Jeff Crawley
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- A "Tourigrino" trip once Covid has passed, so 2023
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I think that the wrap style with Velcro makes more sense than the one in the video that's open on the backside.The weather in the UK has been variable recently - extremely hot or extremely wet - so when I checked the weather forecast for today's walk and it said low chance of rain I immediately packed my trusty Altus into my day bag.
Sure enough, half way through, it started to pour with rain.
While I was donning the Altus a figure emerged from a side path in the woods and appeared to wrap a blue towel around his waist. As I was heading that way, and being incredibly nosey, I stopped to see what it was.
He (or rather his wife) had made what he called a "rain apron" - essentially they'd taken a very thin polytarp (£, $, € Store) and trimmed it down to size (removing the margin with the grommits), hemmed it and sewn a length of velcro into the waist band to form a wrap around apron or kilt if you will that can be put on faster than a pair of over trousers.
Like this
View attachment 81225
I'd heard of rain kilts on the Forum before but never seen one in action so when I got home I Googled and found that they are indeed a "thing" although at vastly higher prices than this man's £2 plus a foot length of velcro.
He wore his with the vent to the rear and I must admit that he had freedom of movement albeit rather noisy movement.
Anyway I thought I'd offer it up to the group - you might fancy trying your hand at making one or follow THIS GUY'S example.
I'll confess to having worn a tubular sarong in the far east but I was a lot younger, much thinner and a long way from home but I'm not sure I'd wear one trudging across a rainswept Mesata.
Another bonus of this 'style' (walking get-ups already being a fashion statement & all...The weather in the UK has been variable recently - extremely hot or extremely wet - so when I checked the weather forecast for today's walk and it said low chance of rain I immediately packed my trusty Altus into my day bag.
Sure enough, half way through, it started to pour with rain.
While I was donning the Altus a figure emerged from a side path in the woods and appeared to wrap a blue towel around his waist. As I was heading that way, and being incredibly nosey, I stopped to see what it was.
He (or rather his wife) had made what he called a "rain apron" - essentially they'd taken a very thin polytarp (£, $, € Store) and trimmed it down to size (removing the margin with the grommits), hemmed it and sewn a length of velcro into the waist band to form a wrap around apron or kilt if you will that can be put on faster than a pair of over trousers.
Like this
View attachment 81225
I'd heard of rain kilts on the Forum before but never seen one in action so when I got home I Googled and found that they are indeed a "thing" although at vastly higher prices than this man's £2 plus a foot length of velcro.
He wore his with the vent to the rear and I must admit that he had freedom of movement albeit rather noisy movement.
Anyway I thought I'd offer it up to the group - you might fancy trying your hand at making one or follow THIS GUY'S example.
I'll confess to having worn a tubular sarong in the far east but I was a lot younger, much thinner and a long way from home but I'm not sure I'd wear one trudging across a rainswept Mesata.
Wear a thong at thigh height?Those kilts may be a little problem during windy weather (not uncommon on the Camino)
Or when the children are around...
Well, your first pictures answers the age old question of what is worn under a kilt.Those kilts may be a little problem during windy weather (not uncommon on the Camino)
Or when the children are around...
We met a man from Belgium last year who wore a skirt every day.The weather in the UK has been variable recently - extremely hot or extremely wet - so when I checked the weather forecast for today's walk and it said low chance of rain I immediately packed my trusty Altus into my day bag.
Sure enough, half way through, it started to pour with rain.
While I was donning the Altus a figure emerged from a side path in the woods and appeared to wrap a blue towel around his waist. As I was heading that way, and being incredibly nosey, I stopped to see what it was.
He (or rather his wife) had made what he called a "rain apron" - essentially they'd taken a very thin polytarp (£, $, € Store) and trimmed it down to size (removing the margin with the grommits), hemmed it and sewn a length of velcro into the waist band to form a wrap around apron or kilt if you will that can be put on faster than a pair of over trousers.
Like this
View attachment 81225
I'd heard of rain kilts on the Forum before but never seen one in action so when I got home I Googled and found that they are indeed a "thing" although at vastly higher prices than this man's £2 plus a foot length of velcro.
He wore his with the vent to the rear and I must admit that he had freedom of movement albeit rather noisy movement.
Anyway I thought I'd offer it up to the group - you might fancy trying your hand at making one or follow THIS GUY'S example.
I'll confess to having worn a tubular sarong in the far east but I was a lot younger, much thinner and a long way from home but I'm not sure I'd wear one trudging across a rainswept Mesata.
Ask any Scotsman and he'll tell you nothing is worn under the kilt - it's all in perfect working order . . .Well, your first pictures answers the age old question of what is worn under a kilt.
... I've ... found ... rain kilts ... are indeed a "thing"
Some very good points Alwyn. The Altus is still my "go to" - just wish I could find a way to keep the condensation down. I know somebody suggested adding punched eyelets to the arm pits but are they effective?I'm a disciple of @SYates: her teaching is for every item you carry to have at least two (if not more) functions wherever possible.
I purchased my big things (pack, tent and sleeping bag) from Zpacks of Florida, USA. They also offered a rain kilt: I purchased one and for me found it had at least two functions - rain kilt and good to cover ground to sit upon. But is was another item to carry, to worry about and find when needed while on underway. And it was doffed by stepping into and pulling up.
When I bought my tent it had, as an option, a detachable ground sheet that doubled as poncho. This was generous enough to cover the back pack as well as me. From Le Puy-en-Velay there were only two times when I needed rain cover.
The first was approaching Navarennx. First came the strong wind: that was alright as it was behind me and was not chilling. A few minutes later came the rain, increasing in intensity. Getting the multiple function poncho / ground sheet over me in strong wind was impossible. A velcro closed rain kilt would have been infinitely easier, but would have meant I was also carrying three items: a parka for me and a rain cover for the pack as well as the rain kilt. Without any cover the rain and wind combined and I started to shiver. My day was saved by a young woman driving an old car who picked me up, putting to shame the many sports utility vehicles that went as far as they could to the other side of the road. So my wet weather gear had not yet been tested.
That happened on the second occasion, half-way between Leon and Hospital de Orbigo. This was rain without wind, so donning the poncho was easy. What I now found was it did not fall far enough to cover the kilt-type garment I was wearing and it was, from the bottom up, becoming increasingly wet. Again hypothermia was impressing itself on my mind.
Keeping to the Sy Yates mantra, I wanted the simplest mode possible: one item which not only keeps we dry and warm but also acts as a blanket when needed.
My gear now is a handy Altus that covers me to below the hem of my real kilt and my pack.
And I used it for the first time, since those episodes some four years ago, on Thursday this week. I was on a formed shared path through a farm-park when the threatened rain arrived. It was a few moments work to stop, doff the pack, take the Altus from the large outside pouch, put the pack back on, cover everything and carry on. Despite a strong wind I was as warm as a bug in a rug, and dry.
@Jeff Crawley, thank you for the opportunity to review what works for me.
No youngster here and I do. The saving grace is that the hipbelt keeps everything snugly in place.I'll confess to having worn a tubular sarong in the far east but I was a lot younger, much thinner and a long way from home but I'm not sure I'd wear one trudging across a rainswept Mesata.
I haven't done enough walking (around the house) to determine where the slit should fall, but in back doesn't seem right as it seems it would restrict your forward stride.
I think something went wrong with your link.(see How to wear a lungi if you don't know what I'm talking about)
Thanks David, I've corrected it (again)I think something went wrong with your link.
I still can't get the link to work.Thanks David, I've corrected it.
It still seems to be trying to go to "How%20to%20wear%20a%20lungi" which isn't a valid URL.Thanks David, I've corrected it.
I pair the rain kilt, and gaiters with running tights if It is cold out.A thought just occurred to me. For extra protection on the legs but with ventilation you could wear leggings under the kilt.
I plead stupidity and an ailing computer . . . to get the ( sign I now have to type 9( and then delete the 9!I still can't get the link to work.
This time it worked! The video was much better for understanding than the Instructables page that the Google search led to, which seemed to show wrapping a rectangle of cloth rather than a tube.Thanks David, I've corrected it (again)
A kind of Hairless Krishna?I tried a rain skirt last year out of curiosity. It was a simple white silnylon number. I was wearing it under my poncho/raincoat high on the Offa's Dyke path on a morning of heavy wet mist. My head recently shaved short. Eventually got chatting to a couple walking the same way who'd assumed I was part of a religious order, and that the rain skirt was part of my white robes....
Back to the solution I should never should have trifled with - poncho/raincoat over shorts with legs rolled up if necessary (but remembering to unroll when entering cafe/bar..) adding MLD rain chaps in cooler or extremely wet conditions.
Rick, I can't quite envision what you propose for a man's undercarriage. Does it keep "everything" ventilated? If not, good luck dealing with all that when nature calls...welcome to my world.A thought just occurred to me. For extra protection on the legs but with ventilation you could wear leggings/chaps under the kilt. That is to say, separate rain pant legs with open tops and bottoms that can be attached to a waist belt. The kilt should keep rain from entering the pant tops but the openness of everything should keep your legs ventilated better than traditional rain pants.
Tsk-tsk CC, did you not watch the training video?Rick, I can't quite envision what you propose for a man's undercarriage. Does it keep "everything" ventilated? If not, good luck dealing with all that when nature calls...welcome to my world.
Sorry, cross purposes. My clumsy attempt to post the longi video eventually succeeded but I'm now referencing the one about ladies/women (I don't know, I got it wrong last time) peeing in the woods.Nope, I thought the video was about wrapping a sarong. If it was about dealing with a gentleman's chaps and kilts, and how to properly wrap the undercarriage, I might have taken a quick peek.
Perhaps this should be discussed with @KinkyOneRick, I can't quite envision what you propose for a man's undercarriage. Does it keep "everything" ventilated? If not, good luck dealing with all that when nature calls...welcome to my world.
Nope, not yours, but I watched the "Braveheart" video; a favorite epic movie of mine. I enjoyed seeing Mel Gibson in his Scottish kilt.Tsk-tsk CC, did you not watch the training video?
My dear friend Ben, an ardent Scots Nationalist, came away from seeing Braveheart almost as blue in the face as the Australian portraying Wallace.Nope, not yours, but I watched the "Braveheart" video; a favorite epic movie of mine. I enjoyed seeing Mel Gibson in his Scottish kilt.
That's why they added pleats to the kilts...worked a charm for running, squatting, and fighting.the great kilt would have slowed them do
Works every time!
I've heard it stated that nothing is worn under a Scot's kilt.Well, your first pictures answers the age old question of what is worn under a kilt.
Definitely interesting. I am a bit reluctant to give up my rain pants, which serve in an emergency as pants, and I don't find that sweating is a problem for me. However, the donning and doffing aspect of the kilt is very attractive, and its use as a ground sheet.
You may want to check out the Zpacks - Vertice Calf Gaiters ... solved the problem for me.The only thing that would be better with a rain trouser or a poncho might be, that my shins would not get wet. I can live with that downside.
Agreed. I only wear them when it is cold instead of rain pants. I have worn SealSkinz canoeing or rafting with sandals to keep my feet warm and dry.They might help, but i personally see no need for them. Unless it's really cold, wet feet are not that big of an issue for me. If I'd go on a "most likely lots of rain" camino i would rather take some water resistant socks.
And for wet shins, i really don't care about them.
Other people might have different preferences however.
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