Quote Originally Posted by kilt_nave
What is it like to be "used" to that kind of heat and to be wearing this weight? Here in SE Florida it feels like it is 105 many months out of the year. I have read both that heavyweighted material is ideal for hot weather and also that it is unbearable in hot weather. I am curious to hear from another hotblooded individual's opinion about it.
"But it's a dry heat" is a charter member of "Famous Last Words", but it does make a difference. Some people never adapt to the dryness; Suzy and I love it; we both feel uncomfortable at 50 percent humidity at any temperature. There's no question, though, that 115 is HOT, regardless of humidity, about as uncomfortable as 95 with 95. At 10 percent, 90 is blissfully cool in the shade and 100 is quite comfortable, for the adapted. Which includes most people, after a year or so. We have come to regard our months of 100+ as our region's period of inclement weather, equivalent to the winter of colder climes, which we escape.

Heavy weight kilts may be fine for brief exposure, as from parking spot to (air conditioned) destination, offering insulation from the heat during the relatively short period. They're hell to wear all day long outdoors in 100+ temps at a games or festival. Especially the rise encasing your mid-torso. The rise on an 11 oz kilt is less insulating, and the wicking effect and evaporation offsets more of the heat gain. (Not ALL the heat gain, mind, it's still too d__n hot. But survivable.) 100+ weather, incidentally, is likely, even probable, from the Las Vegas Games in April through the RenFaire in early October.

As to specifically what it's like in a (light weight) kilt: under the kilt is as cool as anything is going to get, like wide legged shorts but not so confining. The part of the torso encased by the rise is less comfortable, but that's true of any kind of waistband. Sweat tends to evaporate as it forms in our climate, but still the rise of your kilt can get sweaty and for that reason I generally wear a "wash and hang dry" fabric, such as Poly viscose or acrylic for outdoor occasions in summer.

Will Pratt