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I was once out looking for arrowheads in June.  A gully washer thunderstorm passed through and I hustled to my favorite field.  It was perfect and I was finding a lot of artifacts but then the sun came out.  It got hot and humid and sunny when it was just cool and cloudy.  I was finding so many things that I just kept going until I was having a hard time and realized I was overheated.  It was a long walk back to the car.  I was really overheated and dehydrated which put me in the ER with heart palpitations.  It took 3 bags of IV before I had to pee!!  I'd been drinking water too!  To this day I have a mild heart condition where my heart has preventricular contractions, but it won't have an impact on my health or longevity.  I'm really careful about hydration now.  If I'm out and about in the woods or forging or working, I have a thermos of water with me.  To this day my body cannot tolerate dehydration, heat or humidity very well.  If I work out in the heat, yeah, I monitor the color of my pee and it tells me if I need more fluids.  It's nothing to mess with.  In the ER, my EKG was very concerning and one nurse really kept tabs on me.

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I've recently, (as my profile pic shows), taken to wearing a kilt, (utility kilt), while working, as summer in the Mid-Atlantic can be both hot and insanely humid. It's made from material similar to duck cotton work pants, has a metric ton of pocket space, enough protection for most of the things I'm doing, and any breeze on a hot, muggy day feels like a gift from on high. (And floor vents are now must-haves in any other place I ever live.)

 

Just a thought....

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And then the UPS or Fed Ex guy rolls up to the house wondering why you have a leather skirt on :lol: 

Looks comfy actually but I like the extra packed and sealed up factor of pants or shorts especially when I like to hold tongs between my legs sometimes when a holdfast just isn't going to work.  If I worked in a kilt there would be something about a pair of tong reins down there clamping around that would make me sweat more than the heat......CRUNCH....... :blink:

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16 hours ago, Scott Massey said:

I've recently, (as my profile pic shows), taken to wearing a kilt, (utility kilt), while working

I've thought about that but since moving to Alaska haven't needed the extra cooling often enough to give it a try. How is it in winter weather?

Frosty The Lucky.

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17 hours ago, Frosty said:

....... How is it in winter weather?

Last season the forge was in an unheated garage, and as long as I wore winter socks I was ok. This season, part of my forge is outside, but speaking with other kilties the only time they notice it's winter is when the breeze hits them. 

But none of them live in AK. 

(And I must admit to some mosquito / sand flea / no see-um bites, with the occasional salvo landing "danger close".)

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Gals wear skirts year round here though their winter socks tend to have attached panties and that would be cheating. Yes? :blink:

Spray the bug dope on the inside bottom of your kilt, it'll keep the biters off you without as much chance of danger close :o skin irritation. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Absolutely not. Only certain military units were required to forego clothing worn underneath a kilt, (subsequently referred to as going "regimental"). The  misconception has sparked more than its' fair share of brazen behaviour from the "fairer sex" when a kilt appears. Ask me how I know ;) It's your kilt, your choice, but you WILL be asked about your... choice, regardless.

 

(And as some of the nicer dress tartans can run upwards of $600 or more, most owners tend to be overly protective of them, hence undergarments are worn.)

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32 minutes ago, Scott Massey said:

Only certain military units were required to forego clothing worn underneath a kilt, (subsequently referred to as going "regimental"). 

Hence the term "after action reports", because some units have already been de-briefed. :rolleyes:

(Thank you, I will be here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress, and try the veal.) 

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I met Roger at a gathering of metal artist members of the old Artmetal.list at a member's farm outside of Springfield Illinois. I think it was 2000 maybe 1998 my poor memory for dates is even worse since the TBI. Anyway Roger brought the Peter Wrong and told us about the swage. He's quite the collector.

I wanted to look like I was cleaning my ear, not straining lifting it. I have another of me picking my nose with it but it isn't as good a pic.

Frosty The Lucky.

Jer_anvil1.jpg.3c8a01dcb987699d54a5233b608be9de.jpg

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On 8/18/2018 at 5:10 PM, Scott Massey said:

The  misconception has sparked more than its' fair share of brazen behaviour from the "fairer sex" when a kilt appears.

I was talking to my little Sister last night. We don't talk often enough and not only did a new computer add a layer to her stuff to deal with, she was calling from  her new house. How does this tie in you may be wondering? Part of her ritual when she gets home from work is to take a walk with her Rottweiler Sissy and check her mail. Sissy is a BIG sweetheart but has the habit of giving crotches a hearty nose job upon meeting for the first time. 

And what's her neighbor doing for their first meeting? . . . You Guessed it! He's washing his car, looks up, smiles  says hi and steps out from behind it. Wearing a kilt and Sissy heads straight to him too say hi. He offers her the back of his hand tells her what a good dog she is and Sissy sniffs his hand gives it a lick sits down next to Shannon. For once she doesn't do a thorough crotch sniffing.

Must've been a magic kilt and no, Shannon didn't ask if he was going Regimental. Nice neighbor, nice wife, Sissy loves their kids. All's well on the neighborhood.

Frosty The Lucky.

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1 hour ago, Frosty said:

...and Sissy heads straight to him to say hi.

Oh yes. Puppies come up in the "Incoming" chapter of Kilts 101, along with insects and tipsy wedding guests. Other chapters include

- "Sitting; you thought you knew how to..", (including the section "Leather car seats are NOT your friend. Summer and Winter versions", which I authored, by the by..)

- "How to use the mens room... in a skirt."

- "I dropped my lighter, and ...WHOA, I CAN'T PICK IT UP LIKE THAT..."

- and lastly "How NOT to impersonate Marilyn on a windy day."

 

So, yeah... there's a learning curve. The struggle is real......

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There is a traveling smith who forges in a kilt with metal scales on the front.  I like mine during the summer here. I have a Tripp brand kilt. I will need to lose some weight to fit into the Utilikilt I picked up really inexpensively ($8). It is the size I was for the longest - before the long commutes in the car. 

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  • 2 months later...

Frosty- the Roger Degner you mentioned above with the Peter Wrong anvil, would he be in his mid 60s, long gray hair and beard, glasses, retired chief of police? If so I had the pleasure to work an open forge near him recently. An interesting character, great with the visiters at the living history museum, and made some great kettle corn while taking a break.

As to the Peter Wrong, "Rog" has it setting in front of the shop. I didn't know it was hollow, as it looks like a rusty old unused anvil. So you can about imagine my amazement when I encouraged my 70# 10 yr old boy to walk up and lift a 300#+ anvil, and he did! 

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I only met him the one time and that was quite a few years ago. Retired chief of police rings a bell and love to play games with the Peter Wrong anvil definitely sounds like him. He's known for having a youngster fetch his anvil. One of his famous sayings when folk visited him was. Bid on that pile at the estate auction. He was famous for buying blacksmith tools and never parting with one. 

Outside of the one meeting all I know is what folks said and I never heard a negative. About the closest was some guys grumbling about him not parting with a goody they really wanted and that doesn't count.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I'm a factory rat (we make radiators and evaporators) temps in the shop regularly reach well into the 100's with a very high humidity (Michigan). One of my coworkers this past summer went down with heat stroke from not drinking enough, took 4 iv's in the hospital and 4wks before he was able to return to work. The company I work for supplies Gatorade and extra breaks when the temps inside reach a feels like of 90.

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