a little uncomfortable discussion about kilts for backpacking

[Alan H]

...and by backpacking, I mean putting 20-50 pounds on your back and heading out into the wilderness to sleep in a tent or under the stars for a night or two or three or ten.

Chafe. It's an issue. After 8 miles, it's a real issue and no joke. It's one thing to get a little chafed around town, it's something entirely different to be "out there" and have to deal with screaming red raw spots. I've learned the hard way that two packages of "Glide" go with me when I'm backpacking in a kilt.

The luminous Joan bought two pairs of polypropylene undies for Christmas. I wore them hiking this past trip and I now swear by these things. Chafe? Not a problem. If guys want to know what they are, I'll query the Lady and put up purchasing information. Truth...under a pair of pants they're too bluidy hot and sweaty. Under the kilt, hiking in the Sierra Nevada at 7,000 feet they were The Absolute Bomb. I might add that they were horrible in Scotland, it's way too humid for these things.

Hiking on Sierra Nevada trails, regimental... I don't do it. There are families and kids and nice people out there and sometimes it's windy. I'm not interested.

Chafe under the waistband: My backpacking kilt closes with velcro. I mean, it's the simplest system in the world, there are no buckles, straps or anything. Press the over-apron onto the under-apron, and it's done. I've never had an issue with chafe under the waistband, but I hike the kilt up and click the waistband buckle closed UNDER the waistband of the kilt. IN other words, you see the waistband of my kilt (in front at least, maybe not so much in the back) above the level of the backpacks waistband strap.

Weight and Swing and Pleats: Well, I don't wear a camouflage cotton/poly kilt in order to demonstrate the heft and swing of an 8 yard, 16 ounce wool kilt, on the trail. Heavy = bad when it comes to backpacking, eh? On the other hand, what about using superlight ripstop microfiber for a kilt? I dunno. Might work, and man-o-man is it light. It's expensive stuff, though. I'd cry if I ripped it. I'd like to have a LITTLE bit of weight in the thing so it hangs OK and doesn't fly up around my midriff at the slightest whiff of a breeze.

My backpacking kilt is about 5 yards of moderate cotton/poly from Joanne's fabric and it's pleated Kinguisse style, with about 9, 1-inch pleats on each side that meet in the middle of the back with a deep two-way box pleat.. If I were to change the kilt, knowing what I know, now, I'd stay with Kinguisse pleating but reduce the number of pleats to about 5-6 and make them slightly deeper. Why Kinguisse? Because the pleats-pointing-to-the-back "catch" stray branches and whatnot less than forward-facing pleats. At least, that's the theory. Why the fewer pleats? Because more pleats aren't necessary. They're for "looks" and that's not what I'm after, here. 5-6 pleats per side / 10-12 total instead of 18 total gives me plenty of leg room and cuts some weight. Why cheap cotton poly? Easy answer. Because it's cheap. I won't cry if I get sap on it, or as happened the first year I wore it, a mouse decided to chew it up at night and use some fabric to pad her next. I don't begrudge her the fabric, eh?

The other great thing about this kilt is that it was seriously easy to make. I knocked it out in about 6 hours on my mother-in-laws Singer that doesn't have zig-zag and that includes sewing down the outer pleat edges.

For the first time ever this past trip, I wore a pair of shorts to hike in . These were made by unzipping the bottom of my convertible pants, obtained on sale at REI. The material is seriously lightweight. OK, I know it's a kilt forum but I have to say that these things were pretty darned nice to hike in, too. I'll still probably stick with the kilt, though.

Do you backpack in a kilt? I'd like to hear your thoughts about chafe, material, weight and so on. If it's a 16 ounce wool kilt, then go take the discussion to the Traditional Kilt Forum, though. THNX.