X marks a better back

[estimaa]

Hello from France/Baltic.

I had some interesting experiences of kilt wearing over the last 9 months.
It was a conscious decision to wear it every day, all weathers, all over Europe and even in Russia.

Last autumn I also decided to swim in the sea, all year round, and get seriously used to the cold.
This was following more and more serious back pain becoming chronic at times, and then winter comes with its own aches and pains doesn't it?
Well,NO, "it ain't neccesarily so".

The strategy paid off handsomely.
From Swimming in the Serpentine in November, to the channel, to various lakes and seas in northern Europe, following the temperatures down from 12C..down and down until January at -1.

Each time my kilt was waiting for me, as soon as I came out of the water, like some warm friend, then trudging through deep snow at -25C in January was no worry at all.

I could write more, but the 8yd cured my back problems, for good.
Sounds too good to be true? Y /N

[ASinclair]

Hello!

and

[Tarheel]

Well met my new Baltic friend. I will say that heavy wool blankets have been used by rescue crews to combat hypothermia for centuries. Getting used to the cold everyday is also better than inside then outside quickly. If you have found a way to fight back pain, the better for you.

I vote possible. If you believe it is so, then great.

[estimaa]

A subtle upside to this "strategy" is to bring you a whole lot closer to nature.
There is an enigma here.

On one hand, the internet enables you to check weather, wind, wave height, rain probability, water temperatures in real time to fractions of a degree, but on the other hand, you are leaving the "smart phone" and "social networks" brigade far behind, just like, THEY are hyped out, stressed out stone age freaks.

There's the incredible feeling walking over a field of thick frosted grass, early morning barefoot, dressed in nothing but a kilt, seeing the conjuction of Mercury and Venus as dawn breaks.



The local beach in Autumn:-


You hear warmly wrapped fishermen out in their little boat call out to you in russian "(&@^@@%! ***!) aren't you cold"?

You see sights which others are too blind or busy to see, and makes you realise how "upside down" society's priorities have become.

This is DIEPPE in November.
I was the only person swimming in a fantastic warm sea.
It was gorgeous

The only person wearing a kilt, with an air temperature of 22C, so just walk down to the water, take off the kilt and go for a swim!

Come back out wrap kilt back around, (removing wet underwear, and walk back up the beach without a shirt*).


I learnt even the French now think a topless person is a "danger to society", and it's become taboo. You can be fined for it.
"France - Chest and private parts must be covered except near bathing zones"

*At the Serpentine one of the morning swimmers remarked "that is so amazingly practical, how come nobody thought of it before".
I must try that!

[Father Bill]

Welcome to the "Great Rabble"!

[estimaa]

I made a new year resolution before this swim to start to learn the pipes, ...

This is an instrument without a volume control, and I have been warned of the dire consequences of doing it wrong.

I already play a difficult instrument, so know more or less what I am taking on, (as that's also about as Scottish as you can get.)

I haven't yet had a chance to get a practice chanter.
Anyone who may have one kicking around let me know. pls.

Do the pipes make bad & drunken neighbours flee? Y/N

We have a real bad case of them, blood on the floor, ambulance, cops, we had it all.

I keep asking is the kilt a subversive?

I found the easiest way to wash the thing is to wear it.
Baste it like a turkey with soap after pouring 10L of fresh cold water over all over, then just walk across a stream or river, preferably, then walk until it dries out.
Have you heard of this method?

[Macman]

A warm welcome to XMTS!

[Kiltedjohn]

Welcome from the midlands of England. Glad to hear of the therapeutic qualities of kilt-wearing.

[JohntheBiker]

Welcome from Toronto, Canada.

[kiltedcontractor]

Learn to pipe? To quote some on this forum "its only 9 notes how hard can it be?"