Warm in my Kilt

[Riverkilt]

Basic physics. Heat rises.

[Oilverland]

Well I just stood outside for a while in 18 deg F with no wind, and got cold just from air moving around, even wearing long boxer briefs. So it really wouldn't have mattered how much yardage was in the kilt . When it was time to XC ski in a kilt on Robbie Burns day, it was sunny and about 25F. I wore tights, and skin colored shin protectors made for horseback riding but pulled up over my knees, and was comfortable. My friend Mark got by with bared knees. We are both skinny. Whatever it takes! I just know what I need to wear. I'm the one in the red shirt.

[kingandrew]

Living in Beijing, the winters were very long and mercilessly cold. Yet I found that I could comfortably wear my kilt most winter days. The key was bundling up my torso: turtleneck + shetland sweater + Harris Tweed jacket + heavy wool scarf + balmoral bonnet. And don't forget gloves!

Good underwear helps, too. But strong winds can be demoralizing, even with all that.

My new kilt is much heavier (13 oz. vs. 11 oz. and 8 yards instead of 5). So it would work even better. But now I'm back in the tropics (outside Hong Kong), so it never gets as bone-chilling as Beijing.

Andrew

[Styckbow]

Here in Central Alberta the night of our Burns night it was -36 C with the wind chill fortunately I only had to walk about 2 blocks but I find I am reasonably warm in anything above -20 as long as I am wearing a heavy jacket.

[Wowbagger427]

Sláinte:

Last night, Saturday the 23rd, I said to my kilted cronie, "KILT! Tomorrow!", as we were tearing down after our Chili Night event at the church. To which he said, "It's gonna be windy and snowing and generally unfit to kilt. But, I'll give it a look-see in the morning."

I remembered some of the advice given here and went for it, regardless. When we left the house for church it was a steady 20 mph breeze with the odd 30 mph gust. Still air temp was in the low 30's (yes... Fahrenheit) and there was a persistent drizzly mist about. I was okay in the kilt.

When we came out of church the breeze had stiffened a bit and the temp had dropped. It was snowing. Still okay. Coming out of "Second Breakfast" more wind, more snow and lower temps again. Again, still okay in the kilt.

My cronie was a no kilt... citing the breeze and the temp.

The major problem for those of us who do kilt up for church is the HVAC discharge vents in the floor of St Mary's. Some are square and some are round. The round ones are better than 20" in diameter and the square ones are likely in the 18" x 24" size. And the breeze there is often pretty stiff. There is one thoughtfully placed right at the communion rail... where one has to cross over it on the way to the rail and on the way from the rail. Aside from holding things down in the updraft... I found it quite comfortable to be kilted even on a blustery day. Tut-tut, looks like rain...

I say then, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor dark of night... shall keep the kilty indoors.

Cheers,