First weekend in a Great kilt!

[Brasilikilt]

Hey all

A couple weekends ago I went to a historical encampment great kilted which is a first for me.
Of course, I took over the living room before this for some trial runs, practice pleating etc etc and was happy that I could get my kilt pleated up nicely, so I considered myself ready for the rendezvous.

When I got there I was dressed in modern clothing, and had to pack all my gear into camp from the car. Before I had a chance to enter the camp, some gruff old fellow shouted at me "only primitive allowed!" so I pretty much had to drop everything on the spot, lay out my kilt, do a fast and dirty pleating job on the grass and then go in.

I'm surprized as to how well everything stayed together with just a belt to hold the kilt on. I figured if you were new to wearing a belted plaid, you might have to take it off and redo everything after moving around in it for so long as you would think that snags and tugs would pull everything apart. Not the case.......
I set up camp, cooked, sat in many a funky folding chair, sat on the ground and even smuggled in a modern folding shovel into camp, which obviously isn't that difficult, but the fact that the shovel stayed there in the "pockets" long enough for me to forget it was there while setting up camp was quite surprizing to me!

When night came, and it got quite a bit cooler it was very nice to be able to wrap the top half around me and stay very comfortably warm.

When it was time to sleep, I've NEVER been able to undress easier, just unbuckle your belt and VOILA there's 4 1/2 yards of toasty warm woolen goodness to be used as a blanket!

One thing I do suggest from experience is to use 2 belts with your belted plaid at events. One belt to hold your kilt on, and another for your sporran, knife, shooting bag etc etc......It's very nice to be able to remove your gear and get comfortable without having to completely disrobe before hand.

I didn't take any pictures during this event, but plan to snap some pics in full regalia (with targe and musket) in the near future.

Any other belted plaid wearers care to add their stories?

take care
Iain

[Blu (Ontario)]

Interesting form of recreation.

I saw a documentary a while back on a group of people that were trying to recreate conditions experienced by early settlers.... is this something similar?

.

[switchblade5984]

well we would love to see the pics!

[Andrew Green]

I don't have any stories to really share in regards to wearing the belted plaide. I have yet to fully wear mine, as I am still messing with getting the upper portion arranged in a manner that I like. I also need to find myself a bodkin, or a pennanular or brooch to secure the thing. I used to be quite opposed to putting a pin through my gear... not I am realizing that there isn't going to be much of a way around it. Although as the weather worsens, I may have a story or two to share.

[Tattoo Bradley]

I've wanted a great kilt for a while. But, I just wouldn't have enough (if any) events to wear it to to validate it to myself. Sound's like a great time though.

[Woodsheal]

I've "lived" in a belted plaid for a few weekends at 1745 reenactment events. I agree on the versatility and comfort. Some folks (who haven't actually worn `em!) think they're awkward, but you get used to wearing one in a very short time....

[M. A. C. Newsome]

One thing I do suggest from experience is to use 2 belts with your belted plaid at events. One belt to hold your kilt on, and another for your sporran, knife, shooting bag etc etc......It's very nice to be able to remove your gear and get comfortable without having to completely disrobe before hand.

Congradulations. You just figured out from first hand experience why it is that the sporran is traditionally worn from a separate, secondary belt. This is a question that I've had to explain to many people before, and it's something that no one really thinks about until you've worn a belted plaid like you have.

Aye,
Matt

[Brasilikilt]

Interesting form of recreation.

I saw a documentary a while back on a group of people that were trying to recreate conditions experienced by early settlers.... is this something similar?

.

This event was a pre 1840 rendezvous which centers on the Western/Rocky mountain fur trade. Almost all of the people you see there do a Mountain man/Native american impression.... I'm not sure what documentary you saw, but it sounds similar as the idea at a rendezvous is to do things the old fashioned way whenever possible, such as cooking, sleeping in tee-pees starting fires with flint and steel, shooting muzzle loaders etc etc

Andrew: I ran into the same problem as you, whatever I did to the top half didn't feel right. Pretty much all the online instructions I found said the same thing "For the top half of the kilt, just use your imagination!"

But here is a link that helped me A LOT

http://www.tartanweb.com/greatkilt/w...greatkilt.html

Look how he twists the corners of the plaid and sticks them in his belt

As for the belts, I don't recall seeing any of the "ring belts" used historically, so I stick with the simple brass buckles for now. I have a big round one for the wide belt to hold the kilt on, and a much smaller squarish buckle for the much narrower "gear belt" which is pretty long, but mostly so I can use it for different purposes if need be.
As far as I'm concerned, the second belt is a necessity!

It's late and I must sleep.......good night everyone

Iain

[Robinhood]

For the top half of my belted plaid, I have
a simple way of arranging it:

1. After getting it belted on, find the two top
corners hanging down in the front. Tuck them
in the back of the belt. (This makes a fold kind
of diagonally to the upper selvedge. Also, I
don't twist the ends, it makes a knot that I
don't like the feel of when sitting in a chair.
These ends can be pushed under the belt
from the bottom, and then down over the
pleats next to the shirt to stay in place longer.)

2. Pull the right side where the new fold meets
the selvedge behind the back and up over the
left shoulder. Hold it there with the right hand.

3. Pull the left side where the fold meets the
selvedge up with the left hand and hold both
with the right hand.

4. Reach down with the left hand to the lowest
point of the selvedge (or maybe a little forward
of this point) and pull this point up to where
the right hand is holding the other "ends."

5. Pin or tie these three parts together.

6. As neatly as possible, fold and flatten the
bunches of fabric under the left arm. Mostly
the fabric naturally falls into a good fold, so
it mostly just needs flattening. If I mess with
it too much trying to re-fold for a neater bunch,
it doesn't work and I have to start again.

7. Remember, there is more fabric in the top
than the bottom, and you don't have pleats
to make it neat. It is going to be kind of
bulky no matter what you do.