kilts in cold weather

**Jaggy thistle** · 7th January 10, 02:25 PM

The weather has been very cold here recently -7 deg at noon All I get when I am out is you must be freezing in that kilt !! I have never been cold wearing an 8 yd kilt but can I convince these people no way so today Ithought I would expirament I put on my work trousers and ventured out my legs were freezing in no time I returned home put kilt on and went out again was as warm as toast!

**cessna152towser** · 7th January 10, 02:30 PM

Oh I've had that too recently, Tam, people coming the other way, smile and say "Are you not cold wearing that" and I reply "No the kilt keeps me nice and warm". Well at least the kilt is a conversation starter, most of these people would probably just ignore us if we wore trousers.

**Riverkilt** · 7th January 10, 08:33 PM

Leather kilt weather too.

**haxtonhouse** · 7th January 10, 08:50 PM

it was 25 below F. here inMontana today. I am a school teacher and I always have several people say " you are brave wearing that." Today I told them "Yeah, I really took a chance; we often conduct school outdoors when its cold!" then we all have a good laugh!

**McNulty** · 7th January 10, 09:34 PM

I'm a school teacher also and today someone pulled the fire alarm at the end of the school day. Of course we all had to dash outside and I'm always kilted on Thurs. and Fri. I ended up right next to one of our maintenance guys who was shivering and stomping his feet to keep warm and he looks at me and says "Aren't you freezing like the rest of us?" I smiled and said no. My 8yd 16 ozer was plenty warm in the 15F weather.
Nulty

**Jimmy** · 8th January 10, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Leather kilt weather too.

It's -10 in Glasgow, would that not be a wee bit cold for a leather kilt, I have only worn my leather kilt in temperatures above freezing, I would have thought leather would be much colder than woollen kilt

GG · 8th January 10, 02:33 AM

Yesterday it was sunshine but -7C/19F and a little bit windy. I took a walk along the coast and it was cold, especially on my hands, even if I had gloves on them (quite unusual for me). I also felt a little bit cold around my legs but not that much.

In the afternoon I went out again with one exception, I was in trousers. They were warmer around my legs, but on my upper body I felt really cold and not well.

My conclusion: By wearing a kilt your legs are slightly colder compared to trousers but the overall balance is much better with a kilt.
That is to my opinion also the case when you are in door. Wearing a kilt you can do with a lower temperature by the same comfort level. Kilts might be advisable for reducing CO2?

Greg

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 8th January 10, 05:01 AM

You have to love wearing the kilt. In the winter I constantly get asked, "Aren't you cold in that?" while in the summer it's, "Aren't you hot in that?" It seems people can't decide if they think all that wool should keep me warm or cool...

In any case, my warmest kilt is actually a 4 yarder. It's made from ultra-heavy, nearly bullet proof Harris Tweed, woven by Marion Campbell. This was taken on a chilly day last winter.

My heaviest Harris tweed kilt, a Harris tweed jacket and waistcoat, my thickest hose, and a super thick knit wool bonnet. I was quite warm, and if I remember right, that morning is was in the teens. If it had been colder I could have always added an Inverness cape or a plaide. Of course much colder and I just would have stayed indoors!

**Riverkilt** · 8th January 10, 06:42 AM

I'm currently reading "MacDonald of the 42nd." In relating life in the cold November of 1854 in the trenches before Balaclava in Crimea, author Donald Featherstone wrote,

"...it was not uncommon to see kilted Highlanders crying with the pain of their frozen knees."

Talking of the mud he wrote, "...the glutinous mixture made their kilts heavy and plastered them to the body, so that every movement of the legs was painful as the mud abrasively lacerated the insides of the men's thighs."

Temps were about 20 degrees F.

**Riverkilt** · 8th January 10, 06:47 AM

Perhaps a subject for another thread - wool vs. leather kilts in cold weather.

Do know that I've worn my brown leather Utilikilt in cold freezing rain and snow and it was toasty.

Do know that I wore my buckskin leather RKilt in a near blizzard in Flagstaff last week and it was toasty.

Didn't note the temperature either time.

And, perhaps there's a temperature below which leather firms up too much to be comfy.

I do know I'd rather have my leather kilt out in cold foul weather than one of my wool kilts. When I reach refuge I just wipe off the leather kilt. A wool kilt would have soaked up whatever.