a little uncomfortable discussion about kilts for backpacking

**Priest** · 12th November 14, 05:12 PM

Panty hose can be a Soldier's best friend, especially on a 12 mile march with a 55 lbs. ruck.

Originally Posted by Nathan

Regardless of how comfortable a garment is, chafing can occur when hiking over long distances with a heavy pack. This is even more of a problem for gents with bigger thighs that rub together when they walk. For those interested, I'll share an old soldiers' trick that many use for long forced marches with heavy backpacks - panty hose.

Nylon panty hose is light weight and not too hot, but it helps to keep the thighs separated and when nylon rubs on nylon it is far more lubricated than sweaty skin. It's counter intuitive for kilt wearers to contemplate wearing nylons but honestly, when it is your health and comfort at stake and you want to be operationally effective at the end of a 20km forced march, you use what works. The foot part actually also helps alleviate blisters.

You could cut them off at the knee and hem them if you didn't want anyone to see...

**tpa** · 13th November 14, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Nathan

Nylon panty hose is light weight and not too hot, but it helps to keep the thighs separated and when nylon rubs on nylon it is far more lubricated than sweaty skin. The foot part actually also helps alleviate blisters. You could cut them off at the knee and hem them if you didn't want anyone to see...

and still wear the bottom bit under socks!

**Tartan Hiker** · 20th November 14, 09:42 PM

I bet some of you were wondering when I would toss in my $.02 worth. Well, here it is.

I make my own hiking kilts of poly/cotton. Box, Kingussie, and regular knife pleats are in my stable. All seem to work just fine.

I make my kilts high-waisted so the backpack belt rides on rather than above the kilt. Way more comfortable than shorts as the belt doesn't try to push the kilt down.

Underwear. In warm weather I just lube up with Body Glide and that's all. In cold weather I usually wear boxer-briefs in poly or cotton/poly blend. Work great.

If the weather is like it is right now...sub freezing early and late and maybe 40's F at mid-day, I'll switch over to a poly Stillwater. If the weather is much cooler, I use an old beater wool band kilt I grabbed on eBay and refitted with Velcro fasteners.