Getting Acquainted With the Crew

As long as I've got the pictures handy, I figure I'll go ahead and share a good mix of my older photos as well as some of the new. This is also a good opportunity to officially introduce you to my kilts.

I do have something of an artsy side, and I love a good hike in the woods (whenever I can find any woods, that is: north Texas isn't exactly notorious for towering trees.) This one's from a short trip I took to Fort Richardson in Jacksboro, TX - if you're a camping kind of man, this is a pretty nice place to stay. Good for the family, too: Civil War reenactments during certain seasons, plenty of wonderful hiking trails, decent camp sites, and a great deal of wildlife. I saw a fawn (that's what you call a baby deer, right?) nuzzled under a bush on one trail I took this trip, but unfortunately wasn't able to get a good photo. Of course, I captured the most unusual thing to see in a north TX state park, which would be my kilt. I don't exactly see them roaming around, grazing in the fields or anything.
The kilt featured above - and in many of my photos, as you've probably noticed (it's the black one) - is called the Original Utilikilt, a very simple but functional design. Two serious cargo pockets on either side and one interior rear pocket provide plenty of space for the junk I need to carry around with me, but it remains a lightweight and VERY breathable garment, perfect for everyday wear and casual occasions.

What I should have been wearing in the great outdoors was this fine piece of craftsmanship: the Survival Utilikilt. Even without the archery equipment, this is a kilt that reeks of badassery: two double-pocketed, removable cargo attachments to either side; deep, interior front pockets; two pouch pockets in the rear; water-repellent material; also fairly lightweight, and equipped with a caribiner-hook for whatever needs to hang (you know, besides what's under the kilt.) Perfect for the outdoorsy type.



Next on the list is my Workman's, a kilt modeled after Carhartts designed to take the beating of truly manly activities like construction work, welding, technician stuff, etc. As Jethro Tull might say, this thing is thick as a brick and just as durable - I've put it through a few months at Habitat for Humanity builds, paint stains to prove it. In fact, the build site featured here is a Habitat location, and here's why the Workman's is the kilt for the job:

It is designed to minimize risk of accident and maximize productivity. Note the built-in, adjustable hammer loop (and, not pictured, tape-measure loop on the opposite side) fashioned to keep tools safely secured in the handiest of locations, the lengths of which are adjustable. The studs you see (apart from the one wearing the kilt, of course,) dotting the external cargo pocket are constructed likewise to hold miscellaneous items in place: they served well to secure my pencil between markings and cuts, in this day’s example. On the opposite hip hangs a clip for any number of extra necessities, in my case car keys that would otherwise have obstructed precious pocket space. Speaking of pockets, such burdensome necessities as those pesky nail aprons are a thing of the past; the bulge you see in the visible pocket (don’t get too excited, now,) is comprised of galvanized nails, readily accessed at a moment’s notice. Perhaps a bit more obvious is the built-in AC, activated with a simple swing of the hips or a stiff breeze – the latter of which some would normally consider to be a problem if the kilt-wearer, true to regulatory fashion, were in easily-offendable company, but even then safeguards are built in. Were I, for example, atop the scaffolding and in danger of surprising onlookers from below, the Utilikilts modesty system would have leapt into action with a simple series of buttons to conceal the potentially disorienting view (the Survival is equipped with a similar system.)

Finally, we have one of the more chic Utilikilts available today, and that is the Mocker. Usually I save this one for special occasions, like the obviously-cropped event featured here (forgive me: identities must be protected.) Instead of the bulky cargos, this streamlined beauty has those deep, interior pockets, both front and rear, and really makes an outfit look nice when properly matched. Still, that won't stop me from wearing it casually on laundry day or when I just want the sheer material without cargo pockets. Great for lounging and just taking it easy, if that's your thing.

That about wraps it up for introductions, and you can bet on getting more acquainted with the crew as the blog rolls on. In fact, a new family member should be joining us within the next few weeks - an olive-colored Original, hopefully en route from the UK HQ in Seattle, Washington soon! This is probably a good time to let my readers know that, if at any time you feel inclined to drop a comment or leave me a lil' sum'm sum'm, you're welcome to do so - TASTEFULLY, please. Or at least without being too terribly mean to me. I'm really nothing but a big, soft teddy bear. In a badass kilt.