New use for 5.11 Tactical

[Michael A]

I got my first 5.11 last week. I measure (or at least I did a couple of weeks ago) 35.5 inches around the navel. I measured 24 inches from navel to mid knee-cap, so for a traditional kilt, that is the drop that is being made for me. When I am at my fighting weight I take a 32-33 size jeans, 32 when I cycle a lot. Lately I have even been tight in a 34, so I dieted a lot and shrank it down.

Anyway, the point is, that traditional measurements for a kilt (excluding seat circumference) are the same for me as they are for the 5.11. I wear the 5.11 at or just below the navel, not the jeans pants line (the hip). After my weight loss it is now a wee bit loose in fact, a situation rectified by a rigger's belt.

So in measuring the same for my 5.11 (which has a 24" drop and the usual 2" difference between waist and pants size), my impression is that they ask for the size of your jeans, but if your jeans size is 34, then they send you a kilt with a waist circumference of 36 inches. The fact that they ask for your pants size is not necessarily an indication that it should be worn at your pants height - indeed for many, that would make the kilt too long; I am 6'1" tall.

But that's just me. A taller person would want to wear it below the navel, or even at the hips, if wearing it at the waist makes it too short.

Of course, people should do whatever works for them. It might just be a coincidence that 5.11 and traditional kilt sizing are identical in my case.