outdoor kilts

[Andrew Breecher]

Wool is definately a fantastic material. If you have to go out in the wet and cold you cant beat wool with anything else, natural or synthetic. I'm sure there is a reason those Scots use wool in so many articles of clothing, but with their beautiful mediterranian climate I just cant think of what it might be...

PV retains just as much heat as wool (well, I don't know the exact heat retention qualities, but I can tell you from experience that it is still very warm, even when wet). The reason the Scots use wool in so many articles of clothing is because (a) their country is overrun by sheep, and (b) they hadn't invented polypropylene 500 years ago. Polypro is a man-made material used extensively in outdoors clothing because of exactly those heat-retaining qualities and breatheability.

Andrew.

[Woodsheal]

Well, I don't know the exact heat-retention figures and percentages, but I can relate this story: I was at a Spring-time reenactment event when a late-day cold front came through with powerful rainstorms, and a drop in temps that resulted in a low in the upper 30's that night. All my stuff (camp gear and clothing) was entirely soaked!. But, I wrapped up nekkid in my thoroughly wet, 100% wool plaid, and slept warm and comfortable all the night through....
Finally, wool won't melt into a bubbling black slag that sticks to your flesh like polypro will. Something to think about if campfires are involved!

[Yaish]

There is actually a move towards a combo material that is wool blended with some elastic type materials for outdoor clothing.
Thorlo uses it for their mountain climbing socks (I swear by those - not as big as kilt hose, but ideal socks for hiking) I want to get some T-shirts in this material for desert camping, as they are light enough for day wear but in the event of getting sweaty or wet they will keep me warm at night. The elastic or spandex blended in helps the wool retain its shape, and the wool of course does what wool does.

[MacHummel]

Hello all
Just to add my 2 cents for hiking and hanging about I love my 6yrd denim it's a 12oz denim and really works well I had to really work it in but now it's great, also I find the PV works just as well,we just got our first blast of snow this week and I found it retained alot of heat I was wearing a 8yrd. Today I had on a 6yd saffon coloured duck cloth it is 12oz and it was surpisingly warm. I think it all dedends on your tolerances and what you feel like wearing tomorrow I'll try my black 6yrd poly/cotten. I'll let you all know how that works.
MacHummel

[Yaish]

Oh yeah, and Andrew, Scotland is overrun with sheep because they do so well there because.... they are covered in wool!!

[furrycelt]

It is this very reason (camping and hiking) that I want to buy a "Survival" UtiliKilt. One thing I love to have outdoors is pockets, and lots of 'em. This UtiliKilt would be pefect. And when it gets all dirty and smelly from a weekend in the woods, I can throw it in the washer when I get home.

I just can't imagine taking an expensive wool kilt out in those conditions and subject it to that abuse. Though you guys got me thinking cause wool does have some great properties. Perhaps I could take one of my cheap historical repro's outdoors. But again, I am left with cleaning it and with no pockets. Which leaves me with a rather dumb question: what would happen if I take a 100% wool kilt and just throw it into a standard washer and/or drier?

TANGENT: The historical re-enactment group my dad belongs to did some research and learned that to truly make a historically accurate kilt, not only must it be made of pure wool, but that wool cloth should be impregnated with lard to increase its insulative properties, and make it somewhat water-resistant. I can't imagine... not like the highlanders were known for the beautiful body odor anyway.

[Andrew Breecher]

It is this very reason (camping and hiking) that I want to buy a "Survival" UtiliKilt. One thing I love to have outdoors is pockets, and lots of 'em. This UtiliKilt would be pefect. And when it gets all dirty and smelly from a weekend in the woods, I can throw it in the washer when I get home.

Warning: the Survival Utilikilt is made of a cotton twill material (according to their web page). When cotton gets wet it stays wet. It has no insulative properties at all. When cotton is wet and cold, it leaches your body heat from you and releases it into the air. You could easily catch hypothermia. There's a saying among hikers: "Cotton kills."

Both wool and poly/viscose retain heat even when wet. You can wear a wet woolen kilt in the winter time and your legs will still be warm. They'll be warm and wet, but they'll be warm.

You can throw a poly/viscose kilt in the wash, and in the dryer. If you wash a woolen kilt (and especially if you dry it) you're going to end up with a shrunken kilt. Wool needs to be specially cleaned.

If you know it's going to be dry out for the whole weekend, by all means wear a cotton kilt. But if it's going to rain, please don't put yourself in danger by doing so. You'll be miserable, and you could end up in trouble.

Andrew.

[Andrew Breecher]

I just can't imagine taking an expensive wool kilt out in those conditions and subject it to that abuse.

I take my $400 sleeping bag out in those conditions, why not a kilt? It's going to do the job I need it to do, and it's going to do it well. After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail I needed a new sleeping bag. I'm wearing the same kilt for my next long-distance (2,600 mile) hike.

(I could have answered this in my above post as well, but I wanted that one to stay on the one topic.)

Andrew.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

...(I could have answered this in my above post as well, but I wanted that one to stay on the one topic.)...

And there's also the fact that Kilted Gentry is just within your grasp so a few more posts won't hurt! :grin:

[Angus MacSpey]

Wool kicks ***. I use wool outer socks with polypropylene liners for skiing so my toes stay toasty. Wick that sweat away from your skin, and even wet wool socks insulate very well. Same goes, it seems, for the fur/hide of any cold-climate animal. Whether evolved or designed, it works. Now if I could just find a wild nauga and a buck gortx on my next hunt....

Next on list - toque made from baby seal blubber.

Well then... is there anyone who makes a plain wool (not tartan) heavyweight knockabout kilt? Could be machine-sewn, for that matter. Something cheaper than a traditional hand-sewn tartan tank, but with all the right properties for some hard core outdoor activity? That would be ideal.

I'm picturing a "Woolrich" type of kilt, sort of like the UK Workman's might be called the "Carhartt." [Coming soon to a Cabela's near you...]

And pockets! Pockets are good.

If ya know where I can get something like that, let me know!