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Ok,
Here's my review of Sportkilt's "Hiking" kilt.
I purchased one early on, in the blue color. I had already owned a couple of Sportkilts and so was pretty sure of what I was getting. I selected size XL (my waist is 48") as that is what fits me in their regular tartan line. Their standard legth is mine (22.5) so no difference there.
It arrived promptly, good service as usual from the folks there. The fabric is a slinky, lightwweight poly-blend--the colors pretty true to the website. A nice friendly blue and green that says "tartan." Shows up well in photos but is not garish. The pattern is printed on so the inside is a semi-gloss white.
It is constructed pretty much like other Sportkilts except the apron, instead of having that huge turnover on the front, is doubled. I mean the "underapron pleat" comes all the way to the closure at the right and back, although it is not sewn to it at the edge and still hangs freely. I assume this was for strength and modesty due to sheer fabric. It works well, though, and the apron hangs better than my other SKs.
Mine has 21 fairly shallow pleats, with a deeper one the right hip, to the nothing (yay lawn chairs.) The hem, instead of the usual simple edge is turned up twice and stitched twice, looks much more durable. There's hardly any bulk under a waist belt, very comfortable. It has the usual small pocket under the front apron. This seems the most useful SK to include this on.
I was surprised by the fit. I don't know if it is the sewn-down pleats or the fabric but this one is much larger on me than usual. Not a good thing--usually backpacking I get thinner as the trip goes on, not fatter! It measures ok, so I'm not sure why. Perhaps I just wear my SKs tighter-than-average to smooth out the elastic crumple at the back. I remember telling Seamus about this, so I don't know if they have altered the sizing since. I need to add a bit of velcro to hold at the right hip. No too troublesome, but if the point is to save on weight why have the extra fabric?
My overall impression is this kilt is exactly what I expected: an inexpensive, lightweight, comfortable, easy-to-use quick-drying hiking garment. Perfect for a short trip or as a backup garment for washday, or just a break from the shorts. I have not put it to the test but based on my feel I would not expect the fabric to hold up to much abrasion. For a longer trip or as primary garment I'd go with something more durable, either P-V or a lightweight wool based on the situation.
I don't see how functionally the hiker is too different from their regular line. SKs aren't that heavy to begin with, so the weight savings is minimal. This one dries a bit faster. The biggest difference to me is the luxurious feel...were I lounging on the beach in Mexico this might be my choice! Oh, and I discovered the white insides makes a great signal flag. Perhaps I'd better hike more and put it to the test!
Moosedog
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