How many kilts would a Scot have had.

[Andrew Breecher]

I'll tell you, as a long-distance hiker, once you and everyone else you're with smells (and you smell BAD) it doesn't matter anymore. You stop noticing it, unless something extreme (like someone taking off their shoes) happens. In fact, you start to recognise individual people's natural smells, and can tell who's around you by that. You can start to smell "day-hikers" up to a mile away depending on the wind (for real!) by the soap/artificial scents they're wearing.

Andrew.

[Kilted KT]

I'll tell you, as a long-distance hiker, once you and everyone else you're with smells (and you smell BAD) it doesn't matter anymore. You stop noticing it, unless something extreme (like someone taking off their shoes) happens. In fact, you start to recognise individual people's natural smells, and can tell who's around you by that. You can start to smell "day-hikers" up to a mile away depending on the wind (for real!) by the soap/artificial scents they're wearing.

Andrew.

I agree with you completely. Having taken extremely large groups ( in excess of 100) 7th graders on week long camping trips without the niceties of "modern" society, people smell "bad" only when there are others wearing deoderant or other such things to hide their natural scent. after a few days, every smells "bad" and a day or so later, since everyone smells, no one smells.

Keep in mind that while we may think the scots of old smelled foul due to a lack of bathing or sanitation, they walked on the same roads that horses defecated on, indoor plumbing wasn't in every house.

I think Monty Python's "Holy Grail" explained this best.
"
LARGE MAN: Who's that then?

CART DRIVER(Grudgingly): I dunno, Must be a king.

LARGE MAN: Why?

CART DRIVER : He hasn't got (feces) all over him.
"

[Streetcar]

The smell might not be completely prejudicial.

Our duty pants are still wool. (Lord knows why!) When they get wet, they smell worse than a wet dog. The smell of a damp, wool kilt, might be distinctive enough to be recognized through the assorted B/O of the time.

[macwilkin]

The smell might not be completely prejudicial.

Our duty pants are still wool. (Lord knows why!) When they get wet, they smell worse than a wet dog. The smell of a damp, wool kilt, might be distinctive enough to be recognized through the assorted B/O of the time.

See my post about the CW soldiers. Same principle.

Sorry, I don't buy the "bigotry" reason as the only reason -- I'm sure a ploughman from Devon or Northumberland smelled just as bad as a lad from Forres or Ayr.

Cheers,

Todd

[Mattg]

See my post about the CW soldiers. Same principle.

Sorry, I don't buy the "bigotry" reason as the only reason -- I'm sure a ploughman from Devon or Northumberland smelled just as bad as a lad from Forres or Ayr.

Cheers,

Todd

I agree, a English peasant would smell as bad as a Scottish one. Though I'm sure that the English only thought it worse that the smelly person was Scottish, and the other way around!