UK arrives...mostly

[seatdistrict]

My black UK Survival arrived today, as anticipated (I took full advantage of FedEx's Jones monitoring system), and I haven't noticed any of the small holes Riverkilt has mentioned in the past. An interesting issue, however, is the absence of one of the detachable cargo pockets, which means, for the time being, I'll only be able to hold 15 bottles of beer at once as opposed to the promised 20, Schade.

I called and was met with a friendly assurance that a replacement pocket would be promptly shipped, so, assuming said pocket arrives fairly soon, I'm pleased with the service (which included some preliminary sizing advice).

As for the kilt, it is essentially as promised. The features advertised work as advertised, and the whole thing seems to be sturdily constructed. It is very comfortable and fairly water resistant. While probably overpriced, it seems to be a quality product.

I wore it to work and was somewhat surprised that the vast majority of customers I encountered seemed either not to notice or care, only one comment ("is that a sk..., that's different").

I've acquired the hangers for the method mentioned here and will get some binder clips and fishing weights (Wally World?) to try Riverkilt's modified method of keeping the pleats straight (one actually came curled a bit out of the packaging).

Overall, I think I'll get a lot of interesting miles out of this kilt, and I'm very much looking forward to getting a tank (just have to decide on tartan and maker now).

[Riverkilt]

Survival was my favorite Utilikilt - despite the tiny holes - because it is so versitile. Cargo pockets for treking and a jaunty look. No cargo pockets for a Mocker look.

Good for UK if they've stopped drilling holes....which, if I remember correctly, were right on the edge of the pleats, two to a pleat, about a third and two thirds of the way down from the waist.

Have been considering getting a Survival in my new size...

Good luck with the weighted clips. A bit of work to create them but well worth it in time saved ironing.

[ggibby]

I got my Survivor off the rack at a show, and it's a size big in the waist (belt- fixed!) but was also longer than my preference. So I found a local tailor who took my $60 to shorten it, and in the process we decided to remove the 'modesty toggle' and not replace the button hole in the back just above the hem.

Bad idea. The cotton of the Survivor is just light enough that I've had more inadvertent 'junk shows' than with my Mockers. With the toggle, I could have addressed it.

Other thoughts on the cotton - the pocket edges on my Survivor are fraying faster than the others, and I made the mistake of not covering it up in the rain - I weighed about 4 pounds more and it took a day to dry completely.

All that said, if I could only wear Survivors, I'd not complain. It's a paradise of pockets!

[seatdistrict]

I made the mistake of not covering it up in the rain - I weighed about 4 pounds more and it took a day to dry completely.

When I wore my Survival last night, I only encountered some very light rain, and the water just beaded up to be easily brushed off. Does it handle more water than that poorly? Will I be unable to wear it in rain and other bad weather? I thought that that was rather the point of a Survival utility kilt.

[ggibby]

Will I be unable to wear it in rain and other bad weather? I thought that that was rather the point of a Survival utility kilt.

It's 100% cotton, with no true Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment. I know NikWax makes a wash-in product called CottonProof, but I've not tried it. If you're considering a long ramble, pick up a ULA Rain Wrap and tuck it in one of the voluminous pockets.

I've thought many times of writing the UK fellas and inquiring about a PV (or similar) option, but it just hasn't happened.

[JelicoCat]

I own four UK's and my survivor is by far the kilt I wear most often. I would definitely leave the toggles on. They do come in handy on certain occasions.