View Full Version : Hiking with kilts?
Personal experience, recomendations, specific brands.
Would anybody with experience recomend this? http://www.sportkilt.com/category/52/Hiking-Kilt.html
It looks good. 11.7 ounces, too.
Raul Perez
05-12-2011, 21:32
no experience with sportkilt (though I should have the hiking kilt next week shipping notice yesterday yay!!!)
But I found the MH Elkommando kilt really comfortable down to 35*F while hiking. I wanted something that looked more like a kilt so I went with sportkilt based on some recommendations.
Raul Perez
05-12-2011, 21:34
BTW... you will get "looks" from some on the trail. More confused looks than anything else.
I like the weight of the sportkilt, but I don't want to look like braveheart. Is there a kilt that weights as little and costs as little as the sportkilt, but looks more like kahki?
no experience with sportkilt (though I should have the hiking kilt next week shipping notice yesterday yay!!!)
But I found the MH Elkommando kilt really comfortable down to 35*F while hiking. I wanted something that looked more like a kilt so I went with sportkilt based on some recommendations.
What does the Elkommando weight? I like that the sportkilt weighs only 12oz, but I like the specs of the Elkommando kilt. If it weighs under 1.5lbs I'll be fine.
I have a Mountain Hardware kilt in size medium. It weighs more than a pair of pants, that's for sure.
Kilts are not good if there are mosquitoes. They are not good if there is a lot of poison oak or scratchy brush or if you are going to fall down often.
The Mountain Hardware kilt is sort of water resistant so you can walk through creeks and it won't get wet.
I saw a guy wearing a sport kilt recently and I was impressed. It looked really nice and seemed light, but I kind of wondered if the fabric gets a lot of static cling. I didn't ask him. I seem to attract static cling and it bothers me a lot.
I think guys look really good in kilts. Maybe the looks are admiration. I've heard it suggested a kilt looks bad without a sporran, so you might want to get one of those, too.
OutdoorsMan
05-12-2011, 23:52
I like the weight of the sportkilt, but I don't want to look like braveheart. Is there a kilt that weights as little and costs as little as the sportkilt, but looks more like kahki?
I didn't know that hikers cared how they looked! That's one aspect of hiking that appeals to me - everything I wear or carry is justified on function and not style/appearance, etc.
I don't understand the interest in men wearing kilts but sure do like women wearing them!
OutdoorsMan
05-12-2011, 23:53
I have a Mountain Hardware kilt in size medium. It weighs more than a pair of pants, that's for sure.
Kilts are not good if there are mosquitoes. They are not good if there is a lot of poison oak or scratchy brush or if you are going to fall down often.
The Mountain Hardware kilt is sort of water resistant so you can walk through creeks and it won't get wet.
I saw a guy wearing a sport kilt recently and I was impressed. It looked really nice and seemed light, but I kind of wondered if the fabric gets a lot of static cling. I didn't ask him. I seem to attract static cling and it bothers me a lot.
I think guys look really good in kilts. Maybe the looks are admiration. I've heard it suggested a kilt looks bad without a sporran, so you might want to get one of those, too.
What is a "sporran"?.....or maybe I don't want to know.
Whatever you get make sure you wear something under it!:eek:
LoneRidgeRunner
05-13-2011, 00:36
I don't have the legs for it...:D
k.reynolds70
05-13-2011, 09:21
What is a "sporran"?.....or maybe I don't want to know.
The Sporran (Scottish Gaelic for "purse") is a traditional part of male Scottish Highland dress. It is a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless Scottish kilt.
Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporran is determined by the formality of dress worn with it. The sporran is worn on a leather strap or chain, conventionally positioned in front of the groin of the wearer.
Since the traditional kilt does not have pockets, the sporran serves as a wallet and container for any other necessary personal items. It is essentially a survival of the common European medieval belt-pouch, superseded elsewhere as clothing came to have pockets, but continuing in the Scottish Highlands because of the lack of these accessories in traditional dress.
<Thanks, wikipedia!>
Fog Horn
05-13-2011, 09:25
Whatever you get make sure you wear something under it!:eek:
If you do that, its no longer a kilt, its just a skirt
Two Speed
05-13-2011, 09:29
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Buffalo Skipper
05-13-2011, 09:30
I have a MH Elkommando kilt. Very comfortable, but I have yet to wear it while hiking or backpacking. I want to try it while hiking but have not had the opportunity yet.
Here is another recent post from which you may get some more information. I reread it also for my benefit.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71770
Buffalo Skipper
05-13-2011, 09:47
I do like the look of the Elkommando. I think of that as "Boy Scout green." On the other hand, the idea of a tartan is very appealing (Sportkilt). I don't like the blue or the red, as I prefer more earth tones for hiking. The Stewart is better, but I would not be caught dead in a Stewart tartan! Being descended from the Douglas clan, this is more my style:
http://www.lindaclifford.com/Images/DouglasOC.jpg
Many of these kilts have a little snap to keep things together in a breeze so that you can maintain your modesty. The one on the Elkommando doesn't seem to work right for me, but I am a lady trying to wear a man's garment, so maybe it works better for men. It just doesn't provide me enough room for my legs when the snap is fastened, so I end up with the kilt all bunched up on me.
skinewmexico
05-13-2011, 10:47
I wore my MH mountain kilt a few weeks ago when the temp was 95, and it was wonderful.
Majortrauma
05-13-2011, 11:39
I hiked 54 miles two weeks ago from Trout Creek to VA 42 a bit South of Sarver Hollow.
Weather was in the 70's during the day and 50s in evening. That being said, I have no intention of ever hiking again in anything other than a kilt again; it was great!
I have a Kommandokilt, I did go commando ( I exericised appropriate kilt etiquette but that was far from a concern of mine) and I didn't chafe. This kilt could use a few more pockets but other than that I loved it.
Insects were not an issue on that hike so I can't offer any comment on that.
Not very many comments or strange looks from hikers or even the throngs of college students we saw trekking up to McAfee knob. (must be a huge party destination)
I hike in a kilt. Tried marathon running shorts briefly because I was worried about being able to hitch etc. on the CDT, quickly switched back to the kilt
I have two SportKilts but not the "hiking" kilt that they sell. Their "original" SportKilt is pretty light but I dont know actual weight. This kilt will "pill" after awhile from sitting on rocks/logs but its still nice to hike in. Dont both w/all the bells and whistle like belt loops and buckles, all you need is the sewn down pletes for hiking. The velcro does a great job keeping the kilt on. If you want a more custom fitting kilt for not much more $$ check out http://www.usakilts.com/store/cas_kiltpage.php These are made to your measurements and are a better poly material. Both are great for the trail and pub!
You dont need the sewn down pletes for hiking I meant to say that it looks much better with them sewn down.
handlebar
05-13-2011, 22:38
I've hiked in the Sportkilt Hiking Kilt as well as the original Mountain Hardware Hiking Kilt and Mountain Hardware Kommando kilt. I found the original MH hiking kilt to be too confining as it had no pleats. I switched to the Sportkilt in Pacific Blue for my Pct thru and for my CDT chunk. These are very comfy to hike in and have helt up well. I did find that the Velcro closure tends to latch onto my wool socks in the washing machine unless I safety pin it the closure together. Also, the sun bleached out the blue to a shade of purple approaching pink. The folks at Smartkilt were kind enough to replace it when I complained about the color change. As mentioned, the Sportkilt has no pockets, so used a small fanny pack worn in front as a sporran. In it I carried camera, GPS, compass, Iphone, hiker wallet, and a snack or two. This is a very convenient place for frequently used items. The MH Kommando kilt is a recent purchase and I really like it's two large pockets, though I'll keep my "sporran" as well. I'll be using this on the 2nd, hopefully final, chunk of the CDT this year and I tried it out on a short section of the AT.
I wear my kilt whenever the temperature Is above about 20 degrees, but I tend to generate a lot of heat as I hike. I find the swishing of the pleats creates a lot of ventilation where it is very much needed.
I've been using the MLD Rain Wrap in lieu of rain pants with the kilt. In three straight rainy days on a hike last fall, this kept the kilt dry yet avoided the hot house effect of rain pants.
Mr. Clean
05-14-2011, 05:09
I've used a Sportkilt for years on day hikes and overnights, and wouldn't hike any other way. You'll need some sort of mini fanny pack to wear on the front, like a sporran, since you don't have pockets. Good for camera, snacks, etc. Never been bothered much by bugs there, and is cool and warm at the same time. Avoid bending over at the waist if commando; from the back, you may give a show.
TIDE-HSV
05-14-2011, 10:22
I do like the look of the Elkommando. I think of that as "Boy Scout green." On the other hand, the idea of a tartan is very appealing (Sportkilt). I don't like the blue or the red, as I prefer more earth tones for hiking. The Stewart is better, but I would not be caught dead in a Stewart tartan! Being descended from the Douglas clan, this is more my style:
http://www.lindaclifford.com/Images/DouglasOC.jpg
You wouldn't like my family (Boyd) tartan, although I think it's beautiful. The Boyds were associated with the Stewarts, so they resemble, with a red background...
http://edge.shop.com/ccimg.shop.com/230000/231000/231017/products/38870161__248x248__.jpg
MH kilt is my new favorite gear, along with eVent mittens............unless it is freezing cold kilt hiking is my new mode of travel, no chafing #1, going commando is cooler (literally), easier to wash up, overall a nice plus from convertible pants/shorts.
I would not be comfortable, especially in the south in a tartan kilt, got some funny looks in Pearisburg in March, and I am pretty big.
High Life
05-14-2011, 19:49
i personally thru'd in the original MH kilt in 2007 ( it just got a redesign )
i loved it , ill be wearing again this year ...
MH kilt is my new favorite gear, along with eVent mittens............unless it is freezing cold kilt hiking is my new mode of travel, no chafing #1, going commando is cooler (literally), easier to wash up, overall a nice plus from convertible pants/shorts.
I would not be comfortable, especially in the south in a tartan kilt, got some funny looks in Pearisburg in March, and I am pretty big.
I'm not wearing tartan. The Elkommando kilt is really thick, I think I might be linen, although that's rediculous.
A 2nd vote for USA Kilts. Good weight and dries fairly quickly, but no pockets. I've hiked a good bit of the trail in NC with it. It is also revived very well, so don't worry about that. Some of the most sincere compliments I have gotten have been from men who would proudly call themselves rednecks. The fairer sex seems to like it too ;)