The ultimate wilderness outfit?

[sandbender]

Have been thinking about buying myself a new kilt, specifically a Great Kilt or 'Feileadh Mor'...

And came across this which I thought would entertain...

http://www.lindaclifford.com/GreatKiltWrap.html

 

[Toddy]

I know a lot of men who wear them, but very few 'look' like ZZTop wannabees!
I can find someone who'll happily work with you until you can do it comfortably for yourself too. Make sure you've got a decent long shirt underneath though!
The drawbacks for wearing one for modern bushcraft are midgies and sheep ticks but reputably they're warm to sleep in, I know my arisaid is.
I can give you a source for cheap tartan for you to have try out rather than spending £200 buying a plaid length you may not wear again.
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Oh lord! Or I should say "laird.' I look bad enough without emulating those two 'lads.' Whats next, field expediant clothing from bashas? My one wearing of a great kilt came to an bad end. I was attending the origonal 'Rennaissance Faire' on the old M.A.S.H. film site near my home. My G/F at the time was a real stunner, something between Charlotte Rampling and Meryl Streep. Little did I know, she was allready dating Sir Walter Raliegh and I was ejected from the grounds by my good friend, the last alleged hereditary Chumash Chief hired as head of security (and a supposed mutual friend.) I executed an immediate costume change into a irish gallowglass replete with chain mail,spear and a spendid english thoroughbred by name of Graham after my favourite F1 driver. A quick steeplechase jump over the security fence and I was cantoring past shocked vendors on a collision course with 'THE QUEENS PROCESSION' The queen being a red haired guy in drag: a queen queen so to speak. I planted my spear in the gound, stood in my stirrups and yelled " Anne Marie ****** at alestand #5 is a tramp! leaned over and socked Sir Walter and galloped past the shocked retinue with fat charlie chasing me on foot in east coast indian attire screaming into a walkie talkie. I never attended another faire. Do you have any idea waht it's like riding back to the ranch in chainmail while massed biker clubs pass you wide eyed?

 

[sandbender]

source for cheap tartan for you to have try out

I will keep that in mind, thanks Toddy

 

[sandbender]

Do you have any idea waht it's like riding back to the ranch in chainmail while massed biker clubs pass you wide eyed?

Memorable I'd think...

 

[Goose]

Have been thinking about buying myself a new kilt, specifically a Great Kilt or 'Feileadh Mor'...

And came across this which I thought would entertain...

http://www.lindaclifford.com/GreatKiltWrap.html

Thank god I'm not Scottish! Looking at the side view I am sure it would get you arrested in a public place, but looking like that I dont suppose many coppers would ask to examine his skean dubh!
Ps. Sorry if I spelt it wrong

 

[Toddy]

Trust me, there's just *something* about a man in a kilt
It's like a tom cat's rolling shoulder strut, & you can almost hear yourself purrr.

Think I'll just go & do something in the rain, shall I?

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[match]

heh - always wondered how you got yourself into one of those - know I know - thanks! I assume different heights of people might need different widths...

Any more info on that cheap material source?

 

[Toddy]

How about I go visit sometime soon, collect some samples and pm them with their prices?
The tartan comes in very different qualities. Top notch stuff I can get for under £20 a metre at 1.8m wide. At this price I can't guarantee clan or family name though most popular ones can be found.
At the bottom end is the wool lookalike poly blend stuff at £3.50 a metre. *sometimes* I get really lucky and find brilliant quality stuff at a fiver. Rare though, very rare. Usually it's the start of the warp and something may be not strictly the authentic colour for a named clan plaid. Found some beautiful 'weathered' coloured stuff last month, the colours natural dyes fadeout to....very muted but still lovely, bought every inch they had for £4 a metre
In the mid range I can guarantee getting a decent looking tartan, in a good weight (not a hill weight) for about £6 a metre. We usually use between five and six metres of full width cloth for a man's plaid. Purists who say 8 yards have never tried to wear it!
If you really want a spot on name, colour and weight of tartan, expect to pay between £40 & £50 a metre for your cloth.
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Edi_M]

If you really want a spot on name, colour and weight of tartan, expect to pay between £40 & £50 a metre for your cloth.
Cheers,
Toddy

For that money you'd be expecting Strome!

 

[Toddy]

Seems like it, doesn't it? But it's true enough. See

http://houseoftartan.co.uk/scottish/dir4.asp?secid=77&subsecid=100&catid=3401&subcatid=11987

http://www.donaldsons-of-crieff.com/tartan/strome.html

http://www.lochassyntmills.com/order-11oz-tartan-fabric.html

Cheapest outlet I know for general public is a shop called Discount Fabrics in Glasgow, but if you want a good range of tartans, of specific names and weights, the cheapest is probably

http://www.geoffreykilts.co.uk/upload/tplt_test_.asp?page=2100002164


Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Buckshot]

How waterproof/ windproof and heavy is it?

I'm thinking of a coat/ cloak made from tartan material in some very subdued colours.

No point if it's not wind and waterproof though.

Perhaps I could be the Braveheart jedi !!!

Cheers

Mark

 

[sandbender]

How waterproof/ windproof and heavy is it?

I have an issue heavyweight Black Watch kilt (very restrained colors), I can wear it and a pair of wooly socks in Scottish winter and never feel cold.

It's very heavy though and if it gets a thorough soaking takes a while to dry. Not sure how they dealt with this in past times, possibly the wool was impregnated with something unpleasant.

And Toddy's correct, a Kilt does seem to be a hit with the ladies

 

[JimH]

For that money you'd be expecting Strome!

Just use any wool suiting[1] fabric, if you aren't bothered about the pattern. Should get a pure wool piece end at 60" wide (minimum practical) for around a tenner a metre. You need 5M plus.

I wore the great kilt (still have it) for years as a reenactor. I am rather hairy, but understand this is not compulsory.

It is only warm to sleep in if you have no feeling in your legs, or unwrap and use as a blanket.

Second the remark about a long undershirt, unless you have b*lls of steel.

I wore nowt under mine.

Jim.

[1] 250-400 gsm works OK, the heavier, the warmer, natch

 

[ESpy]

Trust me, there's just *something* about a man in a kilt

*If* they can wear it.

 

[Edi_M]

I wore one for my wedding, in Jukkasjarvi (Swedish Lapland), -4C indoors & -18 outdoors (it was quite a warm night). Not a plaid, just the kilt. Surprisingly the only bits of me that were cold were my toes, fingertips, & .....my, er, rear end. The sealskin sporran helped keep the pressure (and therefore material) close to the more tender bits but the pleat seemed to provide some channels for the cooler air, especially whilst walking!

ESpy, the kilt has to be the only garment I know of that almost anyone can look good in no matter what the build, creed or hairiness.

 

[george]

Trust me, there's just *something* about a man in a kilt
It's like a tom cat's rolling shoulder strut, & you can almost hear yourself purrr.

Think I'll just go & do something in the rain, shall I?

Cheers,
Toddy

Funny

I've never felt more "macho" than when I'm fastening the kilt, strapping on the belt, get the hang of the sporran just right, sgian dubh sitting in the right place... my wife comes over all strange too. Wonder what it is?

George

 

[arctic hobo]

As an Irishman I feel a little inadequate now. Let it not be said that I took this lying down! The Irish have kilts too... I just have to figure out how to look heroic in my suburban-style britain-in-bloom-five-time-winner old lady town. H'm. Maybe if I stood on a clifftop? Oh hang on, no, imagine what the people down below might see!

 

[BIG-TARGET]

Perhaps you should look into this!!!
http://www.utilikilt.com/

 

[Edi_M]

Perhaps you should look into this!!!
http://www.utilikilt.com/

Yes, I especially like the 'beer gut cut' option in the measurements!