Cleveland adventure or it's never too cold for a kilt

[arrogcow]

It has taken me a few days to finally get caught up around the house, so that I can relate my adventures with the weather in Cleveland. As I posted previously, I went to Cleveland last Sunday night to work on a music video for Bone Thugs n Harmony (I wasn‘t shooting, I was an electric on this gig).

Monday’s call time was 3:30 p.m. with scheduled wrap at 3:30 a.m.. As I was getting dressed that afternoon, I thought now was the real test (and do I realy want to wear a kilt). I am almost always kilted on set (always by choice, but occasionally asked not to by a client or safety reasons), but here was 12 hours of exterior shooting, at night, with temps in the teens. I’ve said here many times that kilts really are warmer than p@nts, but there comes a time when you still question it.

So Monday afternoon, I dressed in the following: UK survival (w/boxer briefs - always worn under 40F or above 80F - purists can just deal with it), kilt hose (70% wool 30% nylon blend), LS t shirt, fleece jacket, boots, gloves, baseball cap, scarf and an old navy watch coat. I did pack a pair of jeans in my grip kit, as well as a secret weapon. It was 19F with a wind chill of 14F when I left the hotel. On set, the local crew that I knew were all surprised that I still had on a kilt, and most of the non local crew were from LA and seemed actually horrified.

Frankly, I was fine most of the night even with the fairly constant lake effect snow, but after about midnight the wind picked up. Due to this, many of us were acting as human sandbags, holding down lights and other rigging. Standing in place for an hour at a time (no way to move and get blood pumping) started to take it’s toll on the exposed parts of my knees (and ears), time for drastic measures. I replaced the cap with a stocking cap (ski hat, toque, toboggan, whatever you call it), and then went for the secret weapon.

Right after I started wearing kilts regularly, I found on E-bay something called a military surplus kilt leg wrap. I’ve never seen them since, but I bought a pair. I’ve never worn them, because frankly I have never been in a situation that really called for them before. What they are is a strip of OD green wool (military guys, think of the barracks blankets, same material) that is 39” by 4.5” with a 60” ribbon off one side. Starting at the top of the kilt hose, it wraps about 2 ½ times around my leg (to well under the bottom of the kilt) and then ties down. This ended all last remaining issues with the cold.

Due to various issues, we did not wrap till nearly 5:30 a.m., and I wasn’t back to the hotel till 6. Temp then was 14F wind chill of 7F.

Then the blizzard hit. Tuesday and Wednesday’s shooting were scrapped (and let me tell you the downtown Cleveland Hyatt is not the hotel to be stuck at). Thursday was on, but so was the COLD.

Thursday was a day shoot, but it really didn’t matter. When I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready it was 0F wind chill of -11F, exposed skin bad today. So I wore my lined PK, a second pair of socks under my kilt hose, and I added a pair of flannel PJ pants under the leg wraps (because of the wraps and hose, you couldn‘t see them). I spent the 14 hour day setting up lights and reflectors and other gear in 2' snow drifts and the temp never got above 7F that I know of (someone in Cleveland may need to verify that). By the end of the day, I was the only person on the grip/electric crew that wasn’t claiming that they couldn’t feel their toes. And snow just melts on jeans making them wet, it cakes on wool kilt hose adding insulation and them being able to be scraped off.

As for band reaction, I only spoke to one (Wish Bone), and that was just to thank me for being out in that weather. All of the band did see me kilted. As did a number of Cleveland’s more interesting element. I had guys with gang and prison tats coming up to me to see if they could be in the movie.

Adam

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Great experience Arrogcow! Glad you held up so well, and prove once again that a kilt is the most practical garment for all weather!