Cold Weather Kilting

[Andrew Green]

W00tz! First real snow here in Federal Way this year. I am surprised that it actually stuck to the ground a bit, as it has been fairly wet the past few weeks. At any rate, I suppose I am glad that it accumulated, even if only a little bit (which is enough to make everyone think it is the next ice age or something around here).

I have taken this wonderful opportunity to test my SWK and my WPG kilts in the colder temperatures. Everything is just fine. I wore the SWK last night, and I was perfectly comfortable, the wind wasn't even all that bad.
But the WPG (Gordon Highlanders) really shines in this type of weather...Plenty warm, and the wind barely touches it. Combine those positive attributes, along with a pair of WPG all wool khaki hose, and I am a happy camper. Running around with that, and a standard pair of boxers (no thermals here!), a sweater (black beater) with a t-shirt under it to hide the fact that the sweater has holes. Sometimes I wished I had remembered to wear gloves, but whatever. The wind does bit at the hands a bit...but hey, this is praising the performance of my kilts, not railing my forgetfulness about gloves, right!?

I don't think any pair of pants can match the comfort of these things in all honesty. My jeans are a bit beat up, and wearing a little thin here and there, and my other pants are just slacks...which have NO wind reisistance what so ever.

Chalk another one up for the kilt!

edited for typos.

[cessna152towser]

Can't beat a wool kilt for freedom, warmth and comfort on a cold crisp wintry day.

[Canadian_Kilt]

This is something I worry about too .. given the cold we often get. Guess I'll find out soon enough .. .

Today it's -30C outside .. somehow I think a kilt just wouldn't cut it. But it rarely gets this cold - I think most winter days it would be just fine.

[Andrew Green]

-30C? Where in Canada are you? (I am guessing by your screen name).
I think 0C is something like 33F, so that's something in the low minuses in F...if I am thinking along the right track. When I lived in Wisconsin, we'd see negative temperatures F in city. Lowest I recall was -25F, but this was something around oh... 14 years ago.

[beloitpiper]

Andrew, what state are you in? I'm live in southern Wisconsin (Beloit), and it's already snowed a few times. It'll probably snow later this week too. Perfect weather for the 16oz.!

[MacConnachie]

-30C? Where in Canada are you? (I am guessing by your screen name).
I think 0C is something like 33F, so that's something in the low minuses in F...if I am thinking along the right track. When I lived in Wisconsin, we'd see negative temperatures F in city. Lowest I recall was -25F, but this was something around oh... 14 years ago.

Andrew, for future reference, minus 40 C is the same as minus 40 F. In fact, it's the only place on the whole scale where the two systems agree. Wish I could remember the formula for quick conversions from one to the other, but it involves using 5/9ths or 9/5ths of one number, and either adding or subtracting 40 (or is it 32?) I'm pretty crossed up, but know that minus 40 in each is the same, 0 C is 32 F, 40 C is a touch over(?) 100 F, and 100 C is 212 F.

Very cold in Montana right now, as well. My folks live in the northern part of the state, on the east slope of the Rockies. My father called last night about 8:30, and said it had gotten all the way up to minus 10 F there yesterday, and was already down to minus 15 F when he called. We're a couple hundred miles further south -- it reached minus 2 F (for a high temp) today.

And no, it's not fit weather for going about kilted, unless you're indoors most of the time. While the kilt and hose themselves are warm enough, the northerly breezes up the kilt are wicked, and one's unprotected knees rapidly feel the bite of this kind of cold. However, good on all of those of you able to wear your kilts today!

[Mr. Kilt]

This is something I worry about too .. given the cold we often get. Guess I'll find out soon enough .. .

Today it's -30C outside .. somehow I think a kilt just wouldn't cut it. But it rarely gets this cold - I think most winter days it would be just fine.

I was out and about most of Sunday in my heavy Irish National wool kilt. The temps on Sunday was in the -28C range, and I wasn't the slightest bit cold. Even shovelled the driveway off when I got back home.

If you get a good quality 8-yard wool kilt, cold temps won't be an issue. You'll be far warmer in your kilt than if you'd been wearing jeans.

[Canadian_Kilt]

I was out and about most of Sunday in my heavy Irish National wool kilt. The temps on Sunday was in the -28C range, and I wasn't the slightest bit cold. Even shovelled the driveway off when I got back home.

If you get a good quality 8-yard wool kilt, cold temps won't be an issue. You'll be far warmer in your kilt than if you'd been wearing jeans.

Hm well that's good to hear. Today I went to work in jeans w/ thermal undies & standard drawars, and a long sleeved t-shirt under a sweater .. and that was just for the walk .. I work inside .. ;)

For those who are wondering .. -30C is what we call RFC .. I'm sure you can flesh out the acronym. It's almost cold enough to get frostbite on your teeth. In total honesty, I think bare flesh freezes in about 2.5 minutes at that temp. There wasn't much wind today so it was fine but yesterday the windchill brought the temp to something like -45. Not pretty.

I'm in Calgary, which is in western Canada just on the east side of the rocky mountain range.

[turpin]

C x 9/5 + 32 = F

F -32 x 5/9 = C

F = -30 x 9/5 + 32 = -22F = COLD!!

[auld argonian]

Where's that whole little essay about what a Scot considers cold? You know, the one that ends with hell freezing over and Scotland winning the World Cup?

Best

AA