Who's wearing an Elkommando, Sport Kilt hiker, or similar lightweight kilt?

[ratspike]

I'm making a kilt for a guy who's into ultralight backpacking, and is also heading across the pond for the Three Peaks Challenge this year. October is the plan. He recently bought his first kilt, a Utilikilt Survival, but the weight and the fact that it's 100% cotton are a no-go. He's leaning towards nylon/cotton ripstop as a reasonable compromise, but lately I've been thinking a lot about using Supplex. The fabric weight is about 3.5oz, so I'm thinking it'd be similar to both the Elkommando and the Sport Kilt hiker. If you have either of those, what are your thoughts about it as a kilt? Obviously it's not going to hang and swish like heavier fabrics, but IMO that's a bit secondary for a garment like this. The comfort and awesome factor of a kilt combined with the advantages of a modern technical fabric is what I'm shooting for. If, on the other hand, it's so light that all the kiltiness goes out the window then I'd probably save myself the bother of making and testing a sample.

[tundramanq]

I have and use both.
The Elkommando is purpose built for backpack hiking. The nylon canvas is heavy weight but the kilt is light with no hardware in the backpack resting hip area. The cargo pockets are a plus. This is one tough fabric. Mine is stained but perfect otherwise. Mine is first generation but I don't think anything really is different in the current product.

The SportKilt Hiker (Pacific Blue) is super light weight 11 oz (330gm) microfiber - so light that if there is any wind you better have a kilt pin on or a sporran. This is the only kilt that has gone full Marilyn on me. It is the best kilt for swimming as it will be dry in about 15 minutes. The fabric is probably fairy tough but I wouldn't take it through the brambles.

I think at the high altitudes in Scotland He will be best served by the Elkommando.

[Kiltedingeorgia]

The sportkilt Hiker isn't to good walking though the Wal Wart garden dept and the Home Dpot with the very large ceiling fans going... It had mine over my waist in no time... LOL.

[FinnKilt]

Got my first Elkommando in 2012 for the closing section of the Camino de Santiago in late October (rainy season – well, it's always rainy season in Galicia).



Walked in torrential rain for 2 hours to test it out in comparison with my GoreTex jacket: the Elkommando was damp round the hem when the GoreTex was already leaking, and was bonedry within half an hour vs several hours for the jacket. Supercomfortable in chilly wet as well as in scorching hot dry weather. Have worn it ever since for hiking, including 100 km TransPennine Challenge at midsummer 2013



and most recently Hadrian's Wall end to end two weeks ago; and have just ordered a 2nd one. Can easily be re-proofed with NikWax, as it loses some of its waterproofing after repeated washes. I also (like other thread contributors) wear it simply as a supercomfortable garment (as it happens, right now, since it's a hot day). BUT since I use a leather belt to carry my phonepouch I got a seamstress to take a strip off the left edge of the underapron and make beltloops all the way round – it comes with just one, oddly, at front left.

[James Hood]

Reading / keying this thread in 5.11 Tactical Duty Kilt in Tundra.

Solid fan of the design, especially the fabric and pockets, despite the truly weird box pleats and narrow apron. The "modesty snap" does work well for preventing fly-up in most circumstances.

One can only imagine the referenced fans' effects on ladies in lightweight skirts and dresses.

[Benning Boy]

First off, take a look at this http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ng-kilt-69784/

I wear an ElKommando often, just because it's so darned comfortable. It will get use on the trails this summer. The one big drawback to it, as I see it, is that it's made to a size, and isn't very adjustable. It can be tightened up a little bit, but can't be let out. Go with velcro at the waist for a better range of adjustment. If your buddy uses a waist belt on his pack, don't sew on belt loops, or use a belt to hold the kilt up, the velcro will do the job. If you can, look at a USAKilts casual kilt for ideas. Supplex should work. To keep the pleats sharp, sew them along the edges like an ElK. An absorbent lining at the waste like the ElK has would be a plus. Supplex will fly in the wind, so add a modesty snap to keep things legal, but make it better than the ElK's, which will come undone even in a calm. Also look at the X-Kilt plans for some good ideas.

Look at this silly thing http://www.featherkilt.com/order.php You would pull it on like a pair of pants. But imagine it made to wrap around like our kind of kilts. There'd be two apron panels over lapping at front, two side panels for attaching big pockets. ( make them pockets within pockets for more carry options, and to keep everything from dropping to the bottom) then add a pleated section to the rear. It could work.

I'm still leaning to use my machine, so I haven't made a kilt yet, but I bought fabric to make a hiking kilt. It's a Pendelton tartan, light weight wool. Too lite for a normal kilt, but about twice as heavy as Supplex. Think about a lightweight woolen fabric for a hiking kilt. I'm thinking it will work well. I also have enough tartan Airtex mess fabric to make a kilt, although I probably won't, it would be a supper light, supper ventilated and fast drying kilt. It would fly like startled quail in the wind, and there'd be a bit of a see-through factor, but for one going where few others will be encountered it could have some advantages.

[brewerpaul]

I own 3 Elkommando's for trail running and hiking, one Stillwater kilts standard for cold weather running and a light weight quick dry nylon kilt I made for hiking and running. Each has its advantages depending on what you are doing.

Starting with the Elkommando I use them quite a bit for trail running, hiking, gardening, walking to and from work and just lounging around. They are light, comfy and easy to maintain. They are light enough to be cool in the summer, dry with a snap and a bit of wind and like jeans they get softer and more comfortable with age. They also are durable and dont rip or tear easily at all. The down side is the narrow belt, the s/m/lg/xlg sizing and the way they fit on the waist. They fit like jeans or shorts so if you wear a loaded pack or something they tend to get scrunched down like pants do. An occasional stop is needed to hike them back up.

Without photos it didnt happen

I bought my first Elkommando in Seattle before leading a climb on Mt Baker. The normal approach wearing shorts or pants is always a but uncomfortable but with the kilt it was cool and the most enjoyable approach Ive made in the 20 years Ive been climbing on Baker.

Im the guy in the lead.


Loaded and heading up the trail


Checking out the snow pack and glaciers


Life is good in a kilt


Late fall camping in Missouri. Jennifer and I about to go on a trail run


Just out for a trail run.

[brewerpaul]

Now my running kilt I made is fashioned more like a traditional kilt, meaning straps and buckles, a lot of knife pleats and a high rise like a normal kilt rise. I made it like this because it stays up above my pack waist strap better. Instead of the waist strap pushing down on the kilt the kilt is actually under the strap. It is also more comfortable with a single or double water bottle waist pack too.

Back pleats sewn at the edge to stay pressed


Nylon webbing and buckles for reduced weight and strenght


Wicking linner on the inside keeps me dry


A more traditional fit due to the rise.


Pleats do swish ok


On the trails



One last photo of my Stillwater standard kilt. It is a mid/heavy weight acrylic that I use for cold winter running and hiking. With the regular kilt rise I find it quite comfy with my water bottle pack or my backpack. Jennifer and I take advantage of the trails year round.

Winter hiking kilted.


And proof there is a Jennifer that enjoys all this fun with me



Bottom line it depends on what you are looking for. If you dont care for a jeans/shorts fitting waist you would do better using a lighter weight acrylic kilt or making your own. Making one is quite easy because you arent worried about a tartan sete, just making some pleats. For hiking and running you cant go wrong with an Elkommando. Comfortable and tough, quick to dry and washable time after time. Rockywoods fabric has many types of quick dry performance fabrics you could make a kilt from. If you go to light with the fabric it will just blow all over, cling to you and be like a light weight skirt. There are alot of options from the velcro closure entry level kilts of USA kilts to Sport kilts to Elkommando to make your own. I have uses for each and every one of mine and plan on putting a lot of trail miles on my home made running kilt and my Elkommandos. It gets hot and humid in Mid Missouri and I appreciate each one.

[ratspike]

This is fantastic! Thanks for the opinions, gents. I'm only a very casual hiker so this is really helpful. I've never had hands on the Elk, but I do have some Mountain Hardwear stuff that's light, quick drying nylon so I'd assumed the kilt was a similar fabric. It sounds to me like the kiltiness is still there with these lighter fabrics, which is great to know. Rose City Textiles/Fabricline is here in PDX and they carry Supplex along with lots of other outdoor fabrics, so I think making a test kilt sounds worthwhile. He may still opt for a nyco ripstop if the camo pattern he wants is ever available again, but I'm trying to present a few different options to him.

The comments about the waistband and belts interfering with packs is great. We talked quite a bit about fit, and he's happy with his UK in that respect, but I'll make sure that we cover this specifically. Velcro is definitely my go-to for waist fastening, because velcro is rad.

Brewerpaul, Rockywoods is fab. I get my Multicam and some hardware bits from them. What kind of nylon did you use for that running kilt? I'm assuming something along the lines of Supplex/Taslan?

BenningBoy, the Feather Kilt is interesting. I dig the tie at the waist and I bet it's ridiculously comfy to wear when it's hot. The way it can be made into shorts is cool as well.

[Elizabeth]

No hiking kilt for me but I do have a couple of these that I wear when we camp or are out walking http://www.macabiskirt.com/. They are made of Supplex and they dry very quickly. Since they are very "wrinkle free" I'm not sure if Supplex would hold a pleat unless it was totally stitched.