Which Rain Kilt

I like my ULA one quite a bit. It's very small and light and pretty reasonable in price. I've bought stuff from Zpacks as well and have been happy with Joe's product and service too.

Peter,

Can the ULA lay/fold flat for a mini ground sheet like the ZPacks? Know what dimensions it is laying flat?

I am debating these two as well – and most of the comparison info I could find compared the older model Zpacks kilt (pre-zipper) – so I thought I would revive an older thread, than create a new one. Thanks.

I wound up finding a ZPacks Cloudkilt at a great price. I haven't been able to get out and test it yet.

I've been contemplating the Lightheart Gear "rain wrap" for a bit now, I like the simple design and multiple length options. Still not fully onboard yet though with the whole rain miniskirt thing.

With a kilt, what do you do about the lower part of your trousers legs? Roll them up? Let them get wet?

I went with the Zpacks for several of reasons: I am committed to Zpacks as a customer (overall quality, great customer service and price), the light weight, and design ( adjustable waist and zipper). I use it in conjunction with a Zpacks poncho/ground sheet and shorts or roll my pants up to just below the knees.

I really like the kilt, especially in mild weather. Delmar, usually I am wearing shorts when I take a kilt. If I am wearing long pants, its probably colder, and I often take rain pants. The kilt is pretty ideal with shorts.

Delmar, i plan on using a rain kilt from mid spring – mid fall (Which makes up about 90% of my outdoor activities). I find rain pants unbearable to wear in anything above 50 degrees (and that is 50 in a downpour – I am a sweater). Anything above 70, I just prefer to get wet. It just seems for the most part with traditional rain gear/pants I have to debate the decision to even get them out of my pack when it's raining. I just think the kilt/skirt is a quick alternative to suit my needs. Plus it seems that more times that not when I consider rain gear, the temps would fall in the range I mentioned above 50-70 (for my activities and location)

I also like that the zpacks lays flat and can be used as a small ground tarp, or under sleeping mat for added protection. I also think the cuben would be more pleasant to wear if it is loose as a kilt would be. It seems the silnylon would want to cling to my skin when it gets wet. However, I may be totally wrong – that is why I am seeking input. I don't mind paying $60 for quality gear (zpacks), but I would rather pay half the price if the other performs equally as well.

The Z-packs cloud kilt is the only rain kilt I've used. I've had it out in freezing rain and sleet and it performs very well for its weight and cost. I don't try to keep my feet dry when it's pouring, which means my ankle and lower pant leg is often wet by association. However, having dry thighs goes a long way toward keeping warm in freezing rain as long as you're exerting yourself. It also keeps waist and thigh pocket items dry. I have the Z-packs WPBCF pants as well and I had intended to use them in similarly cold conditions but I find myself reaching for the kilt until it's just straight snowing. The kilt is also a multi use item, as stated above. The cloud kilt is typical Z-packs quality. Mine has the zipper.

I actually own both a ULA black one from 2009 and a Zpacks white one from 2011. The ULA one I have is longer. The Zpacks one is great over shorts in warmer weather due to being shorter and lighter. The ULA one I have goes halfway between the knee and ankle is is better in colder weather due to more coverage. Both lay out flat as a ground cloth to use during breaks when things are wet. You can't go wrong with either. One issue with the Zpacks one is that you can't use it as a modesty wrap when doing laundry; the cuben fiber being used is too transparent to completely hid whats underneath.

I really like my tyvek homewrap rain kilt, but it does eventually get some abrasion wear. Once it's too worn, will make a silnylon one. Rain kilts are about one of the easiest things to make.

Cuben doesn't make much sense for rain kilts because with so little material involved, you're not saving much weight, it stinks for abrasion (just wearing a pack hip belt will damage it)–even more than homewrap, a lot of cuben is kind of see through (and i prefer to wear just underwear under same), and it's expensive. Would say that silnylon is perhaps the best overall material for it.

It's not even close imho. I love mine, very light, and looks better if nothing else.

Edit: also it doesn't absorb water, just shake it off. Stick on loops are easy to apply if you need more tie points for shelter applications.

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about. Courtesy to stick for his picture.

One more thing, when wearing the cuben it has quite a bit of structure due to the stiffness the cuben. It sticks out away from the body and doesn't cling like silnylon would.

Interesting set up. One could also just use an extended beak, lot easier..

I agree with Michael L on this point, I think that Cuben is a fine choice for a rain skirt. For the reasons he gives, plus just empirically I hiked the CDT with a cuben rain kilt and used it a fair bit, and it's in excellent shape. I've carried it some since then, always storing it in the external mesh of my pack and it's lasting very well for me.

As far as picking which rain kilt design is the best — dunno, this is the first one I've purchased. Prior, my rain kilt was one of those yard waste bags of the type that have a draw string.

I do like combining the kilt with various forms of short jacket; the only time I don't want it (barring dry-climate hiking) is with a poncho or perhaps packa.

I have the Zpacks kilt, but looking online just now I have an earlier model (bought in perhaps 2010 or so?). I'm skeptical about the addition of a zipper, as the biggest failure point for me on various gear items are the ultralight microzippers. The last thing I would want is to add yet another one of those into my gear mix.

I'd also say that my cuben rain skirt isn't "see through", as someone mentioned earlier and as I can clearly see on the zpacks product page. So perhaps that stuff will wear differently (??). I think mine also isn't quite as long.

I figure it's better to tag on to this old thread than create a new one on basically the same subject. I'm looking at a rain kilt to replace my rain pants in 3 season use. I'm kind of down to the two aforementioned choices. I was wondering about abrasion resistance when sitting down on breaks and when pushing through through wet scratchy brush. Is Cuben or Syl-nylon better? I'm not looking to do any heavy bushwacking just trail hiking.

I bought the Zpacks, and have been very happy with it. Can't say that I've used it in a sustained downpour, but for the usual PNW drizzly/misty all day wetness with wet brush it has been fantastic. The first time I used it it was on the Northern Olympic Coast, with rather a lot of boulder scrambling. The zipper was very helpful, as I could open it up for better stride length for stepping up on boulders. Also, I was worried about its durability on the rocks. Held up great despite having to sit and scoot in some places–I'm short, and my ability to make some of the foot-holds was not easy. Clambering up and over the headlands was ok too. The stiffness of the cuben fabric made it easy to walk around in it, I was never having to kick it out of my way or worry about the fabric binding around my legs as a more drapey fabric would. Haven't ever tried a sil-nylon one, but I would wonder about the structure of the fabric making it cling more. Also, cuben fiber is inherently water-proof–doesn't sil-nylon need to be re-waterproofed eventually? Might it wet out, eventually?

I've also used it as a groundcloth to keep items off damp ground while packing/unpacking during camp set-up or take-down.

I'm a recent kilt convert and although my wife gave me that dubious look that stings (really?? No seriously…really? You're gonna scare the wildlife), I'm happy I made the switch. In the PNW, a majority of the rain is surprisingly light, and so a kilt is ideal for 3 seasons. I wear hiking pants that I cut/sewed to 3/4 pants (manpris seem to be in line with kilts) and I roll them up when donning a kilt.

The other reason I'm happy I made the switch is I can use the kilt as rain protection on my tarp, either on the outside or inside. In a Solomid xl it makes a perfect addition when kneeling near the door or as a gear groundsheet.

Honestly, it's one of the most versatile pieces in my gear list.

Thanks for your input guys. I went ahead and ordered the Z-pack. I was thinking I could cut the lower legs off some of my old rain pants and reverse them and wear them under my kilt to cover from the knees down. Sound do-able?

First time I used my zPacks Cuben kilt I put a hole in it in the first 20 minutes of use… just by sitting down on a rock to take a rest… pretty delicate stuff…
You don't want Cuben to touch the ground or sit on rocks… use a sit pad to sit on.

Billy