Sore <package> from regimental klt wearing

[Tobus]

My my... I'm just coming to this thread after being gone for a couple of weeks.

I have to agree with others here that if there's soreness from going regimental, something is wrong. The male anatomy is designed to hang freely and there should be no discomfort in it. Either it's just something that your body needs to get used to again, if you've lived your whole life wearing constrictive undergarments, or there really is something medically wrong that needs to be addressed.

(I'm talking about actual soreness here, not the chafing issue. I didn't get from the OP that this was about chafing, but more about soreness from the 'bounce factor'.)

Doing athletic activities like running, jumping, and other stuff might be a different story. But for walking and sitting and normal everyday stuff, there should be no soreness when going regimental.

Heck, I do a lot of hiking, hill climbing, and camping in a kilt... regimental the whole time, and never an issue except for bugs. I don't bother with BodyGlide or anything else either, as chafing doesn't seem to be a problem. The only time it was an issue is when I mistakenly decided to wipe the sweat from the affected area until it was dry. Then it became very painful to walk as I headed down the trail again, until my body was able to replace the sweat as natural lubrication. I won't make that mistake again!

Yeah, this is a sensitive topic. Even gross, maybe. But hey, it's something we guys have to deal with and there's no shame in it!

[AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH]

hello to chris of ontario from scott of victoria, australia, an coigreach albannach (the foriegn scot). i'm still not too good with computors but when i can i'm only too happy to put up a photo so you can see it. just to show how much there is for me to still learn, i only found out those details recently when i spoke to a qualified kilt maker whilst wearing it. till then i only knew it was heavier than what most kilts are made today and that it was ex army. also i must admitt i used to look askance at men wearing those kilts with a fringe so to speak down the side of the front apron,wondering if in thier eagerness to want to join in with the kilted tradition they had attempted to turn a womans 'kilt' into real kilt with the addition of a sporran!also because of the way those kilts moved with the wind or their wearers i could see that they were very much lighter than mine,underlining my question as to how 'real' they were. i never said any thing to any of them partly out of common politeness and partly because i used to think that perhaps a lack of funds and or proper knowledge may be (hopefully) only temporarily holding them back from moving from a well meaning but incorrect fellow 'kilty' into a proper one. now i know that proper kilts can also have this fringe and some are made a lot lighter than mine. i learnt its all in the weave. becuase mine is blanket weave it can be cut by the kilt maker and it will not run or 'pull' from that cut, therefore not needing the tie off 'fringe'( as i'm pobably incorrectly calling it.apologies if so!)one can imagine why the army does(or in this money saving world,did?)favour this tougher more indestructable weave. and aye,blanket weave it is lads! it's a warm one! in fact on a hot day at a highland games or some other such event i can't help wondering how my great great grandfather felt in his whilst he soldiered in the days of the brittish empire in a highland regiment(73rd argyle and sutherlands from memory)wearing the same tartan in conflicts such as india,north africa and the boer war. no opting out for any of these super light options that our american comrades seem to be favouring for those boys back then. to tell the truth i'm right proud to wear that old heavy style.i've always thought that if the kilt you wear couldn't keep you warm during a long walk on a cold scottish day then it's not as close to the old tradition of the hardy highlanders garb that i would personally prefer. every connection that we can keep as close as possible to the way it was actually worn by those old highlanders that wore it 'for real' is a way for us to 'keep it real' i feel. the traditional kilt and for that matter the belted plaid are already so versatile even in our more tamer times that i for one don't quite understand why some need to deviate so far from it.but then again the change from belted plaid to kilt was an innovation for it's time wasn't it! so much to ponder,debate and discuss! thank goodness for xmts!

[Mike_Oettle]

My sincere thanks to an coigreach albannach for his contributions here regarding military-weight kilt-wearing.
Handing in my army kilt in 1978 was a great regret to me, and I would love to own another one of military weight.
Regards,
Mike

[Chirs]

Well, Scott of Victoria, Australia, as Mike has said, it is really good to have you here. You bring a perspective that stands out (bearing in mind that I am very new here myself so have not seen much, not compared to what others have seen!). I look forward to hearing (and seeing) more.

I've been thinking of wearing a belted plaide but that is not an easy thing to find. I was also thinking that I would simply get the plaide and do what little stitching is required myself. To that end, I am curious as to how much stitching yours has, or have you gone completely "old school" and pleat it every time you put it on? I've done some research and know that there have been several innovations from the blanket to an inside draw-string to pleating.

Mike:

My sincere thanks to an coigreach albannach for his contributions here regarding military-weight kilt-wearing.
Handing in my army kilt in 1978 was a great regret to me, and I would love to own another one of military weight.

There is a person on ebay selling U.K. military surplus and he does have military weight kilts - for an excellent price!

[AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH]

hello to mike oettle from sth africa and chris from ontario and any others!i hope mike and chris you can excuse me answering both of you in one reply. twa burds wi ane stane! MIKE i have often wondered if when in a regiment that wear the kilt,are you ordered to hand it back in? or are you given the option to buy? if you have no choice then there's not much you could do but if looking back you realize you could have kept it then i completely understand your regrets.out of interest last time i went back to scotland and stayed a bit with the part of my family that lives in angus(nth east) they told me of acouple of distant cousins of mine,brothers,that ran a wee farm together.judgeing by the generation they were from i'm guessing we are talking 1920 era.one of them had been in the army and was noted as always wearing the kilt, i mean full time.did they let veterans keep the kilts they had fought in? i don't know. i wish you the best if you do manage to track a full 18 ouncer down.as i've said i,ve never worn else but to have something that substantial about you is i find a grand feeling. and as you would remember from the marches you must have done,when on a long walk you get that swing going in rythm with your steps from left to right and it gives you that extra tilt to your chin and spring to your step.ther's really something to that proud old saying that a man in the kilt is a man and a half!och away with you,you've got my blood going now!

To CHRIS from ontario.(look everybody, i found out how to do paragraphs!)i'm right with you,a full plaid big enough to wear as a belted plaid has long been on my wish list too. i actually just got a couple of big ex army grey blankets when i was about 16,sewed them together and used to do the old hand pleat on the ground,lay on it and buckle up method before heading up onto an over grown wooded hill behind where i lived with another scottish mad pal to bash hell out of each other with home made targes,broadswords and two handed claymores!god only knows what any passing motorists that happened to look up must have thought! but no i dont have a belted plaid as yet but would like to.as you say there is some interesting stuff to look into concerning it.i'd love to give one a run for a few days out camping, rolling up in it at night 'in the heather' so to speak like the old highlanders used to to see how it felt.there is some ineresting thoughts on it if you search 'belted plaid' on the internet and zero in on the scottish tartans authorty web site.till next time all, i must back to work!

[Mike_Oettle]

An coigreach albannach, it is my guess that practice with regard to kilt ownership varies from regiment to regiment, or from country to country.
In my regiment, First City, the men were issued with kilts that belonged to the regiment. Officers bought their own kilts.
We had a kilt fund (also for purchasing items like tammies and other items of Scottish dress), to which we contributed by buying duty-free liquor at taxed prices in our canteen.
I know that the Cape Town Highlanders have a kilt store, so I guess they follow the same practice. And it’s my guess that the Transvaal Scottish and the Pretoria Highlanders do as well.
It could well be that the British Ministry of Defence can afford to issue kilts to its Highlanders that belong to them for life.
At the same time, bear in mind that the kilted units in South Africa are part-timers, not regular soldiers, and that all troops undergo initial training in units where kilts are never seen.
It would be interesting to hear from other folk who have served in kilted units.
Regards,
Mike

[Danaidh]

I agree about the doctor advice. I've worn kilts for years (sitting at work, driving, hiking, etc) and have never experienced what you describe. Now, when settling in the car to drive I have to lift up my buddys to make it comfortable, but I drive a MINI so the seats aren't exactly those of a Cadillac. Point is, discomfort that you speak of shouldn't be happening. Where you wear your sporran at also makes a big difference (as mentioned before), as well as alergies (you want to make sure you're not having a reaction to the kilt fabric).
I go regimental whether wearing kilts or pants, so maybe it's just a matter of getting used to it, though the idea of a supporter is a good one. On hot days when I'm piping in public, I'll wear "bicycle" shorts that wick away the sweat, just so it won't run down my leg. I share that with you only as an idea as another thing to try (I wear Answer shorts, though MSR or any for that matter should help). It's just an idea.

[Slowburn]

Sounds like a little but of bragging on your part. I think you might adjust to the freeing of your wee bits, as long as it isn't a chaffing issue.

[Danaidh]

Slowburn, I trust you're not talking to me. I adjust only because the seats in a MINI Cooper are very small, thus my legs are very close to each other.

[Slowburn]

No the post in general.