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Reviews > Clothing > Skirts and Kilts > Macabi Hiking Skirt > Owner Review by Marjorie WoodruffMacabi Skirt Tester bio Name: Slim Woodruff Age: 60 Gender: Female Height: 6' (1.83 m) Weight: 160 pounds (73K) Email address: canyongoddess1948@yahooDOTcom City, State, Country: Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA Date: February 11, 2009 Backpacking background: I have been backpacking for 42 years, mostly in Arizona but a little in every western state. I have worked in outdoor education/recreation for over 30 years, including 14 years as a professional guide. I hike mostly in the desert, and I like as light a pack as possible while still being prepared for emergencies. I think a 30-pound (14 K) pack is heavy. I do quite a lot of day hikes (three miles (4.8 k) to 15 miles (24 k)). Overnights are usually four to six days long and cover 8 – 10 miles per day (12.8 k – 16 k).
Product description: The Macabi skirt is a nylon travel skirt originally designed for outdoor pursuits or travel in areas where women wearing trousers are frowned upon. It comes in three lengths: short, medium and long. An elastic waist with a drawstring makes for a versatile fit. There are large inset side pockets and the right-hand pocket has a smaller insert, zippered pocket for valuable items. I find that hiking in a skirt is extremely comfortable in summer, allowing a free flow of cooling air without chafing. It provides protection for my legs from the sun but doesn’t make me overheat as long pants often do. In winter, I wear wool tights under the skirt. The skirt then provides a wind block, but when I start hiking hard, I can cool down by either abandoning the tights or pulling them up so my calves are exposed. Wearing a skirt eliminates chafing, particularly when I am hot and sweaty. There is a slight problem with static cling if I wear polypro tights, but wool tights seem to eliminate most of this. As a woman, I appreciate the privacy provided by a skirt. If nature calls, I can answer without hiking a mile off trail to get out of sight. Kind of like a guy! I can change clothes right in camp under the skirt.The Macabi has snaps on the side to allow one to shorten the hem and wear it as a mini skirt. It has a strap which I can attach to loops at the front and back to fashion a pair of loose trousers. It has a small zippered pocket inside the right hand pocket for things I don't want to lose. There are two huge side pockets: large enough to hold two cans of Pepsi each, if I should happen across some unattended cans of Pepsi. At this point, the drawstring in the waistband becomes important, as heavy pockets tend to draw the skirt down! I usually just carry a bandana and some lip gloss in the pockets. When I am washing graffiti off of rocks, I carry a squirt bottle of water and a small scrub brush in the pockets. I find the large pockets to be one of the useful features about this skirt. On my last two hikes I used the pockets to carry:
Something as heavy as a liter of water will bang against the legs, so I wouldn’t carry it very far. I own a short version and a medium version. The medium is almost too long for rough trails, and I really can't imagine wearing a longer skirt for hiking. I'm afraid I would step on it while going uphill. The short one is my favorite. It comes to just below my knees. The medium is about halfway down my calves, and I reserve it for winter when I want more wind protection. I have worn this on day hikes and on weeklong overnights for the past year and more. It washes easily and dries quickly. Hiking mostly in the Southwest, I have rarely worn this in the rain. A slight rain dampens the skirt, and it dries within the hour in our low humidity. When it rains hard, I do abandon the skirt for rain pants. The only real complaint I have is the zipper pocket. The zipper tab is at the top of the pocket near the waist, and it makes a lump under my pack waist belt. Consequently I have to hitch the skirt low, or unzip the pocket when I wear a heavy pack. The zipper should have been sewn in the opposite way, with the tab down. I would also like more color choices. I understand that the company wants to appeal to as many people as possible, and so they stick to neutral colors such as browns, grays, blacks, and royals. I like brighter colors. I would also like an alternative in a waterproof, breathable fabric. I have met a number of women on the trail who applauded wearing a skirt and vowed to find their own. One Mennonite hiker, who was wearing a long denim skirt, yelled "Way to go, sister!" One British male hiker lamented that he had not brought his hiking kilt, and a local male friend has purchased a kilt to wear on the trail. Even my husband has been wondering if a skirt worn over tights would be more versatile than wind pants. Summary The Macabi is a flexible part of my hiking wardrobe. It is well thought out and well made. Things I like: Things I don't like:
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