What's With the Kilts?
Monday July 21st, 2014
Written by Molasses
Written by Molasses
As if we weren't eccentric enough, both Sidetrack and I recently started hiking in kilts.
Kilts are the perfect way for men to enjoy the comfort of hiking in an unbifurcated garment. Kilts, after all, are men's garments.
They can also be great for women as well. I first read about kilts being used for hiking when I was doing research about backpacking. I also discovered there were a few hiking skirt manufacturer's out there. I looked into the hiking skirts more, and like most hiking gear, they either didn't come in my size, or didn't look like they would offer enough freedom of movement for rock scrambling.
When I first mentioned hiking kilts to Sidetrack the response I got from him didn't scream "get me one right now, I have to try it", so the kilt option got dropped for awhile.
I, however, did try hiking in a couple casual skirts but those didn't really fit the bill. Around the same time though, it seemed athletic skirts were becoming fairly popular again, so I was able to acquire a couple decent athletic skirts from Lane Bryant. After a few hikes I found the athletic skirts to be more fit for the tennis court than the trail. They fit in such a way that there wasn't enough room in the legs. The skirts rode way up when I had to climb rocks. After every climb I had to stop and fuss with the skirt. Shorts underneath weren't ever optional either, as a matter of fact they were usually attached to the skirt itself, generally ill-fitting, with a tendency to ride up and bunch, leading me to have to wear another pair of bike shorts under, or over, the attached shorts to fully maintain proper decency. The skirts were fussy, inconvenient, and lacked options, so I went back to pants.
Why didn't I try a kilt first? Simple answer is I'm a woman and kilts were for men. I see the kilt as a very manly item. I wouldn't feel right wearing a proper kilt. The kilt is the one, special, unbifurcated garment, that men have, and I feared offending them by wearing one. I also had this strange fear of offending some random Scottish hiker, or a hiker with more Scot in his/her genealogy than I have, and having to answer for why I was wearing a kilt...on the trail... Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either.
After all my skirt failures I started looking into kilts, to see what was out there.
They can also be great for women as well. I first read about kilts being used for hiking when I was doing research about backpacking. I also discovered there were a few hiking skirt manufacturer's out there. I looked into the hiking skirts more, and like most hiking gear, they either didn't come in my size, or didn't look like they would offer enough freedom of movement for rock scrambling.
When I first mentioned hiking kilts to Sidetrack the response I got from him didn't scream "get me one right now, I have to try it", so the kilt option got dropped for awhile.
I, however, did try hiking in a couple casual skirts but those didn't really fit the bill. Around the same time though, it seemed athletic skirts were becoming fairly popular again, so I was able to acquire a couple decent athletic skirts from Lane Bryant. After a few hikes I found the athletic skirts to be more fit for the tennis court than the trail. They fit in such a way that there wasn't enough room in the legs. The skirts rode way up when I had to climb rocks. After every climb I had to stop and fuss with the skirt. Shorts underneath weren't ever optional either, as a matter of fact they were usually attached to the skirt itself, generally ill-fitting, with a tendency to ride up and bunch, leading me to have to wear another pair of bike shorts under, or over, the attached shorts to fully maintain proper decency. The skirts were fussy, inconvenient, and lacked options, so I went back to pants.
Why didn't I try a kilt first? Simple answer is I'm a woman and kilts were for men. I see the kilt as a very manly item. I wouldn't feel right wearing a proper kilt. The kilt is the one, special, unbifurcated garment, that men have, and I feared offending them by wearing one. I also had this strange fear of offending some random Scottish hiker, or a hiker with more Scot in his/her genealogy than I have, and having to answer for why I was wearing a kilt...on the trail... Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking either.
After all my skirt failures I started looking into kilts, to see what was out there.
Enter the Sport Kilt.
Sport Kilt makes athletic kilts for men and for women. People use them for hiking, for Highland Games, for Tough Mudder races, and even for casual Kilting. The women's Sport Kilts are 18 inches long and hit me about 2 inches above the knee. In my, very humble, opinion the women's version actually looks more like a kilted skirt, though it does still open on the right, like a man's kilt.
I pretty much fell in love with my Sport Kilt as soon as I put it on, which was, quite literally, just one or two minutes after it arrived. The best part is there's a small pocket on the inside of the front apron, which I like to use for stashing my phone if I need it frequently, say for looking at letterboxing clues. It's also great for stashing small items like a handkerchief. The kilt is durable enough to withstand hiking and climbing over boulders, and I have all the freedom of movement I need to climb rocks. Plus, it's adorable and plenty nice enough to wear out. I've worn it on the trail, out shopping, and even dressed up to the theater. I wore it so much that I bought myself a second one, in plain black, just a month after buying the first one.
Actually hiking in the Sport Kilt sealed the deal for me completely. For freedom of movement the Sport Kilt fit the bill perfectly. There is absolutely no restriction on your movement in one of these. It's better than any garment I've ever hiked in with respect to being able to move in any way needed.
Sport Kilt offers a few Family Tartans, mostly the more common names, some Military Tartans, and several Universal/Fashion Tartans. There's even a plain black (Ninja) kilt, some other plain kilts, and camo. There's a Tartan, or lack of Tartan, for everyone.
One thing about the Sport Kilt is they have a lot of optional features. Fringe, Sewn Pleats, Leather Straps, Extra Pockets, Etc. So you can pick and choose to spend as little or as much as you like. I was on a tight budget so I only chose to have the pleats sewn down for $12. I, personally, would consider having the pleats sewn down to be not optional, especially for men. The kilt will keep it's shape better with the pleats sewn down. I've seen some not sewn down at our local highland games, and, even on the men, they were starting to resemble skirts more than kilts. I like the pleats to be really sharp so I tend to re-press the pleats on mine every 2-3 washings and I always line dry it. I do the same with Sidetrack's Stillwater Kilt. His Utility Kilt, on the other hand, gets pressed every time I wash it. For washing and care, the kilts are definitely more fussy than all of our other hiking bottoms, but I consider them to be worth the effort. I now use my other athletic skirts for yard work, mowing, and splitting firewood.
Sport Kilt makes athletic kilts for men and for women. People use them for hiking, for Highland Games, for Tough Mudder races, and even for casual Kilting. The women's Sport Kilts are 18 inches long and hit me about 2 inches above the knee. In my, very humble, opinion the women's version actually looks more like a kilted skirt, though it does still open on the right, like a man's kilt.
I pretty much fell in love with my Sport Kilt as soon as I put it on, which was, quite literally, just one or two minutes after it arrived. The best part is there's a small pocket on the inside of the front apron, which I like to use for stashing my phone if I need it frequently, say for looking at letterboxing clues. It's also great for stashing small items like a handkerchief. The kilt is durable enough to withstand hiking and climbing over boulders, and I have all the freedom of movement I need to climb rocks. Plus, it's adorable and plenty nice enough to wear out. I've worn it on the trail, out shopping, and even dressed up to the theater. I wore it so much that I bought myself a second one, in plain black, just a month after buying the first one.
Actually hiking in the Sport Kilt sealed the deal for me completely. For freedom of movement the Sport Kilt fit the bill perfectly. There is absolutely no restriction on your movement in one of these. It's better than any garment I've ever hiked in with respect to being able to move in any way needed.
Sport Kilt offers a few Family Tartans, mostly the more common names, some Military Tartans, and several Universal/Fashion Tartans. There's even a plain black (Ninja) kilt, some other plain kilts, and camo. There's a Tartan, or lack of Tartan, for everyone.
One thing about the Sport Kilt is they have a lot of optional features. Fringe, Sewn Pleats, Leather Straps, Extra Pockets, Etc. So you can pick and choose to spend as little or as much as you like. I was on a tight budget so I only chose to have the pleats sewn down for $12. I, personally, would consider having the pleats sewn down to be not optional, especially for men. The kilt will keep it's shape better with the pleats sewn down. I've seen some not sewn down at our local highland games, and, even on the men, they were starting to resemble skirts more than kilts. I like the pleats to be really sharp so I tend to re-press the pleats on mine every 2-3 washings and I always line dry it. I do the same with Sidetrack's Stillwater Kilt. His Utility Kilt, on the other hand, gets pressed every time I wash it. For washing and care, the kilts are definitely more fussy than all of our other hiking bottoms, but I consider them to be worth the effort. I now use my other athletic skirts for yard work, mowing, and splitting firewood.
My love of my kilt got Sidetrack more interested in trying one. He had some hesitation and wasn't entirely sure he'd like it. For the record, we have very little disposable income, so spending $70 - $80 on a Sport Kilt for him wasn't going to work. I knew if I didn't like mine for hiking I would at least wear it around town. If he didn't like his, he probably wouldn't use it at all, so I went in search of cheaper options. I discovered a lot of people use Stillwater Kilts (economy or thrifty) as an every level kilt and/or for hiking. The $30 thrifty fit the bill for Sidetrack. I ordered one for him, and it arrived very quickly. The pleats on the thrifty aren't sewn down so I sewed them down myself after Sidetrack had a chance to try it on. The acrylic material of the Stillwater is definitely more fragile than the sport kilt, and it pills, especially where the sporran rubs. It's definitely an excellent way to test the kilt-wearing water though. Sidetrack has liked his kilt well-enough, so far, that I have also invested in a UT Kilt for him, so he has something durable to try as well. We've both pretty much already picked out our next kilts too. :)
Did I mention kilts become addictive? No? Well, they do. Consider yourself warned.
Anyway, I'm getting off track. Back to hiking.
Believe it or not, so far, the most common question about kilted hiking has been "Do insects fly up it?" The answer, so far, is no. I've never been stung on a hike, and the mosquito's don't bite any higher on my leg when I'm wearing my kilted skirt than they did when I was wearing shorts. Now, I have had a wasp fly up the leg of my shorts and sting me on the thigh, but that was while I was mowing, and again, it was shorts and the thing got trapped in the leg. It didn't sting me until I felt something and was trying to figure out what was in my shorts! In that case, a skirt, which would have been easier to lift up and away from my leg, might have actually saved me from getting stung. So, based on that, I would say insects are no bigger risk kilted than they are when in shorts. Pants will always protect you more, but who wants to wear pants when it's hot and humid? Not me! 45 degree's F or above, for me, generally means pants are right out for hiking.
Did I mention kilts become addictive? No? Well, they do. Consider yourself warned.
Anyway, I'm getting off track. Back to hiking.
Believe it or not, so far, the most common question about kilted hiking has been "Do insects fly up it?" The answer, so far, is no. I've never been stung on a hike, and the mosquito's don't bite any higher on my leg when I'm wearing my kilted skirt than they did when I was wearing shorts. Now, I have had a wasp fly up the leg of my shorts and sting me on the thigh, but that was while I was mowing, and again, it was shorts and the thing got trapped in the leg. It didn't sting me until I felt something and was trying to figure out what was in my shorts! In that case, a skirt, which would have been easier to lift up and away from my leg, might have actually saved me from getting stung. So, based on that, I would say insects are no bigger risk kilted than they are when in shorts. Pants will always protect you more, but who wants to wear pants when it's hot and humid? Not me! 45 degree's F or above, for me, generally means pants are right out for hiking.
The other question that comes up is THE question. You know the one. "What do men wear under them?" I want to make a suggestion, in a serious way, about what to wear under your hiking kilt. My recommendation is to wear something. I may be biased because where we hike is very hilly and rocky, it's New England after-all, and I found wearing just underwear to even be too revealing for my liking. The last thing I need to worry about is if someone can see up my kilt while I'm trying to work my way up a tricky rock scramble. I choose to wear thin bike shorts underneath mine. Even just having underwear on, though, protects your privacy somewhat if you are climbing rocks or standing on a cliff edge where there is a trail underneath, or even just a lot of wind.
On the trail there's also always the risk of having a fall and inadvertently exposing yourself and/or injuring yourself. I've slipped and fallen on the trail in my kilt and had I not had anything on at all underneath, my bum would have gotten pretty scraped up. The bike shorts I was wearing, quite literally, saved my arse. I also found myself more comfortable knowing I had bike shorts on when we were on the coast and the wind kept making my Sport Kilt go all Marilyn Monroe on me. Ultimately what to wear underneath your kilt is a personal decision, but for me safety and modesty on the trail dictate that something really should be worn.
On the trail there's also always the risk of having a fall and inadvertently exposing yourself and/or injuring yourself. I've slipped and fallen on the trail in my kilt and had I not had anything on at all underneath, my bum would have gotten pretty scraped up. The bike shorts I was wearing, quite literally, saved my arse. I also found myself more comfortable knowing I had bike shorts on when we were on the coast and the wind kept making my Sport Kilt go all Marilyn Monroe on me. Ultimately what to wear underneath your kilt is a personal decision, but for me safety and modesty on the trail dictate that something really should be worn.
Some bonuses of the kilt:
Kilted Hiking/Camping Drawbacks:
- There is no crotch area to wear thin, so they can easily outlast pants.
- They smell less on multi-day backpacking trips since, again, there is no crotch. Air it out while you sleep and it smells fresh the next day. I wore mine for 4 days on Isle au Haut and it still smelled fine at the end of the trip. I was well impressed.
- The extra fabric really works to your advantage offering much privacy for having a pee in the woods.
Kilted Hiking/Camping Drawbacks:
- Thick waistband gets really sweaty, especially with the addition of the waist strap on a backpack over it.
- Standard Sport Kilt doesn't dry very quickly if you get caught in a downpour. (The Sport Kilt Hiker will dry faster, I just couldn't afford that model).
- Thigh Chafing is more of a problem. (remedied with bike shorts, body-glide, or other similar products)
- Acrylic Kilts are not flame resistant, at all.
Kilt On,
-Molasses
-Molasses
Kilty Resources
Stillwater Kilts - My source for Sidetrack's very first kilt. Jerry, the owner, is friendly, he responds quickly to emails and he ships super fast (USPS Priority 2-Day). The running joke is that he ships your order before you even place it. The Thrifty and Standard models are great entry-level kilts for the budget conscious.
Sport Kilt - This is where both of my kilted skirts came from. I do also have a Stillwater Thrifty of my own, but I mostly wear it around the house.
UT Kilts - This is where Sidetrack's Utility Kilt came from. The kilt is extremely durable and well-made. They have fantastic prices and if you're on a really tight budget like us, their clearance section makes the prices even better.
USA Kilts - This is where Sidetrack's next kilt is coming from. Custom made, fabulous prices, and a huge selection of Tartans. I have heard nothing but good things about the kilts from here.
X-Marks the Scot - A community of kilt wearers/enthusiasts. I have learned a lot from the Ladies and Gentlemen on this forum. The members are friendly, helpful, and welcoming. You can also count on all the advertisers on this site to offer nothing but the highest quality goods and services.
Albanach.org - This site will answer pretty much every kilt-related question you have. Start with the article I've linked to and explore from there.
Stillwater Kilts - My source for Sidetrack's very first kilt. Jerry, the owner, is friendly, he responds quickly to emails and he ships super fast (USPS Priority 2-Day). The running joke is that he ships your order before you even place it. The Thrifty and Standard models are great entry-level kilts for the budget conscious.
Sport Kilt - This is where both of my kilted skirts came from. I do also have a Stillwater Thrifty of my own, but I mostly wear it around the house.
UT Kilts - This is where Sidetrack's Utility Kilt came from. The kilt is extremely durable and well-made. They have fantastic prices and if you're on a really tight budget like us, their clearance section makes the prices even better.
USA Kilts - This is where Sidetrack's next kilt is coming from. Custom made, fabulous prices, and a huge selection of Tartans. I have heard nothing but good things about the kilts from here.
X-Marks the Scot - A community of kilt wearers/enthusiasts. I have learned a lot from the Ladies and Gentlemen on this forum. The members are friendly, helpful, and welcoming. You can also count on all the advertisers on this site to offer nothing but the highest quality goods and services.
Albanach.org - This site will answer pretty much every kilt-related question you have. Start with the article I've linked to and explore from there.