Long Distance Hiking

[Bo On The Go]

@ChuckTN Thanks for the comparison. I would not have thought that the acrylic would have weighed that much.

I weighed several of my kilts this morning to have a comparison of materials.

13.6 oz - Sport Kilt hiking kilt with hidden pockets (from their website 330 grams or 11.6 oz)
14.4 oz - Mountain Hardware Elkommando (from their website 417 grams or 14.7 oz)
29.6 oz - Stillwater standard acrylic kilt
34.4 0z - UTKilts modern

[svc40bt]

I would agree that if you have the sewing machine and abilities making your own is a good way to go. Rockywoods and other fabric stores have performance fabric of all types. I run and hike in a variety of kilts from a Stillwater acrylic Economy kilt to ElKommando kilts. The one I like best for hiking is the one I made of quick dry nylon. The main reason I like it best is that I made it to fit like a traditional kilt should, high up on the kilt waist. The ElKommando and I would think other sport type and even USA economy level kilts fit at the jeans waist and with your hiking experience Im sure you know how a pack strap will ride on shorts or pants. To me this is annoying and Im always pulling my shorts/pants back up. I find the same with the ELKommando. A kilt with a traditional waist fits nicely under the pack strap and seems to stay up nicer. I can cinch my pack strap around my wasit and the kilt stays up no problems. I do like the ElKommando because of the side cargo pockets but those could be put on a kilt you make yourself. Below is a couple photos of my running/hiking kilt I made with quickdry nylon.



I used 1 inch webbing and flat fastex buckles for the apron.

If you order a custom casual from USA Kilts just measure as for a Semi-traditional (at the true waist) and note on your order that you will be wearing at the true waist. That is how I ordered my PA tartan casual fits just like the semi I have from USA Kilts.

[Grunthos]

Acrylic is 100% polyester (actually polyacrylonitrile). So "poly" = "acrylic".

Actually, no, this is incorrect.

Polyester is a class of materials, the most common being polyethylene, and acrylic is not one of them. Polyesters all contain an ester component, which is a hydrocarbon chain bonded to an oxygen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyester is a good start.

Acrylic has no ester component; it is C₃H₃N. Polyacrylonitrile is simply not a member of the polyester class, and "poly" absolutely does not equal acrylic.

"Poly" as a name is, hands down, the MOST USELESS label for a material. But most often, it is referring to polyester, which is most often polyethylene.

[brewerpaul]

Good point for people wanting to order a USA kilt casual and have a traditional rise. Thanks for making this point.

If you order a custom casual from USA Kilts just measure as for a Semi-traditional (at the true waist) and note on your order that you will be wearing at the true waist. That is how I ordered my PA tartan casual fits just like the semi I have from USA Kilts.

[Tartan Hiker]

Actually, no, this is incorrect.

Polyester is a class of materials, the most common being polyethylene, and acrylic is not one of them. Polyesters all contain an ester component, which is a hydrocarbon chain bonded to an oxygen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyester is a good start.

Acrylic has no ester component; it is C₃H₃N. Polyacrylonitrile is simply not a member of the polyester class, and "poly" absolutely does not equal acrylic.

"Poly" as a name is, hands down, the MOST USELESS label for a material. But most often, it is referring to polyester, which is most often polyethylene.

Thank you for this. I stand corrected.

[kiltedtom]

Wow, all this time I thought that polyester was just referring to those gosh awful leisure suits from the 70's. (But I really thought they were cool at the time.)

Tom