Kilt, Shorts, or zip-off pants

[handlebar]

I'm planning a CDT thruhike in 2010 and I'm in a quandary about whether I need something on my lower legs. I found my Sportkilt hiking kilt very comfortable for the entire PCT including the section I started April 5 southbound from Walker Pass. I also have worn the Sportkilt on winter hikes and snowshoe trips (with high gaiters) in temps into the teens and have been comfortable while hiking. When I get to camp, if it's truly frigid I can put on my Smartwool lightweight longjohns if I'm up and about, or jump in the bag if I'm chilled. The only possible negative about the kilt is it might have a negative effect on getting a hitch.

I did learn the hard way NOT to glissade on my butt in the kilt and had some serious road rash to contend with after an unscheduled glissade down a snow chute off of Mt. Baden-Powell in mid-April.

I carried the zip-legs to my shorts when I started the AT in mid-March, then sent them home at the first opportunity. Since I never wore the pants bottoms, even in the snow, they were just dead weight. Got the kilt near Partnership and wore it the rest of the way.

I'll also be wearing Dirty Girl gaiters during the hike except when I'm in snow in CO or MT when I'll have ID eVent low gaiters.

Do I really need long pants and/or high gaiters with shorts or a kilt? Your thoughts anyone?

[Connie]

Not a lot of people like hikers.

My heritage is Scotland. I wouldn't wear a kilt.

I dress so it is not clear I am a female. I don't want problems from idiots.

I won't use zip-off pants, because once the zipper has broken it is pretty useless.

I wear "long pants" because I want my legs protected:

1. I don't want to get all scratched up or, worse, get any puncture wounds if I have to "bushwack" because the trail is not cleared. Even so, I would rather go around than over and thru brush and deadfall and tear up my hiking pants.

2. I don't want a tick to get on me. I also do not knock against branches, for the same reason. e.g. Ticks not only may have Lyme's Disease, but may have deadly Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the ticks of the Bitterroot Mountains especially so.

3. Bare skin "Exposure" makes for more loss of moisture. I need all the moisture I can get for hiking, at high altitude, to avoid dehydration.

I most often wear long nylon "tights" pants with snug elastic at the ankles, adding short nylon elastic gaiters for ticks or other biting insects from getting thru my socks.

The vicious bugs will bite thru poly, but not bite thru nylon.

Consider a head net, like the Mountain Laurel Designs Head Net or the Bug-Me-Not Head Net or their "baseball-type" Bug Hat.

Consider nylon cloth gloves to keep bugs from biting.

I think the biting flys on Marias Pass would love to bite your legs, if you have a kilt.

The horse flys and mosquito swarms of The Bob Marshall Wilderness will love to bite you.

The ticks will love to bite you.

You might like nylon or nylon supplex "wind pants" with snug-fit ankles, adding short gaiters for ticks or long gaiters for wet brush overgrowth.

For wet brush, I like loose-fitting nylon rain "chaps" that will pull on over boots.

I also like ponchos that make up into a shelter. I use the rain "chaps" for wind-driven rain.

Wind is a big factor in big mountains.

I wouldn't use a shelter, if it did not have a catenary-cut and a taut pitch.

[beas]

I LOVE MY KILTS . Wore mine on my latest section hike. It really makes great conversation. I understand about hitching a ride a thing.
I wore mine today to a Civil War reenactment and got lots of positive comments not to mention just down right comfortable

[Wheeler]

You said you sent the pant legs home. That was possible because you had the option with those that you don't with the other two. There's your answer.

[Connie]

I have to go all the way back to the ancient colors to reach my family: we're Old Caledonian.

This thread is the CDT. My answer stands.

[qdbrown]

Not a lot of people like hikers.

My heritage is Scotland. I wouldn't wear a kilt.

I dress so it is not clear I am a female. I don't want problems from idiots.

I totally disagree about your statement about wearing Kilts for hiking. They are perhaps one of the best ways to hike non-scrub areas known for thick brush, nettles and thorns. I have tried all different ways, and Kilts are easier on the legs, less resistance and far more comfortable (depending on how free you go).

Also in America this whole idea that you have to be Scottish to be kilted is hogwash. For the most part most Americans are at best two to five generations away from the old countries of their ancestors. Kilts as a male-skirt were not developed in Scotland. Merely perfected and then tartan added. This makes them distinctly Scottish, and their national dress, but other celtic tribes wore their versions, with their own names less known, if even ever spoken. I will say Kilt is the best word, and best known. People would look at you funny if you called your skirt a Lein-croich or even Shendyt or even as a Fustanella.

Most of the great things in America early on were imported with all the great people who settled here, so why make such a big deal about the kilt? We are Americans can wear them for heritage sake, but we can also just for preference, even for people from ancestry of non-celtic.

Of course I am not saying we should disrespect or mock the Scots or their national dress, but if we want to wear our kilts for whatever reason, to lounge around home in a causal kilt, hike or hunt in variants to the traditional heavy-weight woolen kilt, we as Americans have that right.

And to conclude my novella of a post, I find that most, even the idiots admire the kilt. Many will go off on ancestry because they just do not understand much more because they never had to. If you engage them, tell them what you like about it, even if non-celtic, most will respect it. Some might laugh if they find it amusing, or if you take too many liberties, but the only time I ran into trouble with my kilts is at the bars with the very few homophobes who wanted to impress their girlfriends thinking they could show how tough they are, so they could brag they took on Braveheart. Everywhere else, even in the rural areas most loved the kilt, and were very interested in them.

It must be a little to it, REI is beginning to sell some alternative kilts like UtilityKilt (which drives traditionalist crazy).

Now go find your Kilt, and hit the trails.


Qdbrown
Dallas Texas
Non-Scot GHB Piper

[Wheeler]

Did they make fun of your pants/shorts? oh.

[Mags]

I am of southern Italian ancestry.

Not sure what it has to do with shorts/kilt/pants on the CDT however.

On the CDT, FWIW, I wore shorts and shorts/long undwear combo when it was cold out.

If I wore a kilt, however, I'd carry a claymore. Why? Because that would totally rock.

[handlebar]

I am of southern Italian ancestry.

Not sure what it has to do with shorts/kilt/pants on the CDT however.

On the CDT, FWIW, I wore shorts and shorts/long underwear combo when it was cold out.

If I wore a kilt, however, I'd carry a claymore. Why? Because that would totally rock.

Thanks, Mags. That's what I was looking for. Even though my Scotch blood is less than, oh, 1/32nd, I like the hiking kilt because I sweat a lot when I hike and I find it comfortable. If you got away with shorts and long underwear, then I figure I'll be OK with the kilt and long underwear for the CDT.

I'll pass on the claymore (two-handed Scottish broadsword), even though it would indeed rock and probably could be used for self-arrest in lieu of an ice ax. I'll settle for a lightweight Swiss Army Knife instead.

BTW, someone recently gave me the perfect answer to the "What do you wear under it?" question: "My bad a$$!"

[Spirit Walker]

On the AT and PCT I wore shorts, except when it was cold. On the CDT I wore long pants - both times. Why? 1) blowdowns and brush - every time I wore shorts, I'd hit a section with bad blowdowns and got scratched up; 2) the CDT was a cooler trail than the other two, most of the time; 3) biting flies and mosquitoes - those nasty flies go for the back of the knees and aren't deterred by Deet. They don't bite through supplex. Those were only a problem for about a month, but I was glad I was protected.

[oso loco]

If you got away with shorts and long underwear, then I figure I'll be OK with the kilt and long underwear for the CDT.

BTW, someone recently gave me the perfect answer to the "What do you wear under it?" question: "My bad a$$!"

Depends on what you mean by "OK".

For one thing, I'd suggest that you stay out of some of the bars. Some of the locals may not take kindly to a kilt. A few hikers have spent hospital time for "playing" in the wrong bars out there - and they weren't kilted.

And if I were you, I wouldn't go into Dubois, WY at all. I don't think the cops there would let you get away without hassling you. Go to Jackson Hole instead. It's a lot safer.

Also keep in mind that kilted hikers have been arrested for showing their "bad a$$!" inappropriately.

Not sayin' "don't do it", just sayin' that if you're not careful, there are consequences you might not like.

[Connie]

Spirit Walker,

Thank you. Some people in this thread just don't want to hear what I have to say.

The CDT is not the AT or the PCT. The CDT doesn't even exist in many places.

I have read some journals. The CDT was not hiked. For example: a "side-trip to The Grand Tetons is not the CDT.

I have struggled to get trails cleared for hikers. No one wants to.

One young man, trained and skilled, offered to clear avalanche slopes. No one cared.

Who wants the idiots from the East Coast or the West Coast or from other geographical areas of the world coming onto the mountains here and begging to be rescued? or dead.

I hear it all the time.

I put my website up because of the idiots walking naked in the mountains, eating Moose Goo. I put my website up because I could read the next stupid thing people would do, in a national backpacking magazine, and need to be rescued.

I put my website up to empower people to have a safe and enjoyable outdoors experience.

It has been getting so bad, I don't want to risk my life to rescue the idiots.

I am even thinking, why do I bother.

[Mags]

The CDT doesn't even exist in many places.

You don't say?




A claymore, with out without a kilt, may have come in handy that day....No word if there was Moose Goo to be found.

[mudhead]

http://www.ultralightbackpacker.com/moosegoo.html

Bullwinkle Bars are really quite tasty. I don't think I would want to live on them.

The first bite is odd, but the stuff melts in your mouth, and will crank your motor.

[SunnyWalker]

Go over to Scotland and see just how many people (men) are wearing a kilt all the time. I think you've watched Braveheart too much. If you want to wear a kilt, fine. If you are so secure about it, why are you pushing it off on others? Just go hike.

[SunnyWalker]

BTW, I use pants and carry a pair of lightweight gym type shorts when I hike. Gaiters? Now I can't make up my mind. I have not used them yet.

[cavscout]

Go over to Scotland and see just how many people (men) are wearing a kilt all the time. I think you've watched Braveheart too much. If you want to wear a kilt, fine. If you are so secure about it, why are you pushing it off on others? Just go hike.

There's some sound logic. [IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/stevef/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpg[/IMG] I guess you are a baseball player since you wear a baseball hat? Yankees? Phillies? Did they OK your wardrobe choice?

[SunnyWalker]

Naw, I don't need or ask for others approval.

[Chance09]

how does a simple question about what kind of clothing is better turn into a pissing match over whether or not one should wear a kilt on principle?

[SunnyWalker]

OK. I stand corrected.