Are kilts just for "Townies?"

[Robinhood]

I've been wearing a kilt going on a year now, and
I find there are many times when it gets right
annoying. First it was on the tractor, with the
fabric getting caught in things like the hydraulic
and power takeoff controls. Then it was dealing
with briars in the woods. Then ticks and poison ivy.
And the list gets longer.

Now I'm having to deal with tall pasture grass
irritating my nethers. I'm wondering if there
were no farmers in Scotland. Were they all just
townies who never really got into the real world.

[Colin]

I am sure that if the Selkirk settlers can do it, most of us can. Many of the Selkirk Settlers ended up in Manitoba (the town of Selkirk is about 30 minutes outside of Winnipeg) and let me tell you from experiences, those mosquitos are the size of small birds and the winters are harsh to say the least.
http://history.cbc.ca/history/?MIval...e_id=16&lang=E

http://www.linksnorth.com/canada-his...heselkirk.html

http://www.electricscotland.com/selkirk/index.htm

[Mattg]

I would disagree as well. I'm sure they wore the kilts everywhere, they were just used to that kind of stuff.

[Hamish]

I would disagree as well. I'm sure they wore the kilts everywhere, they were just used to that kind of stuff.

.......and they certainly did not drive tractors!! LOL (The Selkirk Settlers, that is!).

[davedove]

First it was on the tractor, with the
fabric getting caught in things like the hydraulic
and power takeoff controls.

Watch yourself with the tractor. My cousin got messed up pretty bad because his clothes got caught in the power take off. He's okay now, but do be careful.

As far as the question goes, when the kilt was developed, there were no tractors.

[Mattg]

I am a country boy, grew up on a farm, the whol bit. Right now I live in the city, but I'm on the verge of moving way far out in the country and running a farm again. When I do, you can bet that I will be kilted all the time. I think it will be great to do all of the normal things I did when I was a kid, but now kilted.

[David Dalglish]

Like any loose clothing, kilts can be dangerous when operating or maintaining machinery-I have worked on my uncles farm many times, I would not wear a kilt driving tractors, combining etc.

[Randy]

hate to say it but keep your shorts on around spinning metal bits. You especially don't wanna loose anything under a kilt. Maybe look at USAK and only use the velcro on one side for emergency getaways.

[jjoseph]

Been city, been country.

The keys are your own experience and 'dulce et utile'... both useful AND beautiful.

No matter what anyone else tells me, my own kilt experience was that any kilt (PV, UK cottons included) just trapped too much heat during Texas summers, especially reflected heat from concrete surfaces, so I wore shorts which just offered better protection in high summer. For hiking, etc., I've found kilts no better or worse than shorts for the nettles, ticks, etc., but if you find differently go with that. Maybe kilts, in your circumstances, are your non-work wear and you go with jeans or shorts when working.

I've never actually thought about doing farm work kilted. I can't imagine riding horses in one, although I'm sure there's a trick to it.

I second on the machinery though. No tricks. Absolutely NO loose clothing around tractors. As they say, "Safety first." It's good to come home to the missus with all your parts, ya know.

[Woodsheal]

Consider the terrain/vegetation dealt with by the historic Highlanders who developed the kilt: open, boggy, heather-covered hillsides and moorland, rocky mountain terrain, and old-growth forests (no underbrush!). Quite a bit different than 21st century N. America, where the kilt often doesn't work well outdoors - especially in our second-growth woodland with all its thick, prickly undergrowth...!