Hiking in the rain with a wool kilt

**wrcraig** · 14th January 12, 01:03 AM

Hello fellow kilt lovers! I live in the Pacific Northwest where we see our fair share of rain. Has anyone out there in kilt land gone kilt hiking in the rain? And if so, what damage if any occurred to your kilt? Did your kilt sag or stretch to your ankles? Stain, or become badly in need of pressing? Let me know please? Thanks!

**davidg** · 14th January 12, 01:50 AM

Speaking as a trained mountain leader rather than as a kilt wearing hiker I would suggest that it would be foolish to wear a kilt in serious wild terrain

A little rain will not hurt a kilt as such and wool (not PVC) will stay warm when wet. The real problem is that 8 yards of wool will get very heavy and take an eternity to dry. It will also rub against your legs mercilessly

If hiking on a fine day in less wild country then a kilt might be fine as long as there is little more than a quick light shower of rain

Wearing a kilt also exposes you to the same potential problems as someone who wears shorts. In some terrains it is better to fully cover the legs to avoid insect bites, tics, damage from bushes etc. For that kind of hiking you need full leg pants and gaiters with the pants made of lightweight, breathable and QUICK DRYING fabric

In short, it's all down to the kind of terrain you are hiking in and the level of comfort you want to achieve

**Derek** · 14th January 12, 01:54 AM

I have gone mountain walking many many times in various cilts (8yd 16oz stromes), and have got absolutely soaked in bad weather conditions. When you get home simply hang your cilt/kilt up and it will soon dry out and look spanking new again.
Iechyd Da

Derek

**wrcraig** · 14th January 12, 02:28 AM

Thanks Davidg and Derek. With the information you've given me. I've decided to take the plunge and go hiking in my kilt later this morning. In the rain! Just gotta love the Oregon sunshine!

**JSFMACLJR** · 14th January 12, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by wrcraig

Hello fellow kilt lovers! I live in the Pacific Northwest where we see our fair share of rain. Has anyone out there in kilt land gone kilt hiking in the rain? And if so, what damage if any occurred to your kilt? Did your kilt sag or stretch to your ankles? Stain, or become badly in need of pressing? Let me know please? Thanks!

Guess what? It rains a lot in the Highlands, the home of the kilt

**ForresterModern** · 14th January 12, 06:14 AM

Not specifically designed as hiking, but I did play 4 rounds of golf in Scotland over a year ago during which I was kilted in tanks and we walked with caddies in pouring rain and got drenched 4 days in a row, give or take 7-9000 yards over about 5 hours each round on foot, with continuous wearing the rest of the day and evening as well. Three different kilts took on the precipitous onslaught, which included some "off-trail" adventuring (read "I missed the fairway a lot and found myself poking around in the gorse and heather searching for my and others balls with some regularity"). For the most part my tanks shed the water, although they did eventually soak up some, stayed warm, dried overnight, kept their pleats after hanging to dry. Although there was some slipping around of the waist of the kilt on my hips and gut because of the moisture combined with my less than optimal figure and the constant movement and slightly extra weight of the wet kilt, it really was not more than that encountered by me normally with movement and only required the occasional readjustment or belt tightening (I do not have the ideal figure for kilt wearing unfortunately). Only thing I noticed that happened to the kilt with the water was a temporary subtle rise in the nap of the tartan when wet, a slight fuzziness instead of the hard smooth surface to the fabric, but that resolved with thorough drying, which never took more than a day or two hanging in the hotel rooms. The only other thing is that now those kilts actually fit better than before and better than their compatriots in my closet that have not seen that much water and simultaneous strenuous and prolonged wearing, so maybe there was a "jocking" effect much like that seen with Jock's treatment of a new Balmoral with the soak and wear dry improving the overall fit, possibly by tightening up of the wool a bit where needed when "molded" around my particular shape. So IMHO no worries mate. Enjoy the wet day and the stroll.

**Tartan Hiker** · 14th January 12, 07:55 AM

Intrerestingly I'm getting ready to go out for a day hike in a wool kilt. It isn't raining right now, but they are calling for snow this afternoon.

I've been caught out in the rain, and soaked, in lots of different types of kilts. My experience is similar to that of FM. I have gotten the horrible behind-the-knees nuclear red chafing, however, but only once, and that was with a soaked poly-cotton kilt. Hemmed Polycotton fabric has a very sharp edge and it wore me out in no time. The main problem was that this particular kilt was a bit too long for me (one of my early DIY efforts before I finally settled on the perfect measurements). My wool hiking kilt has never been a problem.

Take home lesson: Be sure that your hiking kilt rides above the knee cap (and stays there throughout the hike!)

**Standard** · 14th January 12, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by ForresterModern

The only other thing is that now those kilts actually fit better than before and better than their compatriots in my closet that have not seen that much water and simultaneous strenuous and prolonged wearing, so maybe there was a "jocking" effect much like that seen with Jock's treatment of a new Balmoral with the soak and wear dry improving the overall fit, possibly by tightening up of the wool a bit where needed when "molded" around my particular shape. So IMHO no worries mate. Enjoy the wet day and the stroll.

Interesting observation. I know we used to soak hiking boots, when we all wore the big heavy leather mountaineering boots, in water and wear them until they dried, thus forming them to our feet. I suppose that wool, which has a dentancy to shrink up a bit when it dries out from being wet did much the same.

**Ryan Ross** · 14th January 12, 08:37 AM

I've certainly been out in a driving rain, long enough for the pleat section of my 8yd tank to be soaked all the way through. It didn't hurt it a bit.

Bare in mind that if you have to ride in a car with your kilt in that state, you had better sit down carefully- if you don't, the wrinkles will be brutal.

**ForresterModern** · 14th January 12, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Ryan Ross

I've certainly been out in a driving rain, long enough for the pleat section of my 8yd tank to be soaked all the way through. It didn't hurt it a bit.

Bare in mind that if you have to ride in a car with your kilt in that state, you had better sit down carefully- if you don't, the wrinkles will be brutal.

I think that after my soakings I did sit in the van for anywhere between one and two hours a couple times without paying specific attention to the pleats, and when I hung the kilts up at teh end of the day it was usually over one of those old radiator style heaters that give of a dry heat. I think the already wet tartan and the dry heat combined to act like a good steaming to remove the wrinkles, as next morning they were each essentially back in normal working order. A pleasant and unexpected and unplanned outcome of simply utilizing the facilities available at hand.

j