Good Way to Pack a Kilt

[Riverkilt]

Was packing up for the Flagstaff, AZ Highland Games tomorrow and realized I'd never shared how well kilts pack in a firefighter's turnout bag.

A turnout bag is what firefighters put their boots, helmet and turnout(pants and jacket) in when they drive back and forth from home to their station.

I like using the turnout bag because its soft and doesn't put creasing pressure on the kilts. I just lay my kilts in the bottom and put the shirts on top.

Course, its only for local trips where I have control of my bag, wouldn't use it for commercial travel.

Any firefighters out there who can say it better... not sure I'm getting the idea across.

Ron

[James]

You are quite right, and I think such a method is better than those 'twee' kilt carriers.

I've long used a canvas holdall long enough to lay the kilt out without any folds-but I put the kilt on top of everything else: then zip the bag. On arrival a shake and the kilt is ready to wear without any unseemly creases.

I have used this method when the bag has been consigned to aircraft holds and the associated rigours: without any problems.

The only caveat being that I'm thinking about traditional wool kilts-not some of the cotton variants which might not react as well.

James

[Hamish]

If I am travelling somewhere just for one day or so and need to carry a single kilt with me, I'll use one of the kilt-karriers.

When going away for longer, and therefore needing several changes of kilt (as for my forthcoming two-week visit to Vancouver for example), I'll roll the kilts and slide them into cut off legs from tights/pantyhose. These are then laid side by side in the bottom of my suitcase, with more than one layer if necessary. Everthing else gets packed on top to prevent any movement of those kilts in transit. On arrival, I take them out of their 'wraps', give them a shake and hang them as I do at home, on wooden bar gripper hangers, and they are perfectly ready for wear.

Like James, I am thinking here of my woollen kilts. My Utilikilts (and similar), are folded lengthways and laid flat in the suitcase.

That reminds me, I must start packing......

[Rigged]

I fasten the kilts as if I was wearing them. Then, I fold the kilts lengthwise with the aprons flat and stack them, making sure the pleats are in place. I've traveled thousands of miles with two Utilikilts, a Pittsburgh Kilt, and a Bear Kilt packed that way and never needed to iron them.

[motorman4life]

What a great time for this thread!! I am just about to get started packing for a trip to New Orleans, leaving tomorrow. I had planned on bringing 1 UK and wearing 1 UK. I also have a new royal blue PK that I had made for the Blue Knights convention in Lafayette, next week. I think I may also pack my all black traditional kilt for the banquet.. I think I'll pack my other UK original and just not take any pants at all!

[Jerry]

When I'm driving on weekend trips and such, I often pack spare kilts by keeping them on Skirt hangers and then placing them in a suit bag. I hang the suit bag on the clothes hook in the back seat of my club cab pickup.

[Kilted_John]

Here's how we do it at the shop when we're getting ready for an event. Fold'em so the aprons are on the left side and the left pocket is on the right side of the kilt when you're looking at it. Then, fold the kilt again so the aprons are on one side and the left pocket is on the other side. Then, just pack them into a duffel bag. In a large duffel bag, we've been able to fit up to 40 Utilikilts in it. About 80 lbs worth of kilts, but, they arrive at the events in unwrinkled condition... With my traditionals, I usually use a duffel bag, if I'm going with more than one kilt, and just roll'em up, then put'em in the bottom of the duffel bag with the rest of my clothing on top... Since I don't usually fly, it doesn't matter that much whether or not I use the duffel bag.

-J