Looking for a heavyweight kilt for hiking in the winter

[Troglodyte]

"An important thing to remember about army kilts, is that they are made to NATO specification, so will withstand the rigours of combat - or that's the idea."

The last time the kilt was worn in Combat was 25th of May 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk.
Since, the kilt has been totally ceremonial. Today's MOD kilts are designed and manufactured, not to NATO spec. but to British MOD spec., for parade.

You are right about the military kilt being mainly ceremonial, and that it has long since been abandoned as combat wear, but you are mistaken about the NATO specification of its manufacture.

The NATO number given on the maker's labal is there to show that it conforms to the relevant NATO garment specification, which is to a minimum standard. Indeed, all British Army clothing (including the ceremonial-only dress uniforms such as those worn by the Household Cavalry) are made NATO specification - whatever that may be. Whilst the kilt and dress uniforms are no longer ideal for combat, they are still made to active service standards.

Additionally, the manufacturers are obliged to show their processes and quality controls meet NATO (and therefore MoD) standards, so that they can produce to the stipulated specification. NATO spec' can be seen as something like ISO spec' for military needs.

Britain has been a member of NATO since its formation, and MoD specifications (in order to comply with Britain's NATO obligations) are conseuquently the same as NATO. How could it be otherwise?

It is easy to verify. The NATO number shown on the maker's label in the kilt has a corresponding manufacturing standard of quality - which shows the kilt is made to NATO specification for the army-issue kilt. This number also shows that it meets MoD standards as you would expect. The MoD publish detailed information on this, which is an aid to both manufaturing suppliers and surplus-buyers alike.

I believe you are only partially right about the date the kilt was last worn in battle. Officially, the Highland regiments had been de-kilted (for combat roles) and modernised during the 1930s, but records show that various elements and units failed to return to home base or receive the replacement issue before hostilities involved them in live action. I understand a unit of the Camerons went stright from one overseas posting to another without returning to the UK, and their kilt replacements failed to reach them before they were in action against the Japanese in the Far East a year or more after the date you mention.

[scratchy]

Stillwater Kilts heavyweight?