"LONG JOHNS" with a KILT ????

[auld argonian]

I remember those well, but haven't seen any in about 60 years. They also had a "trap-door" in the back.

No...I saw them in the menswear section of a major department store a couple of years ago...they were bringing them back as a sort of sexy, metrosexual kind of thing.

...it may have been in Montreal...that would explain it.


Best

AA

[EagleJCS]

I'll second the bicycle/lycra shorts idea. I've been out piping in cold (38 deg F), blustery, damp weather for 3-4 hours and not had a problem keeping 'certain areas' warm when wearing such shorts under a 13-oz kilt. Wear a second pair of socks (long athletic tube socks) under your hose as well. (That'll help with 'wind chill'). The knees got cold, the toes got cold (especially after they got wet), the fingers got cold, the ears got cold (Glengarry), but everything else was OK.

[Nighthawk]

I have to say, living in Colorado, going to the mountains regularly all year round, I haven't had any problems. My heaviest kilt is a 13 oz, and I have a pair of nice thick Locharran hose that come up almost to my knees after I turn them over onto the flashes. I just snug my kilt down an inch so that it hangs just below my knees. I know, that's not the modern convention. But you know what? It keeps me warm. Oh, and a nice felted wool hat like McMurdo's is great! I have once of these http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=250 It's wonderful.

[Charlie]

If it feels really cold I will wear flesh coloured tights (pantihose) with my woolen socks. No one will notice and I dont care

[Mr.Charles Anthony]

To the Readers:
A short Historical Note is due here, for the sake of discussion. During the War of the American Revolution, the Scots soldiers in the Army of Genl. Burgoyne, made their kilts into 'ploid trews '(plaid trousers). It seems the Canadian, New York Winters were a bit cold.
Conversely, the Garrison Scots troops in Maine, kept the Great Kilt for winter, and the wee kilt for summer, generally.
And, why cut off the legs of the Long Johns? Just wear the whole thing(which I have am doing just now, Fall is cold in the Maine Woods.
The Thoughts of
C.Anthony

[Lachlan07]

Hi there.

Trade secret coming up ! My Great Uncle David Robertson (S/9365) served as L/Cpl with the 8th Batt Black Watch, 9th Scottish Div in the Great War. At home we still have his YMCA letter from the Western Front, sent home to his parents in Musselburgh, Midlothian dated December 1915. Apart from family questions home, Dave mentioned in the one-page letter that he was stationed in a sap (a cul-de-sac length of trench dug out from the main trench into No-Man's Land as a listening-post). He mentioned the intense, bitter cold, being stationary, cold and damp in a trench in mid-winter for days at a time. He then asked his mother to send over his old gardening trousers, so he could cut them off at the knees to wear under his kilt !

In fact, an order of 1916 ordered Highland battalions to wear standard British khaki issue long trousers and puttees during the coldest part of winter. Various photos show Highlanders in trousers in winter. (Apart from that, of course, transport personnel of Highland regiments always wore trousers.)

Great Uncle Dave didn't have to suffer every winter like that. He was killed on the first day of the Third Battle of The Scarpe/Arras, on 3rd May 1917, when his battalion and division took their turn to assault the Chemical Works at Roeux. He has no known grave, but is mentioned on Panel 6 of the Arras Memorial.

[turpin]

I say "man up" and wear the kilt like you're supposed to. Admittedly, sometimes when I'm outside in a kilt and it's below freezing (like, 50 or 60 below freezing) I'll pull the rolled-down part of my hose up until I get inside...but only when it's really cold.

I agree with Greg here. Unless you plan to spend all day outdoors at a low level of exertion (like the Great Uncle above in a WWI trench), the kilt, warm hos, and good trunk and head coverings should be more than sufficient. I walked about 2 miles at nite in Park City Utah, 8 degrees, calm air, and just got chilly at the knees. If you are in and out of stores, restaurants, etc. you should be fine. wort comes to worst, undies for the package and pull up the hose.

[BoldHighlander]

I agree with Greg here. Unless you plan to spend all day outdoors at a low level of exertion (like the Great Uncle above in a WWI trench), the kilt, warm hos, and good trunk and head coverings should be more than sufficient. I walked about 2 miles at nite in Park City Utah, 8 degrees, calm air, and just got chilly at the knees. If you are in and out of stores, restaurants, etc. you should be fine. wort comes to worst, undies for the package and pull up the hose.

I know where Puffer's friend is heading, up into the Cascade Mountains, to a festival that is held out doors (& it is a low level exertion event). It's easy to say "Man up" but if your not use to wearing a kilt in the conditions offered up this time of year in our mountains, then I don't blame the gentleman for the desire to have some extra protection.

[BoldHighlander]

Hi there.

Trade secret coming up ! My Great Uncle David Robertson (S/9365) served as L/Cpl with the 8th Batt Black Watch, 9th Scottish Div in the Great War. At home we still have his YMCA letter from the Western Front, sent home to his parents in Musselburgh, Midlothian dated December 1915. Apart from family questions home, Dave mentioned in the one-page letter that he was stationed in a sap (a cul-de-sac length of trench dug out from the main trench into No-Man's Land as a listening-post). He mentioned the intense, bitter cold, being stationary, cold and damp in a trench in mid-winter for days at a time. He then asked his mother to send over his old gardening trousers, so he could cut them off at the knees to wear under his kilt !

In fact, an order of 1916 ordered Highland battalions to wear standard British khaki issue long trousers and puttees during the coldest part of winter. Various photos show Highlanders in trousers in winter. (Apart from that, of course, transport personnel of Highland regiments always wore trousers.)

Great Uncle Dave didn't have to suffer every winter like that. He was killed on the first day of the Third Battle of The Scarpe/Arras, on 3rd May 1917, when his battalion and division took their turn to assault the Chemical Works at Roeux. He has no known grave, but is mentioned on Panel 6 of the Arras Memorial.

I doubt very much anyone told your uncle or his comrades to "man up"

As a student of WWI era Scottish regiments I thank you for this bit of information.

[McMurdo]

I know where Puffer's friend is heading, up into the Cascade Mountains, to a festival that is held out doors (& it is a low level exertion event). It's easy to say "Man up" but if your not use to wearing a kilt in the conditions offered up this time of year in our mountains, then I don't blame the gentleman for the desire to have some extra protection.

If the conditions are that bad, then I say dress for them, and leave the kilt at home, however if the gent in question is set on wearing the kilt then he should wear it without long johns underneath.