Weather for kilts???

[Matthew Siegmann]

I'm sure most of you in the United States have heard about our lovely ice storm here in the midwest, I'm not sure what those of you living around the world have heard. Well, it started out with rain this morning and quickly turned to sleat (sleet?... however you spell it) and it was supposed to turn to snow later this after noon but it's still sleeting...

Since I don't actually own a practical kilt (ie. a non belted plaid) yet, I was debating how well I'd get along wearing my belted plaid... but even bundled up in my jeans and nice heavy over coat and such the beating of the sleet was not fun... Just wondering what it's like wearing a kilt in this sort of weather... or do some of you choose ano alternative? (btw, would it be alright to wear a trench coat if you're wearing a kilt?)

[Jimmy the Celt]

I have a friend in Springfield, but this is my first kilted Fall and Winter and I'm in southern California. It's been getting pretty cold for this area, but nothing like the weather in Springfield.

I would think that wool, depending on how much [if any] oil is left in it, would fair very well in wet weather. As for kilt hose and foot wear, that could get tricky. I'm still a n00b, having only been kilted since July . . . but I would think a trench coat would be perfectly fine if the weather required it. I'm sure our kilted elders can answer you better than I.

~James

[Mr. Kilt]

I've been out in my 9-yard wool kilt in -30C (-22F) temps with no problems. No sleet, but I have been out in blowing snow in it as well. Good wool kilt hose helps. I usually wear a heavy sweater over a t-shirt, with a leather bomber jacket over top.

[Kilted_John]

Here in the Seattle area, I wore my traditionals for three out of the four days this week. Wore the Armstrong tartan twice, and the MacKenzie once. Tuesday, I didn't kilt, since I was busy working on deicing the driveway and also cleaning off cars. Decided it'd be easier just to wear jeans. The sun helped keep me warm. If it had been cloudy the whole day, I probably would've thrown on one of the trads. Anyway, an 8-10 yard traditional in 16 or 18 oz. wool is good enough. You'll want a pair of kilt hose and probably a pair of soccer sox over'em. The soccer sox can stay rolled down. Hiking boots, sweatshirt, and a parka round out the ensemble.

-J

[GMan]

When I awoke this morning the temperature was at 0 degrees. I donned my Maple Leaf (PV) T-shirt with a cableknit sweater and was plenty warm. Just had on thicker socks is all.

[Caradoc]

Since I don't actually own a practical kilt (ie. a non belted plaid) yet, I was debating how well I'd get along wearing my belted plaid... but even bundled up in my jeans and nice heavy over coat and such the beating of the sleet was not fun... Just wondering what it's like wearing a kilt in this sort of weather... or do some of you choose ano alternative? (btw, would it be alright to wear a trench coat if you're wearing a kilt?)

The Inverness Cape is the kilting equivalent of the trench coat.

I've slept in the snow in a "great kilt" before. In sleet, you'd better have a darned good reason to be out and about - without a really good reason, I'd build a shelter and stay in it until the sleet stopped.

[turpin]

I plan to wear Nylon gaiters over wool hose and hiking boots for a walk in the snow when I go home to IL over xmas and to Utah for skiing in January.

[auld argonian]

The weather that you experienced in Missouri has just started to creep into Chicago as of 6 AM. As usual, the local media have us on "STORMWATCH"! Impending disaster, world grinds to frozen halt, four horsemen of the Aplcalypse saddling up, dogs sleeping with cats...I know that it's going to be bad but they blow it way out of proportion with the hope that you'll stay tuned to their channel for updates. You'd think we'd be used to this by now. It can be nasty for you folks that live in "it seldom snows" parts of the country...if you're not used to driving in it, it must really be scary....but this is the norm here so I can't see why people get so freaked out.

I'll probably have to go out to the grocery store and the home improvement later so I'll either wear a Stillwater or that wool blend Gordon that I got from their "scratch and dent" department. It's good to do this because it brings home the point that kilts are normal clothing and are warm in bad weather...also makes me look like a hearty type.

Best

AA

[cgrinder]

I'm sure most of you in the United States have heard about our lovely ice storm here in the midwest, I'm not sure what those of you living around the world have heard. Well, it started out with rain this morning and quickly turned to sleat (sleet?... however you spell it) and it was supposed to turn to snow later this after noon but it's still sleeting...

Since I don't actually own a practical kilt (ie. a non belted plaid) yet, I was debating how well I'd get along wearing my belted plaid... but even bundled up in my jeans and nice heavy over coat and such the beating of the sleet was not fun... Just wondering what it's like wearing a kilt in this sort of weather... or do some of you choose ano alternative? (btw, would it be alright to wear a trench coat if you're wearing a kilt?)

You'd probably look like a mad flasher wearing a trench coat and not being able to see what's under

[MacWage]

As one who lives in the "it seldom snows here" part of the country, I'll have to say something to defend the "irrational" reaction to the white stuff.

Before I begin, I enjoy snow. That said:

The snow we get are very wet snows. I (and my father) have experienced only 1 (ONE!!) dry snow, in a freak storm about 3 years ago (if I remember correctly). What we get is largely ice, though it makes GREAT snowballs. After the initial fall, it partially melts and refreezes, leaving a nice ice layer. There is NO snow pack to get rubber traction, and few, if any, have chains (or spiked/studded tires) to drive on the ice. Thus, cars slide ALL over the road.

In Atlanta, I would always challenge my "it don't look THAT bad" friends from "up north:rolleyes: " to look at the tags of cars in ditches and trees along the sides of the roads once the weather improved enough to actually travel on it. In variably, there would be "New York" "Pennsylvania" "Maine" Wisconsin" "Minnisota" "Michigan" and the like all over the place . The roads are actually MUCH worse than they look, mostly black ice with a thin veneer of snow to hide it .

That said, we have NO IDEA of the sheer COLDNESS that y'all experience and the problems with snow drifts, shoveling and sanding the driveway, or the need for "winter beater" cars.:confused:

Now, if a PV can be warm in THAT weather, I am VERY impressed.

I figured a belted plaid would be even MORE practical than a regular kilt, as the upper wool part would provide much extra warm layering to the torso. My belted plaids are just "HOTTT!" here, even in the dead of winter.
A belted plaid and trenchcoat (to help keep the wool dry) should be great.



But what do I know I live in SOUTH CAROLINA!!!!!!!:rolleyes: