Double Up Kilt Hose For Warmth

**Riverkilt** · 28th November 10, 11:56 AM

So last Friday went down Glen Canyon of the Colorado River for the last raft trip of the season. KNEW it was gonna be cold - very cold. Easy to layer up with thermal shirts, hoodies, down vest and leather jacket. Easy to don a warm leather RKilt with underkilt and even undershorts for warmth. But what about my legs?? Figured one pair of kilt hose wouldn't be warm enough.

Got the bright idea to first put on a pair of SportKilt type (soccer sox) hose then put a pair of Lewis kilt hose over them.

Reporting back it worked like a charm - Even my knees stayed warm. Temps were 30 to 36 degrees F without the wind, worse in the wind.

So, an easy way to keep extra warm on cold days is wear soccer sox or soccer sox type kilt hose under your regular kilt hose.

**CMcG** · 28th November 10, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

<snip>

Got the bright idea to first put on a pair of SportKilt type (soccer sox) hose then put a pair of Lewis kilt hose over them.

Reporting back it worked like a charm - Even my knees stayed warm. Temps were 30 to 36 degrees F without the wind, worse in the wind.

So, an easy way to keep extra warm on cold days is wear soccer sox or soccer sox type kilt hose under your regular kilt hose.

Good call and I'm glad to know that it worked!

Are your soccer-type socks thin? I'm guessing that one couldn't wear two pairs of thicker socks and still fit into one's shoes...

**Bugbear** · 28th November 10, 12:36 PM

Hmmm. It's become cold and rainy down here, too, and I don't start using the heater until December first. Perhaps I should repurpose one or more pairs of kilt hose under my winter socks.

I can't bring myself to do that with the Lewis hose, though, they're too nice for wear when working out in the mud.

Tee Hee, the others are cream colored Stillwater hose, and I thought I would never have a use for them again...

**CMcG** · 28th November 10, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bugbear

<snip>
Tee Hee, the others are cream colored Stillwater hose, and I thought I would never have a use for them again...

Waste not, want not, eh? Even white hose has its uses!

**Riverkilt** · 28th November 10, 01:05 PM

Yes, my soccer sox (Sportkilt hose) are thin. No problem getting into my shoes.

**Bugbear** · 28th November 10, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by CMcG

Waste not, want not, eh? Even white hose has its uses!

Ya, if I don't fold over the cuff, they cover my knees. It's almost as good as long-handle underwear.

**piperdbh** · 28th November 10, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Bugbear

Ya, if I don't fold over the cuff, they cover my knees. It's almost as good as long-handle underwear.

But without the trapdoor.

I agree with doubling-up on hose. I've worn plain white cotton/nylon socks under kilt hose before and stayed just as warm as I wanted to be.

**Tobus** · 28th November 10, 05:09 PM

This has to be the result of the decline in quality of kilt hose over the years. This has been bugging me for a while, so I may as well get it out here, while it's on-topic.

The hose I see being sold everywhere is too thin! Even some of the more expensive commercial hose seems to be thin, ribbed stuff that is made to look like traditional kilt hose, but without the warmth of the original knitted wool that Scots of old would have worn. Even so-called "bag hose" would have been warmer than most of the modern kilt hose on the market. Surely it's much colder (and windier!) in the Highlands during winter than the weather Ron describes in his original post, yet I'm not aware of them having to double-up on their socks to stay warm.

Doubling up is a good solution for modern thin hose, I suppose, but I really wish there were more availability and variety for thick "chunky" hose, made from heavy worsted wool yarn. I've taken to having my hose hand-knitted (I've posted about the first pair I had made, and I'm having a second made as we speak) because I'm just not satisfied with the thin ribbed hose that everyone seems to sell.

What do you guys think? Even though there are some very high-quality commercial hose available today, do you think they compare with hand-knitted heavy wool hose that would have been a cottage industry in the Highlands a couple hundred years ago?

**Riverkilt** · 28th November 10, 05:59 PM

I agree the soccer sox sold by SportKilt as "kilt hose" should be called what they are - soccer sox. I don't think there's any problem with the thickness of my Lewis hose. Added the two for layering and more warmth since I knew I'd be in a cold wind for about five hours on the river. Don't think one layer of anything does much when its really cold out.

I do have a pair of the thick hose you mention from USA Kilts but chose not to wear them on the river. Didn't wanna get them dirty or snag them when on shore. Them thick hose almost require a larger shoe size too.

**fluter** · 30th November 10, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by CMcG

Good call and I'm glad to know that it worked!

Are your soccer-type socks thin? I'm guessing that one couldn't wear two pairs of thicker socks and still fit into one's shoes...

My cold weather boots are purchased expressly for multiple pairs of socks! At the very least, I'd be wearing a polypro liner and a heavy duty ragg wool sock.

Come to think of it, two pairs of medium weight socks are warmer than one equivalent pair of heavy ones, because of the additional air space.