Improved Mountain Hardware Kilt

[natureboy68]

i too am interested in this to find out how to do a DIY version...i know the material is "canyon cloth" which is proprietary to mountain hardware, nylon doesn't take pleats well, but having cotton anywhere in the blend is an outdoor no-no...so what synthetic material will take a pleat well? poly? i know 100% wool is ideal but not in hot weather...maybe a wool/nylon suit material blend? what about using cordura? that won't take pleats well either, but it will wear like iron...
hmmmmm....

[Bruno]

i too am interested in this to find out how to do a DIY version...i know the material is "canyon cloth" which is proprietary to mountain hardware, nylon doesn't take pleats well, but having cotton anywhere in the blend is an outdoor no-no...so what synthetic material will take a pleat well? poly? i know 100% wool is ideal but not in hot weather...maybe a wool/nylon suit material blend? what about using cordura? that won't take pleats well either, but it will wear like iron...
hmmmmm....

Stitch the pleats in (exterior edge) or wonderweb them inside. Its not a traditional kilt by any means so you do not have to follow the "rules". Use the most appropriate material for yourself and the conditions.

[csbdr]

I'm guessing they're sewn in. just like alot of contemporary kilts. I wish to see a better picture.....

[Tartan Hiker]

i too am interested in this to find out how to do a DIY version...i know the material is "canyon cloth" which is proprietary to mountain hardware, nylon doesn't take pleats well, but having cotton anywhere in the blend is an outdoor no-no...so what synthetic material will take a pleat well? poly? i know 100% wool is ideal but not in hot weather...maybe a wool/nylon suit material blend? what about using cordura? that won't take pleats well either, but it will wear like iron...
hmmmmm....

I agree that 100% cotton is asking for trouble, but the cotton blends are a totally different beast. I use cotton/nylon and cotton/poly blends for all kinds of outdoor stuff, kilts included, and they are perfectly fine as long as the temperatures are moderate. Those fabrics are way too thin to provide any kind of insulation, and they just aren't meant for cold weather. Some folks think that if you have any cotton on at all you risk hypothermia if the thermometer drops below 70 degrees, and this just isn't true.

You're right about poly...if you are looking for something that would be warm and wicking in cold weather and tolerable in warm weather (assuming you stay out of the sun)

Cordura...that's just too painful to contemplate.

But to steer back onto the topic, I have no idea what the composition of "Canyon cloth" is, but it sure looks like poly/cotton to me.

[Tartan Hiker]

According to the Mountain Hardwear web site, Canyon Cloth is 100% nylon twill.

[natureboy68]

your right tartan hiker, blends are fine in moderate temps, and when they dip below 60* or so, you can break out the wool kilt, a bit heavier, but more suited for the weather, after all millions of scotsmen can't be wrong...

on another note, i would think the nylon twill would be awfully light material no?
i bet the pleats are sewn in in some way...

[vorpallemur]

on another note, i would think the nylon twill would be awfully light material no?
i bet the pleats are sewn in in some way...

Nylon twills can be as heavy as the weaver wants them to be. I expect the material on this thing is pretty light, given what the intended audience is. I'd sew the pleats in any kilt that was for something like this: if you don't, they'd disappear, and you'd never get it pleated right.

[Woodsman]

I would buy this. I have the first generation and it is extremely comfortable on the trail and at 5oz and quick drying it is ideal to roll up and stuff in a backpack. Funny but I thought little of its not having pleats and the front apron reversed until I visited X-Marks. Reviews on the web were positive as was a review by Backpacker editor Jonathon Dorn. Now being more self conscious of what a proper kilt should look like I think that I may opt for the second generation. I wear other kilts hiking now but none so comfotable or lightweight.

[Pleater]

I don't press in the pleats on my dpm and plain hiking kilts - they do tend to develop folds as they are woven material and sewn so the pleats hang vertically, but after washing they are ironed rather than pressed, so they are rolled pleats, not folded.

I suspect that the pleats in this brand are not intended to be pressed - and with some Nylon materials I have come across trying to press in pleats would result in the fibres becoming folded, stiff and brittle, and after developing a file or sawlike feel at the back of the legs the fabric would eventually disintegrate into strips.

In warm wet weather I wear cotton or poly cotton, and in cooler temperatures something with wool. I am unable to wear man made fibres against my skin - I develop a pink rash. The Nylon would do as a top layer over a tunic perhaps.

I am thinking of making a tweed kilt with a yoke like these now - so as to be able to use narrower fabric for the pleats without a lot of wasted cloth.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[CommonHighrise]

i know 100% wool is ideal but not in hot weather...maybe a wool/nylon suit material blend?

Actually, wool is a very deceptive material. I own a pair of merino wool T-shirts for doing trail hiking. They feel like cotton when dry, but dont stick or get abrasive when wet like cotton. Excellent moisture wicking properties, and a side benefit of being less stinky after several days between washes.

Some folks think that if you have any cotton on at all you risk hypothermia if the thermometer drops below 70 degrees, and this just isn't true.

your right tartan hiker, blends are fine in moderate temps, and when they dip below 60* or so, you can break out the wool kilt, a bit heavier, but more suited for the weather, after all millions of scotsmen can't be wrong...

Gotta chime in, to note that there have been cases of hypothermia reported in temperatures as high as the mid 70s. Technically, if the cards are stacked right, hypothermia can set in with ambient air temps in the 90s, especially if the soil is damp and cool.

However, on the flip side, that all deals with bedding down at night. If the sun is out, cotton wont kill you unless its downright cold outside.