12 degrees F

[McFarkus]

I agree with theScot. I wore a wool kilt with wool kilt hose to two Robby Burns celebrations last January in Chicago. It was 9º F with wind chills down to -15º F and I was quite comfortable. I generally find if my feet, hands and head are warm the rest takes care of itself.

[piperdbh]

You might want to read this, written by our own Tartan Hiker last winter.
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=44833

[Jaggy thistle]

I have worn my kilt at -13 c and was very comfortable as long as you wear plenty clothes on the top half and there is not a high wind you are right enough .I find wearing underwear makes no difference to the temp under the kilt

[iustus]

A ways back I used to play in a marching band and i was the sole piper. Our competitions would be at the end of the fall season and one it was single digits F. My pipes were actin a fool and my hands were virtually numb.

We were out in the cold for about 1 1/2 - 2hrs; I was cold, but healthy cold. Here was my basic run down.

Silk thermal socks (very thin)

Wool US mil. spec surplus socks with the foot cut out so they were like hose tops (very thick)

Wool mix kilt hose

Gillie Brogues

16oz 8yd Kilt

silk thermal shirt (very thin)

Synthetic insulated shirt it was before underarmor

Cotton Dress Shirt w/tie

Wool/Poly Jacket

Glengarry (Surprised it stayed on with the wind)

My humble opinion: keep your shanks warm, layer your trunk and wear more of a hat than a Glengarry and more shoes than gillies. I have found there are limits to the kilt in more arctic climates but being creative has pushed it into some cold cold weather.

Happy experimenting.
justin

[kiltedwolfman]

Over the last week here the temp. has dropped into the minus 20's celsious and I've been kilted the whole time. After some prolonged walking about I found my knees getting a bit of frost bite, but a few minutes in a coffee shop sorted that out. Aside from that I make sure to wear a decent jacket and head dress, nice thick hose and everything is just tickity-boo!

[jrmiller]

Well, I wore my kilt tonight and decent hose. It was cold, but not quite 12 degrees. However, it was windy and that was a problem. Every time the wind blew, I would get that normally wonderful air-conditioning effect up under my kilt. Well, I can tell you that it wasn't as welcome as it is in the summer!

The problem is the wind can reach all that bare skin above my knees.

I will probably do it again, just because I am stubborn about things like that, but there has to be some kind of protection that would help in this situation.

Longer hose? Longer kilt?

Did get a compliment from an unknown gal tonight, she liked the ensemble. Never underestimate the power of the kilt, even when you are shiver'n your nethers!

[Skipper1]

I have been out on mountain tops and minus 5 C in my kilt. A microfleece undershirt, wool pullover and windbreaker, good hiking boots, hose and I was fine. And a proper caubeen. Hiking up the mountain helped keep the blood flowing. I actually found the whole swish of the kilt thing worked to move a bit of air around the sensitive bits and keep the heat build up down to a managable level. I solved the knee problem by rolling my hose up over the knee and using the garter to keep it there. I think that is why hose was orginally designed to be long - scrunch them down in hot weather - roll them over the knee in cold. Of course that may have looked a bit un-traditional, but hey, if you are man enough to wear a kilt in the first place, you can wear your hose any damn way you want.

[Standard]

I was out all day last Saturday for our "Dickens on the Square" festival. Of course I was kilted, and the temps were in the low 20*s (F). There was a slight breeze, but nothing bad. I was very comfortable in my kilt. Wore a long underwear shirt under my dress shirt along with my Argyle jacket and thin waist coat, and balmoral. Got LOTS of questions about being cold in general, or about my knees being cold. I just replied that I had 8 yards of heavy weight wool wrapped around me, and that I was quite comfortable.

[NewGuise]

Like fellow Edmontonian Kiltedwolfman, I've been out and about, kilted, in some pretty cool weather lately. A little while back I posted something about my first really cool night out, with weather conditions pretty much exactly as you describe, wearing a 4-yard box-pleated kilt (not a heavy tank) with jacket and vest and day plaid (no overcoat or scarf or even gloves) and all but my knees remained toasty warm. Those knees were facing into the icy wind on the way home, and so got just a little ruddy - not bad at all, far from frostbitten (I know frostbite).

So worry not; kilt on.

[johnnym]

It has been well below freezing all week here in Kansas. I have worn the kilt a few times without incident. However, I ride a bicycle to work. Shortest route is just over 5 miles. I ride year round and have covered over 36,000 miles in the past 5 1/2 years. In this weather, I wear longhandles, insulated jeans, t-shirt, sweatshirt, heavy jacket, scarf, safety vest, ski mask, helmet, 2 pair socks, heavy boots, and ski gloves. Fingers and toes still get nippy. When I get to work, I change into my office outfit.