In the early 2000s I was attending a Scottish festival in Fergus, Ontario and came upon miraculous sight. A utilikilt! I remember fondly looking at it, feeling it’s incredible construction, and dreaming that someday, I might be able to wear such a thing. Yes I have some distant scottish ancestry, but I can’t ever really remember seeing anyone in a kilt outside of a Scottish festival.
Around 15 years later, I started getting into wearing kilts. As a professional outdoors person, it seemed a natural progression for practicality and comfort in all manner of outdoor tasks. From canoe trips, to hiking adventures, to mundane yard work. All were a lot more fun and comfortable in the kilt.
In early 2020 I decided to take my love of the kilt one step further. I wanted what was claimed to be the most advanced Utilikilt they offer. Supposedly the Cadillac of kilts. Their website claims “Whether you’re climbing a mountain, planning a three-week camping trip into the Black Rock Desert, or just looking for a way to carry 20 bottles of beer, the Survival is the kilt for you.” The Survival Utilikilt is is constructed from a 6.5oz 100% Cotton Ripstop fabric.
The design for the kilt was created by adventurer and tattoo historian Vince Hemingson and worn by the original “Survivor” contestant Richard Hatch.
It sounded like the perfect kilt for someone who spends most of their time outdoors, lives, works, breathes, and eats wilderness.
The Utilikilt website claims “Your Levi Jeans size is your kilt size!” and states multiple times around their website to re-read the sizing guide. Kilts fit different than pants, normally as they are worn high around the belly. I have quite a pronounced belly and was well aware of this.
I placed my order for the $330.00USD ($442.00CAD) Kilt (which is expensive compared to the $60 – $80 ones I had from eBay). I was surprised that the shipping cost was going to be an additional $70.00 ($93.00CAD). I paid the $400.00 ($536CAD) and awaited my delivery. I even called to confirm my order.
A few weeks later my kilt arrived, but apparently I was not done paying for it. Canada Customs felt it just to charge an additional $82.00 duty and taxes on the kilt based on it’s declared value. Before even getting out of the box, this $330.00 kilt now cost me $482.00USD. Added to that the exchange rate, my Utilikilt cost me a grand total of 646.73 Canadian dollars!
Duty, taxes, and shipping cost were almost 1/3 of the cost of the kilt!
To add insult to injury, the kilt they sent me was too big!
I contacted their support team, and was advised if I wanted to pay the shipping, duty and taxes AGAIN, they would exchange it for another kilt. It was not worth it. I was able to tighten it up and wear it with a belt.
The kilt looks spectacular. It has beautiful, high quality seams, riveted pocket joints and is heavy! There is an awful lot of material in the kilt.
Pockets on the kilt were designed to be removed. This allows them to be worn on a belt, or removed completely. I found many times the pockets would catch on door handles, drawer handles and bush and try to tear off. The pockets could be sewn on to prevent this, however it defeats the purpose of the design.
The snaps are well placed, and very secure. The Olive Drab was a beautiful, crisp colour and the black apron was a beautiful dark and crisp black. Other than the shipping cost and wrong size, it was beautiful.
I was proud to wear it to work, and in the wilderness. I’d often get compliments on it as it was a beautiful, and striking garment.
To help protect the colours, I hand washed it sparingly and hung it to dry. I never put it into a machine.
The Rip-Stop material was greatat first and repelled lots of raspberry bushes, and other spikey things that you come across on the trails. I wore the kilt on a few week long expedition trips including a canoe trip. Other than the detachable pockets catching on a bunch of stuff, it did not let me down.
Turning the kilt over, you will find some unique features that set this kilt apart from most. Firstly the kilt has a form of elastic corset style webbing in it. This allows the kilt to be cinched closed or let loose. It also has adjustable velcro pleats. This means if you put on weight, or lose weight, the kilt is adjustable so that it will always fit you. A great and well thought out design.
Even with a few shortcomings, the kilt was a great garment and held up well in the wilderness as promised. During the COVID-19 Crisis of 2020, I got my COVID Gut and literally grew into the kilt.
Sadly, a few months after having the kilt, and carefully hand washing it only a couple of times, I noticed that the colours had faded. It did not take long until the beautiful, crisp black and olive drab were just bland shades of green and black. The colour had washed out of the kilt inappropriately fast. In less than 4 months wear the kilt now looks horribly faded. The fabric used to make it was very poor quality.
Compare this to the $60.00 kilts I have purchased from eBay from the “Highland House of Pakistan” which I have worn through brutal summers heat and sun and have not faded at all, despite several years of washing machine cleaning and drying.
I contacted the company and asked if there was a warranty, as it would be worth it to send it back and get one size smaller AND get a replacement due to the poor quality dyes used in the kilt. I was simply advised that there was no warranty on the poor quality fabric and dyes they used in the kilt and I was out of luck.
Overall the Utilikilt Survival appears to be a well made garment, except for the poor quality fabric which fades in just a few months use. If you are a general kilt wearer and only wear the kilt to the club, or on the odd hike, it may be fine. If you expect a heavy duty kilt to last through years of use and abuse in the wilderness, you will be very disappointed in the fabric quality. Unless you like the look of a distressed, faded, bland kilt which looks like something found in the basement of an army surplus store.
Although I am always in the market for a great kilt to wear to the ends of the earth, the Utilikilt Survival is sadly, not that kilt. It’s a shame because I love the design, feel, overall build of the kilt. Perhaps the next generation of them will have higher quality fabrics that hold their colour for a reasonable amount of time.
