In the beginning.
As I'm getting very heavily into paintball I needed in some camouflage gear. I had decided on MultiCam camo which, although not used by any armies, is considered one of the best out there. One pays a premium on any MultiCam gear (think Isle of Skye) as it is privately owned and licensed by Crye Precision. I ordered 8 yards of double width ripstop Cotton/Nylon from Rockywoods.com for $7.99/yd figuring I'd try my hand at making a knockabout kilt. In hindsight had I known that I was getting a kilt maker to make it I would have ordered it in Cordura nylon for $15.99/yd.
Of the gear I bought I went with the MOLLE System which allows me the option to easily place gear holders, pouches or pockets anywhere on my chest rig to suit my needs. Each attachment has two 1" vertical straps fixed at the top and snaps at the bottom and is woven onto my chest rig which has 1" horizontal straps. It makes for a secure, light and highly customizable set up. The only downside is the higher cost of the individual items.
Last year I had gone to a pistol style of marker as a backup should my main marker break or run out of air. I could also use it as a "throw-away" should I accidently splatter paint on the referee "Hey he was coming at me in all his orange camo'd glory and was going to mark me, I nailed him in self defence..." I wanted to mount this on my chest rig but try as I might I could not find a holster in MultiCam with MOLLE attachment. The only one I could find was a drop leg holster secured with belt and two thigh straps. This made going kilted either breezy or added design complication.
Another problem is I wanted to be kilted this year and I have a tendency to drag my ... on projects.

RKilts to the rescue.
When I sat down to consider just what I wanted in a kilt it became ever more daunting. So I contacted Robert at RKilts with a proposal, I'll supply the material and my ideas and he'll build my kilt. So one day I took the day off of work (Mental Health Day) hopped in the car and drove west for an hour and a half, picked up Robert and went for breakfast to discuss just what I was looking for in a kilt. RKilts come in canvas, hemp and leather but are all typically the same style with a narrow apron, Kingussie pleating and cargo pockets.

The design.
• I absolutely had to have the Kingussie pleating style as I saw there being less of a chance of pleats catching as I'm crashing through thick underbrush (this kilt will take a beating).
• A hole in the reverse pleat on my right side to accommodate the thigh strap of my holster. We decided to dispense with the upper thigh strap as supervluous and an added complication.
• Wider apron giving more thicknesses of material for protection (more thicknesses the less sting when getting hit by a small spherical object travelling at upwards to 300 feet per second).
• MOLLE system for sporran attachment and other assorted gear. I decided to go with a sporran for the added protection of a very vulnerable area being that I don't like wearing an athletic cup for 8 hours. This will should also prevent the sporran from slapping against vulnerable body parts as it is now a part of the kilt as opposed to being an add on.
• Internal plastic buckle on left hip and another outside on right hip, all highly adjustable.
• Slightly longer length so that it will offer less fouling of hem with knee pads.
• It has to look like a kilt as it is after all, a kilt.

After passing ideas back and forth Robert looked a bit bewildered yet a little excited. Well perhaps challenged look about him would be a better a better descriptor. Later as I was leaving his house I remarked "Oh yeah, I'd also like front slash pock..." | stopped myself in mid-sentence as I knew poor Robert had enough work for him to do in one kilt.”Front pockets? Let me see what I can do." he did sound exhaserbated, I did feel guilty but not enough to lose sleep over, that was Robert's job.

I left picturesque Stratford at 9:30 in the morning in a search for a rubber chicken that turned into a wild goose chase, headed hope and had my customary afternoon nap. At 9:30 that evening I received a call from Robert. He had completed the bulk of the kilt and would have to figure out a few things to complete. A couple of follow up questions an option or two. He’d finished for the night would be working on other projects the next day but said it would be completed for me on the Monday. He had become intrigued with the MOLLE system having never heard nor seen it before that day. He had also figured out my front pockets this being a first for any RKilts. Then again there are many firsts on this kilt.

Robert comes through with aces.
When I received my kilt at Monday's Kilt Night to say I was pleasantly shocked would be an understatement. I was floored at just how much he was able to do in such a short time. The front pockets where perfectly located and hidden. The MOLLE system on the front and left side was at a proper location and as an added bonus was made with the matching camouflage material rather than the olive webbing that I had supplied. One has to look quite hard to realize that it's even there. I had not specified this as I figured the webbing would be just that much less work. Also not specified but is a most welcome addition was an under apron pocket for a piece of stiff foam protection should I go sans sporran. I'll be wearing 'sliding shorts' (much to the relief of my team members) which are bicycle shorts with moderate padding on the crotch and butt. This will have an added bonus of allowing me modesty when I fasten the holster’s thigh strap. Even with the benefit of blending into the scenery I’m not going to look elegant doing that puppy up. I have MOLLE on the left rear hip for optional gear, being right handed my right side will get crowded with my holster and coiled airline, when losing the upper thigh strap of the holster Robert designed an ingenious security strap to replace it and incorporated it into the third kilt strap on the right hip. In spite of wearing a tweed Braemer and waistcoat in a crowded bar I had to don this kilt with the holster (but without pistol). It certainly got the looks of my fellow patrons and seemed to clear a path because it just looks so bloody intimidating. This was a major part of the kilt design as it is also a major part of playing paintball (I just hope my skill backs it up). I received many a positive comment and questions from all the curious (and brave).

Vapourizing them lemons and making lemonaide from the remaining residue.
I expected many problems with this kilt, but to Robert's credit if there where I didn't hear about them. It surpassed all expectations. I see no potential problems except in my choice of material. The construction will defiantly outlast the material but that my choice. When the time comes I will replace it with the heavier duty material and Robert will be making that one as well. Again as I supplied material, webbing and plastic Fastex buckles I now have a mixture of buckle colours. My genuine MultiCam products come with khaki buckles and all I could get was black. This was one reason I specified the left hand kilt strap mounted inside. The problem is that there is no black in nature (penguins are the exception) and as a result does not belong in camouflage. It`s may just be me but as MultiCam does not have black in it neither should my kilt (and eventually my marker will also receive this camo treatment). I will have these buckle replaced when I can get proper coloured ones. I also supplied Robert with a the belt I would be wearing but due to the large (and unremovable) buckle and it's accompanying hardware it would not fit through the specified 3" belt loops. No problem I'll just wear it over my loops like all my other kilts, and again replace this buckle when I find a khaki one. In the mean time Robert took the discarded holster’s top thigh strap, extending it with camo material as fashioned a new belt. As you see all these problems were because of me and are minor. I feel that this speaks volumes for Robert's workmanship and genius and of his willingness to adapt to a client's wishes. I feel that this was a true collaboration between kilt maker and client. Being able to speak face to face was indeed a big asset.

When will it be field tested and what will be the results?
Well here in Canada we are readying for the thaw, so playing will still be at least a month away. It's just no fun playing with frozen balls, getting hit by them really, really hurts and also has a tendency of breaking skin, even through clothing! I know I still have scars from playing last spring. In paintball the rule is if you are hit and the ball does not break you're still in the game. If you're hit and the ball breaks you're out (no hiding that bright paint splotch). Rule of thumb is to wear loose clothing in hopes that the material slows the ball down enough to not break and bounce off. Thicker clothing helps take the sting away as even ball that don't break can still be felt. Robert mentioned that he made the pleats deep and it was sitting in my car on the drive home that I really noticed the thickness back there. I'm looking at five thickness of material in my pleats alone, about three thicknesses in the front. Compare this to the Battle Dress trousers that I also have, the vast majority of these is single thickness! Include with this my added freedom of movement that a kilt offers the added gear placement options, added protection, and the ever so intimidating "Don't mess with the kilted me" look, I feel that I have a distinct advantage over all others on the field.

Thanks Robert.



More photos to follow...