SWK Nightstalker Kilt - Opinions of warmth?

[TheKiltedCoder]

Good Morning, All,

I'm considering grabbing an SWK Standard Nightstalker, and I'm looking for a bit of information from someone who has worn one. I haven't seen a bad word against SWK anywhere on the board and am willing to trust the quality. My concern is for the comfort (particularly the warmth, or lack thereof).

I like the looks of the Nightstalker as a walkabout kilt, but we'll be going to some very warm areas (the Oregon/California border, along I-5) here in a couple of months, and am hoping that the fabric is light enough to let me stay cool.

Any thoughts from anyone out there?

Thanks!

[McNulty]

I've got several SWK Standards and was wearing one this mweekend hiking around my home. The temps were in the upper 80's BUT low humidity, less than 20 percent. I was cool and comfortable in my Black Stewart but did notice the really damp waistband at the end of the hike. I was out for better than 2 hours and do not wear any cotton when hiking. When I took the kilt off, I had to lay it out to air dry before hanging it up. Other than that the kilt was great, airy, and very cool.
Nulty

[Roan Carter]

I'm wearing mine at this moment and find it to be of a very suitable weight for anything in the warm half of the year.

Only in the most extreme circumstances will this kilt be too heavy.

[Panache]

I just spent the weekend in Big Basin State Park and brought two kilts with me, a Stillwater Standard and a cotton "X Kilt". Saturday the temperatures reached 98 degrees and it was too warm to wear the Stillwater for vigourous activity. I absolutely love my Stillwater Kilts but because there aren't cutouts in the pleats you can get a bit hot/sweaty around the waist.

I think that a USA Kilt or a Sport Kilt would be better if you are worried about heat.

Cheers

Jamie

[RadioKen]

I think that a USA Kilt or a Sport Kilt would be better if you are worried about heat.

I've been trying to decide between a USA Kilt and a Stillwater for my first kilt, and heat and humidity will definitely be an issue this summer. Are you recommending the casual USA Kilt over the standard Stillwater because it's made with less material, or is there another reason?

~Ken

[Yaish]

That's usually the kilt I wear in competition, and even with 80+ temps (or 90 or 100 in some cases) and doing the athletics I feel fine.

Now, when it's 100 degrees anything feels hot, so it really comes down to what you want to put up with. Even the warmest kilt is still better than a pair of shorts.

[The Wizard of BC]

OK, you say you have never heard a bad word about Stillwater. Here are some.

Jerry is too nice.
Jerry's service is too fast.
Jerry's product is too good for the price.

For these reasons I will only order from Stillwater Kilts 10 or 12 times this year.

[Avonlea22]

I absolutely love my Stillwater Kilts but because there aren't cutouts in the pleats you can get a bit hot/sweaty around the waist.

What do you mean when you say cutouts? What is that?

[Big Homestead]

I've worn it in minus temps and in hot ones. It's super. Nightstalker tartan rocks.

[The Wizard of BC]

Avonlea,

I'll answer this question of cutouts for Jamie because he has super secret Mod Squad stuff he must attend to.

In a Traditional Kilt the area of the Fell (The area in the back of the kilt between the waistband and the hip) is tapered and the pleats are sewn down. When you taper the pleats the overlapping fabric can get quite thick. We in the Kilt world call this "The dreaded pillow butt". So the kiltmaker cuts away the excess material on the inside of the kilt to make it thinner. They then put in a canvas interfacing or reinforcing to take the strain of strapping the kilt on and the wearer moving.
When all this is done a light cotton liner is sewn on to cover the cut-away area and hide the interfacing.

On some kilts this Fell area does not have the excess fabric cut-away and this can sometimes cause the wearer to sweat in the small of the back.