail when I am hiking, I wear them when ever the weather is warm enough.
I live just outside of Nashville but I have worn my kilts in cities ranging in size from Chicago to Shadey Valley, TN (it's just a bit South of Damascus and makes Hot Springs look like a huge metropolis). Sure, I get funny looks, sometimes I hear a bit of laughter, and once I got a negative comment from a guy, but most people really don't seem to notice at all, they are too busy being concerned with what they are doing to worry about what I am wearing.
I work part time for a small pet shop in the town where I live and I wear my kilts to work there, people don't seem to mind buying dog food and fish from a guy in a kilt one bit. They can see I'm not a cross dresser cause cross dresses are typically much better dressers than I am. It is also pretty obvious that what I am wearing is a piece of men's clothing, heck I have seen women try these on and it becomes extremely obvious that these kilts are cut for men when a woman puts one on.
One thing I have learned from hiking is that my comfort trumps what other people think of my clothes, I am willing to make some allowences, I don't go to the grocery store naked on hot Summer days, but if I am covered up well enough to not be arrested I feel I am covered up well enough no matter what I am wearing.
A lot of guys wouldn't wear a kilt as normal, everyday, clothing (although this is changing fast) but that is mainly because they haven't tried it and are worried about what other people would think of them. I say go for it, we don't get do overs in life and when it comes right down to it everything is a once in a lifetime chance, so wear what you are comfortable with, if people laugh, hey, you are making yourself comfortable and bringing a bit of happiness to those around you at the same time, seems like a win/win situation to me :)
my Dad (who's a native born scot) saw that picture of flyfisher...
"That's not a kilt, it looks like a skirt to me"
I guess it needs to be tartan to count as a kilt. and it needs to be more pleated.
Otherwise, you are a cross dresser, no matter what you say. Stick to the tartan. ;)
titanium_hiker
(of course I can wear any fabric I choose as a skirt, and no one can accuse me of being a cross dresser..)
With all respect to dear old dad:
WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! And might I add: WRONG!!!!!!
This is the short version of my reply, I'm leaving for work in a few.
Doctari.
The Old Fhart
01-11-2005, 07:06
Minnesota Smith- "A man wearing a skirt is a transvestite. Of course, technically, so is a woman wearing pants." A transsexual, transvestite, or cross dresser, all psychologically identifies with the opposite sex. A male hiker wearing a kilt (or a skirt) to air out his nether regions could simply be pragmatic.
Footslogger
01-11-2005, 10:22
Kilt, skirt, dress, call it what ever you like, I call them comfortable. =============================================
Well ...prior to wearing one during my thru-hike in 2003 I never gave it much thought. But, once I tried one on, my personal phobias about men in skirts went by the wayside. Weather's a tad cold out here in Wyoming at the moment but I wouldn't hesitate to climb into one again on the AT.
'Slogger
AT 2003
steve hiker
01-11-2005, 12:32
This reminds me of a news story I saw about men in San Francisco carrying purses.
minnesotasmith
01-11-2005, 12:58
is:
www.onelook.com (http://www.onelook.com) uses this definition:
"someone who adopts the dress or manner or sexual role of the opposite sex ".
Any one of those conditions will suffice (not all are required), so under that definition, both a man wearing a skirt and a woman wearing pants are transvestites.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=84540&dict=CALD
The Cambridge dictionary online says:
"a person, especially a man, who wears the clothes of the opposite sex..."
Same conclusion as the first one, I'd say.
From www.dictionary.com (http://www.dictionary.com):
<DL><DD>"A person who dresses and acts in a style or manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex."</DD></DL> A woman who both not only wears pants, but goes through much of life living it as a man might (promiscuous sex life, readily being brusquely assertive in public, placing high priority on a career, not spending time during the day with children, publicly drinking and smoking, going everywhere and doing everything a man might, wanting every prerogative a man traditionally has had in exchange for carrying certain responsibilities [without taking on the latter duties], etc., as the "Sex in the City" feminist types do might be said to "act in a style associated with the opposite sex". Too, any particularly wimpy male (metrosexuals, homosexuals, etc.) would seem in turn to qualify behaviorally as resembling how women traditionally act and (partially) dress; the metros are known now to often carry purses, for crying out loud ("men's" purses, as if there could be such a thing). :rolleyes:
I guess that a man wearing a skirt is definitely technically a transvestite by definition, as is a woman wearing pants, no matter how non-PC it would be to publicly acknowledge it.
Footslogger
01-11-2005, 13:00
Me thinks that this is another thread headed down the tubes ...
'Slogger
AT 2003
minnesotasmith
01-11-2005, 13:13
"Me thinks that this is another thread headed down the tubes ..."
Still, surely it is legitimate to discuss on a thread about hikers wearing kilts how those wearing them might be expected to be perceived by other people. Whether you're talking about other hikers, drivers you might wheedle a hitch from, day hikers/campers you might yogi chow from, Trail angels, townspeople operating grocery stores/restaurants/hostels/motels/outfitters/general stores you'd possibly do business with, etc., interactions with other people during a hike are a concern for all hikers.
I would certainly NOT advise male hikers with high-pitched voices, thin wrists, delicate gaits, or the like to wear kilts if they worry much about how they are perceived... ;)
Lone Wolf
01-11-2005, 13:19
How about a skirt wearin hiker that has dreads too! What an ugly sight. What's up with dreads anyway. White boys tryin to look like Rastas. Rastas do not like white folks.
Footslogger
01-11-2005, 13:21
I would certainly NOT advise male hikers with high-pitched voices, thin wrists, delicate gaits, or the like to wear kilts if they worry much about how they are perceived... ;)=================================
The operating words above being ..."if they worry much about how they are perceived", which I did not. I actually found it a bit amusing. After all, people's reactions are about THEM ...not about YOU.
'Slogger
AT 2003
The Old Fhart
01-11-2005, 13:27
MinnesotaSmith, I'd slap you on the head with my man-purse if I thought it would knock any sense into you but I agree with Footslogger. :) Also your own reference:
From www.dictionary.com:"A person who dresses and acts in a style or manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex."refutes your arguement and contradicts your "or" reference.
Drop this silliness and let's discuss hair length instead. :)
minnesotasmith
01-11-2005, 13:30
Two obvious hippies are trying to hitch a ride on the side of the road. Both have extremely long and unkempt hair and beards, clothing with peace symbols, a guitar case, and the odd fly hanging around (indicating their personal hygiene may not be the best). One says to the other:
"I've been thinking... Only a nut would stop and pick us up, and who wants to ride with a nut?".
The Old Fhart
01-11-2005, 13:35
ROFLMAO- I was only joking about turning this into a discussion about hair length, you didn't have to do it!
Footslogger
01-11-2005, 13:36
I know the poster ...
Well ...this could go on and on infinitum. There's no right or wrong to debate here, just difference of opinion and perspective.
I've said my peace and I'm moving on.
Enjoy the thread.
'Slogger
AT 2003
minnesotasmith
01-11-2005, 13:39
I was in the middle of typing up that recollection of that old poster when you posted your line about discussing hair length. I had not yet read the latter when I hit the "Submit reply" button, FWIW.
The Old Fhart
01-11-2005, 15:16
MinnesotaSmith-"Old Fhart, you and I cross-posted..."I realized what had happened, it was just funny. However, back on subject, click here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5980/sort/1/cat/500/page/1) to see a 2001 thru-hiker in a government issued kilt. I recall his name as "PimpDaddy" and he was an information officer in Her Majesty's Army and was hiking and filming the trail whilst on duty. Note that this regulation kilt has no pleats. I thought he had a man-purse or sporran, but checking more closely, I was wrong. :)
Percival
01-11-2005, 15:33
MinnesotaSmith, I'd slap you on the head with my man-purse if I thought it would knock any sense into you
I remember hearing something about those metrosexuals in San Francisco carrying purses. Man Bags, I think they were called ... masculine, leathery type purses that Clint Eastwood would be proud to sling over his shoulder. :D
grrickar
01-11-2005, 18:37
Old joke: bisexuals have twice the odds of getting lucky when they go out on the town, not having to worry what kind of bar they've wandered into, or what's really under that skirt (or pants)...:o
Ulp...
So what is a metrosexual? Someone who likes to have sex on the Metro? ;)
I guess it depends on who is wearing the skirt/kilt/whatever as to how people will view them. I worked with a German guy who wore suspenders and leiderhosen (sp?) to work. People thought it was odd, but he was a big guy with an uncertain temperament, so people never asked why.
If I were to run into a 260lb linebacker-type in a skirt, I'd be the last one to laugh at him, unless it was a floral print :D
After all, people's reactions are about THEM ...not about YOU.Took the words right out of my mouth, 'Slogger.
I never had a problem with hitching with my kilt AND long hair. Most people didn't notice. I got more 'looks' in New Hampshire towns than I did south of the Mason-Dixon.
Mountain Dew
01-12-2005, 03:08
Most people don't notice it when a guy wears a skirt ? Yeah uh huh...
minnesotasmith
01-12-2005, 03:36
Yep, yep! :clap
http://www.angryharry.com/images/news15.jpg
Most people don't notice it when a guy wears a skirt ? Yeah uh huh...
As a guy who wears a kilt quite often I can promise you that most people don't actually notice it. I thought they would when I got my first kilt but was really surprised when I looked around and noticed that most people weren't staring or pointing or laughing, sure a few do, but I could care less, and the one guy who tried to start something, well he was just a narrow minded moron with a Napoleon complex and was quickly shut up by the woman standing next to him.
Of course if you don't believe me it is up to you to test it out and see how many people notice, so I would strongly suggest that you get a kilt and start wearing it around, that is if you are man enough ;)
steve hiker
01-12-2005, 06:59
Keep pushing your luck, buddy. There's always one bullet in the chamber and eventually the house wins. One of these days you're going to run across someone who just can't understand why that man is wearing a skirt. Someone like this
http://www.destgulch.com/images/deliv05.jpg (http://www.destgulch.com/images/deliv05.jpg)
That's right, go trapaising around the mountains in a skirt and wearing lipstick, boy. You'll get what's coming.
Blue Jay
01-12-2005, 08:39
was really surprised when I looked around and noticed that most people weren't staring or pointing or laughing, sure a few do, but I could care less, and the one guy who tried to start something, well he was just a narrow minded moron with a Napoleon complex
Yes, that accurately describes Minisota, Dew and UGH. You have decent people who could care less what you wear and then you have the weirdos who think it is their business. It takes guts to appear even slightly different, something they are terrifies them.
Ten years from now, I bet ppl will even wonder what the fuss was about. (well not ALL ppl but MOST) Like it really has ANYthing to do with sexuality at all?
The trail has always been a whole different world anyway, right? I agree with poster who said I suspend caring what I look like (well, for most part, I am having a hard time thinking about having a "purple/eggplant" backpack even though that's the one I really want feature-wise lol!) while on the trail. It's all about comfort and luckily none of the privy's have mirrors lol! (that I have seen!)
Footslogger
01-12-2005, 10:01
Keep pushing your luck, buddy. There's always one bullet in the chamber and eventually the house wins. One of these days you're going to run across someone who just can't understand why that man is wearing a skirt. Someone like this
That's right, go trapaising around the mountains in a skirt and wearing lipstick, boy. You'll get what's coming.========================================
OK ....now this is a bit extreme. Not sure what you mean by ..."You'll get what's coming" and where did the "wearing lipstick" come from ??
Yet another thread down the tubes. No regrets for wearing and talking about kilts but I'm wishing that I hadn't participated in this thread. Some pretty narrow minded thinking being displayed here.
That's all for me ...
'Slogger
AT 2003
minnesotasmith
01-12-2005, 10:03
"You have decent people who could care less what you wear and then you have the weirdos who think it is their business."
You forgot to mention the decent people who are alert enough to the world around them to pick up clues that certain people are *****ed up enough that it would be unwise to offer them rides, hike with them, share gear with them, lend them money, share motel rooms with them, etc. People whose ability to be rightly suspicious of the loonies in the world are less likely to end up in a Jeffrey Dahmer's cookpot and the like. The people who (wrongly as anything can be) think that "everyone's equal", "all ways of being are just as moral", etc., etc., will make nothing but inept decisions with often serious consequences as they go through life. People will likely fail at life if they follow your ideas on how to assess other people and their attributes, and unfortunately you will never bear any of the consequences for your lousy advice.
It kind of reminds me of radical lesbian feminists telling millions of young women that dull meaningless jobs were preferable to obtaining (while they were young enough that it was still an option) what most women have always found most meaningful in life, a family. The fems sell their books and get paid for their speeches, but the young women only mostly wake up around 40 when it's too late for them to live their lives in a way that has any meaning for them in the long run. Good going, Blue Jay.
Lone Wolf
01-12-2005, 10:20
MS wears foil hats and sees black helicopters. Have you seen Jeff Dahmer's movie?
Three Men and Some Gravy.
minnesotasmith
01-12-2005, 10:26
"MS wears foil hats and sees black helicopters."
I have always laughed at both ideas. Now, the idea (that I hold) that our government is operated both dishonorably, and for the benefit of those in it, rather than the citizenry? That position only takes knowledge of history to reach, and requires ignorance of it to avoid.
You forgot to mention the decent people who are alert enough to the world around them to pick up clues that certain people are *****ed up enough that it would be unwise to offer them rides, hike with them, share gear with them, lend them money, share motel rooms with them, etc.
What's the frequency Kenneth?
Youngblood
01-12-2005, 10:47
I didn't get upset when I read through this thread... of course I make good use of the ignore feature and a good many of the threads just say "This user is on your Ignore List." Try it, you might like it... it sure takes some of the stress/aggrevation out of reading these forums.
Youngblood
The Old Fhart
01-12-2005, 10:53
MinnesotaSmith- "You forgot to mention the decent people who are alert enough to the world around them to pick up clues that certain people are *****ed up enough that it would be unwise to offer them rides, hike with them, share gear with them, lend them money, share motel rooms with them, etc."Gee, I met one of the above posters in 2004 and we tented in the same area and it never bothered me that he might hike in a kilt and have long hair. You forgot to mention the homophobic bigoted people who are so paranoid of the world around them that they invent boogey men. It must be tough to live in a constant state of fear.
Oh, in 2000, I also tented in the same area with Lone Wolf right before Moreland Gap and I had no fear of his hair length or possible arsenal.
And Mowgli16, I'd Rather not comment on your obscure reference. :)
And Mowgli16, I'd Rather not comment on your obscure reference. :)
Etymology of "Whats the Frequency Kenneth."
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20010619.html
art to linda
01-12-2005, 11:02
wearing a skirt/kilt doesn't make a man female any more then wearing pants makes me male.... clothing is ment to be suited to what you are doing at the time. Comfort, safety and style are user choices. I can just see myself in a dress & heels picking up the chain saw and going out to cut wood LOL.
Minnesota Smith
as to this little tidbit: ".....young women only mostly wake up around 40 when it's too late for them to live their lives in a way that has any meaning for them in the long run."
Between 40 & 50 I had my last child, was diagnosed & beat a major medical problem, started a new Business, built a two story addition addition on my house (myself, not hired out help) and expanded my learning into a new field that interested me (just to name a few things). I'm still growing, learning and having a blast with life. In the "long run" my life may have more meaning for me then yours does for you.
;)
The Old Fhart
01-12-2005, 11:20
Art to Linda- "In the "long run" my life may have more meaning for me then yours does for you."I always admire people who seek their potential. It is just a good thing you didn't have someone, like MS, giving you negative advice. Way to go!
Somehow I had a feeling when I opened the question, that the thread would go this way.....I've been reading WB long enough to know!
I wonder if those of you who have a problem with men in kilts would just as likely expect me, a woman, to be wearing a skirt, instead of hiking shorts while out on the trail!
I do appreciate the comments related related to the practicalities of hiking in a skirt/kilt and the personal experiences of those whose posted. I"m certainly considering looking for a hiking skirt for part of the trail.
As for the rest of this discussion....carry on.
Skirty, a 2000 thru-hiker who wore a sarong got hassled pretty badly in Waynesboro. I don't recall all the details. Another hiker was hit in the chest by a tossed (full) plastic soda bottle (from a moving vehicle!) in Waynesboro. It knocked the breath out of him He was not wearing a "skirt".
That's not to say Waynesboro is an unfriendly town. It was a great place to visit for me. There's bad apples in every bushel however.
The Old Fhart
01-12-2005, 12:19
Hoppy-"...would just as likely expect me, a woman, to be wearing a skirt, instead of hiking shorts while out on the trail!" What's this? You're not staying at home cooking! What's this world coming to. :D
What's this? You're not staying at home cooking! What's this world coming to. :D
My wife and I recently purchased a new stove. We were in the store looking at a particular unit. She seemed to like this one stove, and wanted to know what I thought. She was wearing sandals, so I asked her (while she was standing in front of the stove) , "could you take off you shoes for a moment?" She took them off without thinking about my request, and when I started to laugh, she nearly cleaned my clock.
Thankfully, I lived to tell the tale. :D
Dances with Mice
01-12-2005, 12:46
I was once victim of Hiking Rash from Hell. I found another solution that works for me but understand completely why someone else would use a kilt.
And I've met and hiked with kilt-wearers before.
My only comment about kilts is that men don't know how to sit around campfires while wearing one. Even experienced kilt-wearers slip from time to time. http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/14606176
My only comment about kilts is that men don't know how to sit around campfires while wearing one. Even experienced kilt-wearers slip from time to time. http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/14606176
But if you notice in the photo on the page you linked to you still can't see anything even mildly offensive, heck, a pair of Speedos would show more than the guy in that photo was showing and would probably be a heck of a lot less comfortable to hike in as well ;)
Kilts are comfortable, but when it comes right down to it they are boring, I have been wearing them for years and have never unintentionally flashed someone, you take 4 to 9 yards of fabric, put some really deep pleats in it, and then try to show off your goods, it takes some effort for any of us who aren't making tons of money in the "adult film industry"!
I sit in my kilts like I sit in my pants, and no one in my family nor any of my friends would hesitate one bit to let me and the rest of the world know if anything was showing that shouldn't be. Accidental exposure in a kilt is pretty much a non-issue. And I apologize to anyone who finds kilts any less interesting now because of my stating this fact, but it is simply the truth.
Keep pushing your luck, buddy. There's always one bullet in the chamber and eventually the house wins. One of these days you're going to run across someone who just can't understand why that man is wearing a skirt. Someone like this
http://www.destgulch.com/images/deliv05.jpg (http://www.destgulch.com/images/deliv05.jpg)
That's right, go trapaising around the mountains in a skirt and wearing lipstick, boy. You'll get what's coming.
First off I don't wear lipstick, I don't have long hair, and I have worn my kilts in some pretty darn rural area without any problems. Even in places as obviously backwards as South Dakota.
Now the South Dakota remark was meant to be offensive to anyone in South Dakota, but only to prove a point, cause in your post you didn't really say anything against me, but you insulted the fine, generous, caring, accepting, and tolerant people who live along the AT. The people along the AT are amazing, they are often willing to go out of their way to help out us hikers, they put up with us when we are acting like royal jerks, and if they then came to this web site they would see people accusing them of being intolerant, toothless, extras from Deliverance. So while you are dead wrong about kilts the thing that really upsets me is how amazingly ignorant you are of the people along the trail and probably people in general. I think you owe a lot of people an apology and I'm not counting myself as one of them.
PS. The only time I ever had any problems with anyone in South Dakota was when a guy in a gas station just outside of Sioux Falls decided he didn't like the fact that I was wearing an earring. So it sounds like a very small minority of you guys up in SD have some catching up to do with the people of the Southern Appalachians.
steve hiker
01-12-2005, 16:07
It only takes one, buddy. If you caught some flak for wearing an earring, just imagine what will happen when Bubba down there sees you prancing around in a frilly dress.
Tha Wookie
01-12-2005, 16:12
Island Mama wears skirts on our hikes. She looked around to find one suitable for the trail, but they were all too heavy, shaped funny, had too many pockets, and so on.
So she used some ultra-light/dry quick fabric and started making her own -very simple black pocketless skirts. She far prefers skirts over shorts for hiking. She probably could make custom skirts if anyone wanted to buy one from her.
As for myself, I've tried a sarong but didn't really like it much -it was too much material. Also I don't like having to watch out for flashing folks. I wear some real baggy thin nylon shorts that get plenty of air flow -that seems to be the key.
As for other hikers, I don't care what other people wear. Some guys commenting in this thread need to check their homophobia. Even if the guy was gay or a crossdresser or whatever -SO WHAT? Can't you live your own life without judging everyone that looks a little different from the image that you are taught is acceptable? I know it takes some extra cognitive effort to assess people on an individual basis, but I KNOW you guys are capable of it. The dress codes of the cities do not apply on the trail. Especially on Hike Naked Day!
Mountain Dew
01-13-2005, 02:31
Needles... You may think that people don't notice you wearing a skirt just because you don't catch many staring, but that doesn't mean 99% of the people didn't notice. I prefer to think that most people either don't care what you wear as long as it is decent or that they don't want to get caught staring. Either way I don't care what you wear. Something tells me that a few people on here look for the attention of wearing a skirt to an extent. oh well...
Blue Wacko...It must be true.... Negative attention is better than no attention. A grown child you are blue wacko. I'm flattered that you felt the need to use your first grade reading comprehension skills on my posts. I'm the "decent people" that couldn't care less what somebody wears....GET IT STRAIGHT. You ,however; are still Blue Wacko and the ass end of peoples jokes.
If you caught some flak for wearing an earring, just imagine what will happen when Bubba down there sees you prancing around in a frilly dress.
especially if he wears an earring AND a skirt. :rolleyes:
Mountain Dew
01-13-2005, 02:44
Out of curiosity....which is older..the skirt or the kilt ? :-? I'm guessing the kilt.
Needles... You may think that people don't notice you wearing a skirt just because you don't catch many staring, but that doesn't mean 99% of the people didn't notice. I prefer to think that most people either don't care what you wear as long as it is decent or that they don't want to get caught staring. Either way I don't care what you wear. Something tells me that a few people on here look for the attention of wearing a skirt to an extent. oh well...
Fair enough, but all I can suggest is to try wearing one for a while and see what you think then, it is the only way you can know for sure. Since I wear a kilt quite often, I do know for sure.
I do agree that some, if not many, of the guys who wear kilts or any other form of skirt start off wearing them to get attention. I feel this way because I have sold hundreds of them and you can get a pretty good idea of why someone is buying the kilt while fitting them. But I also know that the vast majority of guys who start off wearing them for attention wind up wearing them just because they are comfortable or they simply stop wearing them at all because they never get the attention they are hoping for. Many of the guys who buy them from the company I work for have heard that women like men in kilts and so they figure the kilt will help them get a date. Sorry guys, if you can't get a date in pants you probably won't be able to get one in a kilt either. I think a lot of women like a guy who has a lot of self confidence and some would argue that wearing a kilt shows that you are a very confident individual, but let me tell you, a guy who is self conscious looks 200 times more self conscious in a kilt than he does in pants, so if you don't have the cajones don't put on the kilt.
This is also where people not noticing the kilts comes into play. A kilt is an normal piece of clothing for me, it isn't anything special, so when I go out in public in a kilt I don't pay any attention to it. If I don't pay any attention to it then I'm not doing anything to draw any attention to it and that's why it doesn't get noticed. If you were to go out wearing a kilt and thinkign about nothing else the entire time but "wow, I'm wearing a kilt" then yes, a lot of people would probably notice because you would make them notice even if you didn't want or mean to, but heck, I'm so used to them that I don't even notice when other guys are wearing them. I was actually walking down Michigan Ave. in Chicago with my mother a few months ago, we were looking at the building, checking out the over priced merchandise in the windows and suddenly my mother said to me "what in the world is that guy waving his arms around for?" We stopped and he ran up to us and said "This is so cool! Another guy in a kilt! I need to get someone to take our picture!" It was only then that I noticed he was also wearing a kilt.
minnesotasmith
01-13-2005, 03:44
Unless a man is either or both of in Scotland or a Scottish citizen, it's not a kilt, it's a skirt.
That's how you'll be perceived if you wear one in the U.S., and that's what I think it says about your thinking deep down. Now, if a guy hiking the AT had terminal groin chafing no ointment would cure, and had time issues where he couldn't just hole up off the Trail for a while, I could sort of understand the level of desperation that could make a normally rational guy go for wearing a skirt. He just shouldn't pussyfoot around what he's doing. (It'd be the logical equivalent of Scott Peterson wanting to have the charges dropped because all he did was practice an alternate form of suttee, the Asian Indian custom.)
Unless a man is either or both of in Scotland or a Scottish citizen, it's not a kilt, it's a skirt.
Kilts have been worn by the Scots, the Irish, recent eveidence shows they were worn by Celts in Austria, they were worn by the Vikings, kilts were also worn by the anciant Egyptians. Other un-bifurcated (ie. not split in two) garments are worn all over the South Pacific by men, are worn all over the Middle East, and in India as well. In North America breech cloths weren't the only thing worn by Native American men, kits were also worn in many areas. Throughout human history unbifurcated garments for men have been vastly more common than pants or shorts, in fact you can normally find out when pants started being worn in any area by looking to see when the people in that area started owning and riding horses on a regular basis. Pants work much better for horse back riding, or for bicycles and motorcycles, but since most guys these days don't ride horses, bicycles, or motorcycles (I said MOST before anyone jumps in to tell me that they do) on a daily basis it makes no sense that we are still cramming our legs and other dangly bits into pants. Let the women wear pants as their anatomies are a much better fit for pants. So you don't have to be Scottish or be in Scotland to wear a kilt, period, end of discussion.
It is true that in the US we most commonly associate kilts with Scotland and for anyone planning on hiking the AT in a kilt this is a good thing. Every Spring and Summer there are Scottish festivals and highland games all over the Appalachians which of course makes sense because so many of the European settlers in the Appalachians were Scots Irish, because of this many of the people in the small towns along the trail are already accustomed to seeing guys in kilts, it just isn't a big deal for them. Heck, the Scottish Tartans Museum is in Franklin, NC how much more accepting of kilts could a place be?
So along the AT, no worries at all no matter what any of these people who have obviously never worn a kilt, never experienced any reactions, or lack there of, to wearing a kilt, and have no clue what they are talking about on this issue say.
That's how you'll be perceived if you wear one in the U.S., and that's what I think it says about your thinking deep down. Now, if a guy hiking the AT had terminal groin chafing no ointment would cure, and had time issues where he couldn't just hole up off the Trail for a while, I could sort of understand the level of desperation that could make a normally rational guy go for wearing a skirt. He just shouldn't pussyfoot around what he's doing. (It'd be the logical equivalent of Scott Peterson wanting to have the charges dropped because all he did was practice an alternate form of suttee, the Asian Indian custom.)
I suppose it is just human nature but it seems almost everyone thinks that the rest of the world thinks exactly like they do, well minnesotasmith I hate to break it to you but that's how you would perceive someone who wears a kilt, and just because you perceive someone in a kilt that way doesn't mean everyone else will. And since I have to deal with people's perception of me in a kilt all the time I can tell you that in the US most people don't perceive someone in a kilt the same way you do, Sure a few do but you guys are in a very small minority, maybe you should try to get set up in an affirmitive action program somewhere. And since you have such a miniscule amount of knowledge about this subject I am pretty darn sure that you have no idea what so ever what I am thinking deep down.
Further more I am a normal rational guy who did not put on a kilt because I was chafing like mad at the time. I got my first kilt cause it looked comfortable and after I wore it and found that it was exceptionally comfortable I continued wearing it. Someone however who is abnormal and irrational would look at a kilt and refuse to put it on, even knowing how much more comfortable it would be than his shorts, only because he was so concerned about what the rest of the world would think. Especially while hiking the trail when the number of people will be so small. That is deffinately not rational.
I also don't appreciate being compared to a murderer, I have not resorted to name calling against you, I have tried to be polite about this subject and possibly give you a little bit of first hand information that you didn't have. What I get in response to my informed opinions is someone calling me irrational and comparing me to a convicted killer. Explain to me what it is that you fear so much about a guy in a kilt? Are you feeling some sort of guilt because you want to wear a skirt yourself but think it is wrong? Were you beat up by a guy in a skirt at some point in your life? Were you beat up by a girl in a skirt at some point in your life? Do you just not have the self confidence to do anything that you think someone, somewhere, might not agree with? You can get help with these issues you know, so please do yourself a favor, do all of us a favor, seek help. :D
minnesotasmith
01-13-2005, 06:41
by resorting to psychobabble and ad hom insults, it indicates that they believe their position to be weak.
My point stands: if a man wears a dress in America, he is a man wearing a dress in America, and will be perceived as such, except by others inclined to engage in similiarly atypical nonconformist acts. That is regardless of how that act is viewed in some faraway land 98% of Americans will never visit, most will never read about (and generally would forget what they read), and scores of millions of Americans have never even heard of, let alone obtain enough of an understanding that they will say to themselves on seeing a kilter, "Oh, he's not a XXXX and screwed up, he's just wearing a kilt! That makes it all better; he can screw my sister and live at my place."
Yeah, right.:-?
Is "Tootsie" one of your fav films to sip Chardonnay by, out of curiousity?
Out of curiosity....which is older..the skirt or the kilt ? :-? I'm guessing the kilt.
Actually the Scottish kilt is a (relativly) modern invention. Example: Braveheart, while a good movie, has some (surprise surprise) inaccuracies, Mel should have had on a "safron shirt" that is a yellow shirt that went to his knees with a belt at the waist, & perhaps a plaid sash, but NOT a kilt. The great kilt was, brace yourself, invented by an Englishman, for his Scottish servants.
I think, not sure: The irish wore a kilt for some time before then, and quite a few roman conquests adopted a thing that to my eyes looks like a cross bet. a modern kilt & the roman skirt. NO ONE gave a Roman soldier grief for wearing a "dress" well, not twice, because like a kilt, this was a item of clothing made for a man (well that & the Romans were the badest a**** on the planet).
Doctari.
Tha Wookie
01-13-2005, 13:23
Out of curiosity....which is older..the skirt or the kilt ? :-? I'm guessing the kilt.
the wrap-around, or skirt, or kilt, or whatever, was WAY before pants or shorts. Have you ever tried sewing either? Crotch covers are far more complex. I can only think that the more simple designs originated first, like the skirt, for both males and females. Adam probably wore a "skirt".
Like the guy who couldn't grow a beard, crotch-covering pants were probably pushed into social acceptance by men who felt inadequate and therefore needed to exert control over others who would threaten the perception of the stature of their manhood. Or who knows, it could have been population control.
Is it sure seems to make some people uneasy to see or think about a man in a skirt or kilt. But that's their problem to deal with.
On the trail, you should feel able to wear whatever you want.
Oops meant to include a linky - http://trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=42916
~ ToejamToejam,
I was interested to see that your skirt here is slimmer fitting than a pleated kilt. Did you feel that it limited your movement? I would think that it would be difficult to navigate rougher sections of the trail that may require you to climb over things or make high steps up when wearing this so I'm curious as to your experience.
I'm interested in this whole skirt idea since I often times find that long skirts are more comfortable than pants. Has anyone tried a longer (below the knee) type of skirt as a way to avoid the "flashing" issue? Did you find that it was getting caught on things as you hiked?
SeaJay
Mountain Dew
01-14-2005, 00:54
A skirt is a skirt is a skirt... I've never seen a hiker wear a kilt. Wait...a guy that played the pipes at Fubar/Tripp's wedding during Trail Days 2003 had one on. Company's use the name kilt to ease guy's minds on the issue in order to increase sales. Just remember....kilts are worn without underwear, are much heavier than these hiker skirts, have a "family pattern" to them, don't have pockets and have pleats.
The Old Fhart
01-14-2005, 01:40
Mountain Dew-"A skirt is a skirt is a skirt... I've never seen a hiker wear a kilt. Wait...a guy that played the pipes at Fubar/Tripp's wedding during Trail Days 2003 had one on. Company's use the name kilt to ease guy's minds on the issue in order to increase sales. Just remember....kilts are worn without underwear, are much heavier than these hiker skirts, have a "family pattern" to them, don't have pockets and have pleats.."I respectfully have to disagree. Click here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5980/size/big/sort/1/cat/500) to see a 2001 thru-hiker in a U.K. government issued kilt that I referenced before. The person in the photo is in uniform and was filming the A.T. as part of his job as an information officer. You can see Her Majesty's army-issue kilts do not have pleats or patterns although, granted, most kilts, especially dress (as in dress-up) kilts do. I also hiked with a guy in 1998 who wore a kilt and I believe his was pleated and had a tartan pattern. In 2004 I had met Darma on the trail and he wore a kilt. I haven't seen anyone hiking with a sporran, however.
Although kilts are not that common on the A.T. there isn't anything sinister about the male hikers I've met that wear one as some others have implied. They also have an annual Highland Games in NH so maybe I could ask some of the participants why they wear "skirts" in between caber tosses. :)
Tha Wookie
01-14-2005, 10:55
I respectfully have to disagree. Click here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5980/size/big/sort/1/cat/500) to see a 2001 thru-hiker in a U.K. government issued kilt that I referenced before. The person in the photo is in uniform and was filming the A.T. as part of his job as an information officer. You can see Her Majesty's army-issue kilts do not have pleats or patterns although, granted, most kilts, especially dress (as in dress-up) kilts do. I also hiked with a guy in 1998 who wore a kilt and I believe his was pleated and had a tartan pattern. In 2004 I had met Darma on the trail and he wore a kilt. I haven't seen anyone hiking with a sporran, however.
Although kilts are not that common on the A.T. there isn't anything sinister about the male hikers I've met that wear one as some others have implied. They also have an annual Highland Games in NH so maybe I could ask some of the participants why they wear "skirts" in between caber tosses. :)
Yeah, Mountain D, why don't you go ask some caber tossers in person, or for that matter some male hikers face-to-face, instead of just trying to sideways insult them on the internet. My guess is that guys who wear kilts or skirts or whatever you want to call them have a much more confidence in their sexuality than people who try to belittle them for personal reasons on the internet.
Don't you agree?
by resorting to psychobabble and ad hom insults, it indicates that they believe their position to be weak.
You might be right on this, but you didn't mention the fact that I also "resorted" to using historical evidence and personal experience, something you have none of on this subject. So since I have hiked in a kilt, and worn a kilt many other places, have had a chance to see how people react and found that my experiences, and the experiences of many other men bare no resemblance to what you are saying why is it that anyone should pay any attention to what you are saying? My argument is based on real world experience, you argument is based on personal biases, an overactive imagination, and such a lack of faith in your fellow man that you think everyone is as biased and closed minded as you on this topic. That ain't psychobable or ad hom insults that's just the facts.
My point stands: if a man wears a dress in America, he is a man wearing a dress in America, and will be perceived as such, except by others inclined to engage in similiarly atypical nonconformist acts. That is regardless of how that act is viewed in some faraway land 98% of Americans will never visit, most will never read about (and generally would forget what they read), and scores of millions of Americans have never even heard of, let alone obtain enough of an understanding that they will say to themselves on seeing a kilter, "Oh, he's not a XXXX and screwed up, he's just wearing a kilt! That makes it all better; he can screw my sister and live at my place."
Yeah, right.:-?
Amazing that you think the average American is so stupid that he or she has never heard of and knows nothing about such little known places as Scotland, Ireland, India, Egypt, and North America. These are of course the very places I mentioned in my last post and so all I can say is that if the individuals you associate with have never heard of these places then maybe you need to find a new set of friends. Also it seems that you are a bit too concerned with the sexual orientation of those around you, personally I could care less about someone else's sexuality unless I am interested in sleeping with them. If I were to simply assume that the rest of the world thinks exactly like I do with no difference of opinion on anything coming from anyone but freaks and wierdos then I would have to go on the record at this point and say "sorry minnesotasmith, you aren't my type".
Is "Tootsie" one of your fav films to sip Chardonnay by, out of curiousity?
No, never really cared for that particular movie and I don't drink.
I will say that I agree with you on one thing, it isn't something that you said but a quote you include in your sig file by Albert Einstein, "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds." I have to say that you are proof positive that this statement is completely true.
Toejam,
I was interested to see that your skirt here is slimmer fitting than a pleated kilt. Did you feel that it limited your movement? I would think that it would be difficult to navigate rougher sections of the trail that may require you to climb over things or make high steps up when wearing this so I'm curious as to your experience....
SeaJay
Hi SeaJay, Nope I never had any problems with limited movement but admittedly I haven't had any real tough rock scrambles yet in my section or here locally. It doesn't have pleats but it's not too very slim fitted actually. Alot of room to maneuver. And as to climbnig over things or high steps... since mine IS a "skirt" and not a "kilt", I *do* wear undergarments, so I didn't worry about it too much! :o :D