Quote Originally Posted by episcopalscot
My first kilt was a 20oz Canadian Army surplus kilt (Black Watch of Canada), and it was a HORSE BLANKET, but with good reason -- the military has to make 'em that sturdy to withstand the rigours of soldiering, and to last from squaddie to squaddie. It was murder in the summer here in SW Missouri.
My first kilt is also a Canadian regimental surplus (also Black Watch) . . . I think it's rated at 22 oz. I got it after I started doing Scottish Country Dance, and I was looking for an economical alternative to a custom-made kilt (several years ago, before we had all the choice of casual kiltmakers that we do today). Obviously, the Scots instinct for bargains must be deeply inbred . . .

One of my first performances with the SCD group was for the Texas State Fair, which runs from mid-September to mid-October (in Dallas -- north Texas). Late September can still be rather hot, and we usually get assigned to an outdoor venue -- a "dancing" surface laid on top of concrete on a plaza in front of one of the buildings. I recall that that day was around 100 °F (around 38 °C), and concrete being the excellent thermal mass that it is . . . Nothing like dancing in a horseblanket! Needless to say, the whole top portion of the kilt was soaked!!!

For those interested, I got the Black Watch from "What Price Glory", which is a US and British militaria site. Jerry Lee is a very good vendor to deal with. http://whatpriceglory.com/index.htm

Regards,
Mark