Comments welcomed regarding travelling in pants vs. kilt

[MtnBiker]

You know what!... I'm going to rock the apple cart a bit here and suggest that you do what you're most comfortable with. Are you wearing a kilt to (a) make point and entertain people, or (b) just get to your destination inconspicuously and with all your luggage intact. Do you want (a) an adventure or (b) just a trip. If your answer is (a) and (a), then Have a blast, man!! If your answer is (b) and (b), then "Safe journey". The option is yours.

cheers,
blu

Yeah, it's hard to say!

I think I'd be more comfortable (for this situation) in pants -- yet last year I travelled nearly as long to get to Banff and had a great time wearing my Breacan.

On the other hand, it's awfully nice to be stylin' even at the expense of practicality.

I'll probably have to put off deciding until the last minute

[Robert Lamb]

MtnBike
Last year Elva and I flew to and from here,Portland,Ore, to Ohio non-stop. Almost five hrs each way. I was kilted in both directions and enjoyed every minute of being kilted on the trip.
So go for the kilt!! If nothing else you will have the braging rights to the fact you flew to Ireland in a kilt.
Do it and enjoy. If things are not to your liki'n you can always wear pants on the return trip.
I am assuming this is a round trip.
Robert "the kilted" Lamb

[bikercelt1]

In my recent air/auto travels I wore my kilt. If I get to go to Ireland this winter I'll wear the kilt. I understand your concerns, their valid questions, but in my experience the kilt was more comfortable by far than pants would have been. When traveling in pants I tend to "slid into the crotch" and end up getting pinched. Obviously thats not going to happen in a kilt. I wasn't in the air near as long as you're going to be, but I had a seven hour car trip. Sitting on the pleats wasn't a problem. Once in a while when I sit down the pleats will bunch up but that's a simple fix, just stand up and sweep the pleats as you sit back down.

I haven't figured out how people sit comfortably with their knees together. I just push the front aprons toward the seat as I sit down and they seem to spread out enough that modesty is not an issue unless I'm in a fairly reclined position with my knees much higher than my hips.

You're on your own regarding the tiny lavatories. I don't have any experience there.

Whatever you decide, have a great time! I'm anxious to hear about your experiences kilting in Ireland.

Jamie

[Blu (Ontario)]

I'll probably have to put off deciding until the last minute

I guess my point is, you're experienced enough that you don't need to wear it just to make point of it. I might suggest that as an alternate to your kilt, you could just wear white pants and a bright Tee-Shirt with "I'm a Tourist" written on it front and back.

[phil h]

wear pants, there will be lots of chances to wear a kilt,there's a time and place for evrythin'.
the reasons you give are all good reasons to wear pants,you may ruin your kilt,bugger up the pleats,or spill something on it, or even trap it in the seat as you recline, maybe if you are lucky, you may even dip the back of it in the toilet on the plane, now won't that be a hoot? now if you have a ratty old kilt to travel in that you don't care about then do it. if you cherish your kilt, then wear pants.
I ,for one, don't need to be impressed.

[Colin]

wear what ever you will be most comfortable in. Pants or kilt is not the thing to worry about, just make sure you have comfortable shoes.

[chuckl48]

I've done the trip to the UK twice,Flew to London, and took the train to Scotland,and wasn't wearing kilts at the time. I wish I had! It's bad enough not liking to fly, but, wearing pants the whole time was even more uncomfortable.In the end, you will do what you feel most comfortable in doing, so, either way, have a great trip and enjoy!
Chuck Lacombe

[Miah]

Personaly, this may be just me but the bigest problem i have with wearing a kilt is the bunching of the fabric when i sit down. if you can overcome this or it does not bother you then go for it.

[Hamish]

Well now, I am going to upset the applecart!

I have flown several times kilted to and from Scotland (When I say kilted I mean kilted or Utilikilted.) and, being tall, I have had the most awful time getting to arrange the pleats comfortably beneath me in those very cramped seats - no headroom under those lockers, no legroom, etc. Most times, it was a matter of just plonking oneself down in the seat and trusting that the scrunched pleats would not a) become too uncomfortable for the 1½ hr flight, and b) that they would not be totally destroyed in the process! My experience has been that a) the pleats ARE uncomfortable when scrunched, and b) yes, they have been destroyed for several hours following arrival at destination.

So, when Dave W. and I flew to NYC from London last year, we agreed to travel, yes, in khaki, cotton drill s----s! This we did from the moment the taxi picked us up at my home through to our arrival at the Pennsylvania Hotel opposite Madison Square Garden. Nowhere were we given a second glance, nowhere was anything at all said and we both travelled in supreme, unscrunched comfort!

A week later, when we flew from Washington DC to Portland OR (via Phoenix AR), I travelled in a green camouflage s---t (expressly made for the purpose by a good friend here in England), whilst Dave chose his khaki drill s---t. Again, no eyelids were batted, no comments made, we arrived in pristine condition and, as in NYC, we changed into kilts on arrival.

I know that this goes against the grain, and I would do it again only when flying, especially long-haul, but for us both there were no other options.

[Graham]

Hamish, all I can say is that given the choice between flying in tight jeans or a skirt - I would go for the jeans!

So what if the pleats are a little crumpled! After a flight from Australia to England i can tell you that everyone comes out tired and crumpled. After 21 hours in the air, all you care about is getting off the aircraft!

I am sure that my 4 yard casual Bear PV kilt would stand up well and feel good sitting down, so Hamish, I'm sorry but i have to disagree with you on this one!