5.11 TDK is back

**rescout** · 18th May 15, 08:19 PM

I got ours today. We were spot on for the Multicam for my son; it looks great in fit, form and color and he is pleased.

Mine looks great too but I have one question. It is a tad loose; I would not be able to wear it without a belt. If I go down one size, it will probably be a little snug without a belt. Is it better to keep it a little loose? I would always use a belt with it anyway, and wear it at normal kilt height (not at pant waist but high). Wife says it looks good, so there's always that.

**ratspike** · 19th May 15, 05:26 AM

Originally Posted by rescout

Mine looks great too but I have one question. It is a tad loose; I would not be able to wear it without a belt. If I go down one size, it will probably be a little snug without a belt. Is it better to keep it a little loose? I would always use a belt with it anyway, and wear it at normal kilt height (not at pant waist but high). Wife says it looks good, so there's always that.

If you always wear a belt then I wouldn't sweat it being a little loose. IMO that would be preferable to having it too tight. It'd also be a pretty simple thing to add adjusters to the waist, like what you often see on tactical pants, to take up a bit of extra room in the waist.

**rescout** · 19th May 15, 07:46 AM

Sounds like good advice. Thanks

**Gibtron** · 21st May 15, 06:37 PM

Got one in camouflage, I like it but it's too short for my tall frame. sadly it will be going back.

**Mel1721L** · 23rd May 15, 12:07 AM

Got mine in green yesterday. I bought a khaki one last year. They are perfect for our hot weather but if its a bit windy I remove the cargo pockets and wear a sporran. These are now my everyday kilts, unless I leave the resort for anything, then its back to tartan. At least the Spanish have a vague idea what it is. Not sure what they'd make of these.

**FinnKilt** · 26th June 15, 02:16 PM

I was excited to hear back in May that the 5.11. TDK kilts were out again. I'd never tried one, but the positive comments from so many users were encouraging.
I then spent a very frustrating 2 days trying to place my order and failing. I currently live in the UK (that's the United Kingdom, not the Other UK), and I recognized that there would be problems getting the kilts shipped outside the US, but my idea was to have the kilts delivered to family within the US.
However, I was unable to set up an account, as the first information required was the billing address – and, as it eventually emerged, they don't accept payments from outside the USA. (They are not the only US firm with this blinkered atttitude.) Moreover they state that they accept PayPal payments, which should have circumvented the problem, but I could not see how one was supposed to set up the PayPal arrangement.

When I wrote to their helpdesk, I received the following response (12 May):
Thank you for submitting your inquiry. It has been forwarded to the appropriate department and you will be contacted in a timely manner.
I'm still waiting ...

BUT then I found that there is a firm in the UK which carries 5.11 kilts – a very limited range, and I had to go for olive green (which I do like) rather than the brown and the black (which I really wanted). So I ordered a 38" olive green tactical kilt.
All my other off-the-peg kilts, from a variety of suppliers, are 38" waist. When the TDK arrived, it virtually fell off my hips. I measured the waist (press-stud to matching counterpiece) and it was 41" – a full three inches bigger. Fortunately, the suppliers were willing to exchange it for a size smaller – what is called a 36" and is in fact a measured 39".

I'm happy with the kilt – actually wearing it at this moment. It's comfortable, the pockets do indeed hold an impressive capacity, and I particularly liked the little modesty tag that allows you to fasten the underapron to the left side - useful in turbulent wind.
But just WHAT does the waist measurement refer to? As far as I can see, no part of my lower body has a 36"/37" circumference!

**ratspike** · 26th June 15, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by FinnKilt

But just WHAT does the waist measurement refer to? As far as I can see, no part of my lower body has a 36"/37" circumference!

My understanding of how 5.11 sizes the TDK is that it you're supposed to size them like a pair of Levis. This means that you'd measure your waist, and then order a kilt that's actually a couple inches smaller than that. If your waist measures 36 then you'd order 34. Brilliant, right? I don't think there's even any sizing info at all on the TDK product page, and I've heard LOTS of complaints about stuff not fitting.

It's a really cool product at a great price point, but IMO 5.11 has halfassed it a little bit. To be fair, they never actually planned to make these things and they're not kiltmakers, but I'd still expect a little more from them in a few key areas.