More on the black hemp RKilt.

[Dreadbelly]

I have a few moments here, so I am going to do a bit of a review of this kilt.

I put this kilt through the ultimate stress test. I wore it for, hmm, I'd say almost two days straight. The morning my wife went in to surgery I put it on, wore it all that day, all that night, and all of the next day and in to the early hours of evening.

Some of that time was spent sitting in the most wretched chairs you could imagine, far to narrow, with all of my pleats bunched up between my legs and the arms of the chair. A lot of that time was standing. And moving. And walking. And pacing. Back and forth and turning about sharply. It may sound strange, but after way to many hours of being awake and pacing back and forth in that tiny room, hearing my pleats SNAP! as I turned sharply was about the only thing keeping my mental facilities focused. That sound kept me going all night. When I wasn't pacing, I was sitting in this horrible rickity little chair at my wife's bedside, wiping her fevered face, holding her hand, holding up her water cup so she could sip through a straw, attending to her every little need as best as I could, and this kilt endured it all. Several spills took place. Stuff wiped right off.

Ever spent about 2 days wearing something with out taking it off? Ever get uncomfortable? Especially pants? It was not an issue. I can say with all honesty that wearing a kilt made this bearable. Almost 2 days later the kilt was just as comfortable as it was when I first put it on. Sure, the pleats are shot to hell now. Wrinkled, crinkled, they look awful. If I have to, I might iron them.

I gained a new appreciation for the hemp material, sitting there in that awful little room. It was unbearably hot in there, the nurses would not turn down the heat. As my wife roasted away with a fever, I roasted away in the room with her. I'd say it had to be mid 80s in that room. Unbearably stuffy and suffocating. I sweated badly. My kilt would become damp from sitting on it as the moisture literally streamed out of my body. Within 5 minutes of pacing, the kilt would be bone dry. And I noticed something unusual, the material didn't become stiff and clingy with sweat like my PV and acrylic kilts tended to do. Sort of a scratchy itchy stiffness from heavy sweating. It was a problem in the summer. My cotton shirt stayed soaked, but my kilt would dry quickly and the hemp didn't get crusty and biscuity from sweat and salt. In this one simple happening, I am completely amazed. I have never had any clothing that did this before, and I am truly impressed. I look forward to seeing how well this kilt will do in the 120 degree real feel tropical temps of the summer. Something else to note... A simple sniff of the kilt after I finally got it off and let it sit for a while revealed no odour. No BO smell, no sweaty funk smell, no smells at all really. Just the same sort of hempy leathery smell as the first day I got it. Well, there is the faint smell of sprite on the aprons. Sort of. But that's it, and it really isn't that noticeable. And while the smell is sort of there, the stickiness isn't. A little water and a towel and the kilt was right as rain.

I am impressed. I finally have something as tough as I am. It has endured. If that wasn't prolonged abuse, I don't know what is. It sat on me like a second skin. Even the hips stayed comfortable. I did take off the belt some time during the night and put it on again come morning. Taking off the belt was enough to make my hips feel comfortable. The kilted part of me was about the only part of me that was comfortable. My shirt was soaked through and through, and clung to my skin, and got itchy, and it was miserable. My socks were soaked. My legs were miserable, soggy, and itchy. My underarms became irritated from the sweating, the heat, and the rubbing of my shirt. But the kilted section stayed comfortable inspite of it all. The waistband of the kilt never started to feel hot and bunchy. I untucked my shirt and took my belt off and I was fine. I wasn't constantly having to try and seperate my kilt from my skin, like I was having to do with my shirt. Nothing on the kilt clung or pinched or chaffed.

The kilt, even now, is still perfectly wearable. I was just wearing it today up to the bank and out to the health food store to pick up my kombucha brew.

I can't recommend a kilt like this enough.

[ccga3359]

Ahhhh, nice review Dread.

[Tartan Hiker]

Great kilt review, but a pretty scathing report on the hospital!

I hope for your dearest a speedy recovery, and that you get a shower soon!

Bill

[Kilted_Campbell]

Where can I find more information on this RKilt ?

[ccga3359]

Rkilts is the link. Remember that prices are in canadian so they more like $250 US.

[Canuck]

Where can I find more information on this RKilt ?

I would be happy to give you information or answer any of your questions on a hemp kilt.
PM me rkilts at rkilts dot com.
Cheers
Robert

[solstice]

yeah, hemp is amazing like that. I had the privilage (sp) of borrowing a friends hemp hoodie one weekend and I absolutely loved it, they should feel lucky that they got it back!
I would love to get one of these kilts. Too bad they're so pricey. I can't afford a Utilikilt at 140 much less a 250 Rkilt... makes me sad.

[cessna152towser]

Excellent, Dread, great review.