hiking kilt suggestions

[Tartan Hiker]

Just a few comments from someone who hikes in a kilt literally daily in the summer and very often in the fall/winter/spring:

1. Hiking in acrylic in temps over 70 F is miserable.

2. Hiking in acrylic in temps less than 45 is miserable.

3. Hiking in Poly/Cotton in temps over 45 is wonderful.

4. Hiking in Wool in temps below 45 is wonderful.

5. High-waisted kilts are a great advantage if you are using a "real" pack with waist belt. The belt rides on the kilt, not above it, and so the belt doesn't try to shove your kilt down a you walk.

6. PV is a wonderful alternative to the above, assuming that the temps are reasonable. I've used them with good success in the past, but of the 9 hiking kilts I own right now none are PV. Interpret that as you will.

[Joshua]

I'm glad to hear from you Bill, for more than a few reasons. One of which is that as an Asheville native (born at mission hospital on easter sunday 1978 with 6" of snow), I love hearing from those from Ashevegas. Two, I was looking forward to anyone near the Appalacian Trail as my wife and me have a goal to hike the family in and around the App trail as well as Looking Glass, Coleman Boundary, and Devil's Courthouse with my son.

So far the opinion is... PV is nice, Wool is better?

Does anyone have the "Hiker" sportkilt (made from wicking lightweight synthetics)?

[Mael Coluim]

You're in Florida, right?

USAKilt casual would be my ticket.

I much prefer Rocky's casuals for hiking than the Sportkilt. The wool kilts I leave in the closet in hot humid weather.

[Mikewood]

See. This is the problem with this forum. Your perfectly happy sitting on the fence between the USA casual and semi-trad and then you read a thread that says bulky the casual. It does everything you want, won break the bank and will be just fine. To be honest rocky said a few weeks ago the semi-trad was suitable for more formal dress that I don't even own. Sounds like I will be ordering a casual in a week or so. Thanks for helping me make my mind up.

[pakiltedff]

I do quite a bit of kilted hiking, except for the coldest winter months up north, I usually hike kilted. For warm weather, a cotton washable kilt: Utilikilt, Amerikilt or Nations kilt. In colder weather I have worn one of my wool kilts, however I concur with the concerns about getting caught up in brambles etc, especially if you are on a lesser traveled trail. If its cool and wet I have worn one of my leather kilts they are also great on windy cool days.

[Riverkilt]

Anne's right! Nothing is more important than what you wear UNDER the kilt when hiking - try going commando hiking and find out why. What's the point in wearing underwear when you want to hike free? A kilt liner - or underkilt -is the answer - your manhood is protected from repeat abrasion and you're still free.

I remain baffled that men who proudly wear the kilt suddenly get all freakie about wearing a cotton slip/kiltliner/underkilt to protect the kilt from them and when hiking to protect them from abrasion from the kilt. How can we be so open about the kilt and so closed minded about the common sense of an underkilt/kiltliner/slip.

I also remain amazed that kilt vendors don't offer underkilts/kiltliners/cotton slips for sale as a matter of course. I bought three J'Dez Underkilts before they seemed to have gone out of businees and that purchase remains one of the most common sense purchases I ever made. All the benefits of underwear without loosing the FREEDOM.

Any kilt is a good hiking kilt. I also agree that the Utilikilts Survivor II is a great kilt for hiking. The pockets allow you to store water and other heavy goods low on your body.


What is the big deal about a man wearing a kilt liner to protect his kilt from himself or himself from his kilt when hiking? Also adds one more layer of modesty when seated.


Basil Utilikilts Survival II on the long trek down the Grand Canyon to the Havasupai reservation. You can't see the abrasion saving kilt liner - but its there - protecting ME while still allowing FREEDOM that's not possible with regular underwear.

[Pleater]

I make a strip of shaped fabric - using darts or folds at the waist edge, which I fix to the inside of a kilt.

I am trying to get all my kilts standardised with either sewn bars or metal loops at the same intervals so as to have interchangeable liners with little hooks at the same intervals. With some I still have to resort to safety pins.

After starting off putting the hooks onto the kilts I decided to reverse things so that the fixings were unobtrusive when the kilt is worn without a liner.

It is not a petticoat as it is not fastened around the waist as a separate garment.

They cut down on the amount of washing each kilt requires. I use soft all cotton fabric which is absorbant but easily washed.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Blubbi]

I don´t like Kiltliners. I´m sewing my own long shirts. So the shirt is my underwear like the Jacobite Shirts in the old times. I applied a button to close the shirt in the middle between the tighs to protect the important parts in windy conditions.
The shirts are made from cotton and are very comfortable and they give me the freedom I want. I don´t know why the Kiltshirts today are made very short.

[Rab]

I've a Sportkilt hiker model and absolutely love it, in fact I just did 80 miles in a 24hr trail race this weekend. It is lightweight however, think like a technical material like a running top or something. really great for warm weather and exceptional for running, I've worn it in temps close to freezing but I'm usually working hard which keeps me warm. In fact I cant think of a better garment for distance running.
Something like the original/ultimate may actually suit you better though.

just thought I'd mention Sportkilt are kind enough to sponsor me as an athlete, however my views would be the same if they didnt.

[MacMillans son]

I usually hike kilted as well. I typically choose either my USAK casual or a budget heavy weight PV from buyakilt,com. The USAK is quite a bit lighter (in material and yardage) so I usually go with it in extremely warm temps, or when likely to get wet. I am fairly certain that the budget PV would not tolerate a good soaking and keep its shape as well as the USAK casual.

If I know I not going to be doing anything too abusive, I am not averse to wearing an inexpensive 13oz wool kilt for short to moderate day hikes. And in thinking more about it, it really is the cost of it's replacement, more than anything else, that keeps me from wearing it more often.

It's nice that we have options these days

Best of luck with what ever you choose!