Wool & saltwater

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

So read in a post on boating about the dangers of going kilted in saltwater. What would happen? Is it the wool?

Also what other elements should I be wary of exposing my kilt to?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

"Exposed to sea water, or salt spay, a military weight kilt in wool will self combust, which is why they are not worn on ships of Her Majesty's Navy when at sea."

and,

"I would also avoid exposing your kilt to the contents of your stomach, especially if you are on the bus home after a night out with the lads."

and...

"One should also avoid sitting on the ground in pastures, whether used to keep sheep or cattle."

and...

"Recently painted park benches also come to mind, and although it is just good old fashioned common sense, it probably would not go amiss to remind those new to the kilt that entering a flaming building whilst kilted should also be avoided."

The above are taken from:

So You're Going to Take Care of Your Kilt by Charles T. Jaympson, The Naptha Press, 1979 (third edition, with illustrations by the author's friend)

[Colonel MacNeal]

I know that salt is frequently used in the wool dyeing process, so conceiveably it could have a negative effect on the colored dyes in the wool yarn in your kilt.

[Fit2BKilted]

I know that salt is frequently used in the wool dyeing process, so conceiveably it could have a negative effect on the colored dyes in the wool yarn in your kilt.

So, presupposing that such a catastrophic event has occurred and your tank has become saturated with seawater, how should one proceed to effect first-aid on your kilt? Would it be necessary to immediately immerse the garment in a cool freshwater bath to draw out the salt, or could such action wait until sometime later? Presumably, Woolite would be a reasonable investment?

Perhaps some of the textile experts might illuminate us with regard to this "Worst Case Scenario"?

[HeathBar]

"Exposed to sea water, or salt spay, a military weight kilt in wool will self combust, which is why they are not worn on ships of Her Majesty's Navy when at sea."

I guess we should all take care not to sweat in our wool kilts. We wouldn't want to fan the flames of the spontaneous combustion theory now would we....

[JolyStNicholas]

"One should also avoid sitting on the ground in pastures, whether used to keep sheep or cattle.":crap::crap::crap::crap:

Now that was funny!!

[george7]

Kilts aren't worn at sea because they weigh you down in the water, not because they'll self-combust.

[ccga3359]

I guess we should all take care not to sweat in our wool kilts. We wouldn't want to fan the flames of the spontaneous combustion theory now would we....

As a former volunteer firefighter I always carry an auxilliary fire hose. OK that's BS, just an excuse to drink more beer and dance around camp fires...

[Alan H]

See my rant in the general kilt talk forum. While it's certainly possible to wear a kilt on a sailboat on a very calm day, the idea of wearing a kilt when sailing in rough weather, or sailing competitively is just cuckoo.

[Pleater]

Wool plus salt will self combust?

Woow, I was living dangerously all those years when I wore wool jerseys and jackets when out sailing and generally beside the sea.

I usually wash all wool in just warm water and ordinary hair shampoo - plus conditioner from a separate bottle. I am not at all sure that Woolite is a good investment.

I have a couple of jerseys that are about 40 years old and still good, so the shampoo is at least doing no harm.

I thought that the salt added to the dye bath was to raise the temperature at which it boiled, but that it had no part in the chemistry of the process of dyeing. Once the dye is stuck to the fibres by the mordant it should be a fairly permanent bond. Even when bleached by the sun or a liquid bleach the substances are still on the fibres, just no longer in a coloured form.

The one thing in my life at present which I find awkward in a kilt is going up and down the ladder to the loft. As that is a fairly standard thing in ships and boats it would not be a good thing to have a crew in kilts.

Having swum in both skirts and trousers, trousers are much more impeding in the water, and a long skirt can be pulled up out of the way and the hem tucked into the waistband, so presumably the aprons of a kilt could be opened and the lower corners tucked into the belt.

I tend to float, so the weight of the wet material was not an issue, but now I think about it, I did used to do some silly things when I was younger.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: