MACABI SKIRT
The Original Adventure Travel Skirt ^TM for Men
report review hiking skirt
Long-Term Report - November 2, 2004

"While most of humanity was still running around as brutal savages, my ancestors were wearing skirts in the Temple of Solomon."
- Shane Steinkamp, with thanks to Benjamin Disraeli 

SPECIFICATIONS

The Macabi Skirt is manufactured by Macabi Skirt.  (Imagine that!)

Web: http://www.macabiskirt.com  The Macabi website has undergone a face-lift as of the time of this writing.  It is informative and easy to navigate.  Many excellent pictures demonstrate the product.

Year of Manufacture: 2004
MSRP: U.S. $76.95

LISTED WEIGHT:   None Listed
LISTED SIZE:          Varies.  Available in men's and women's sizes and cuts.  Waist sizes range from 20 to 42 inches (51 to 107 cm).  Lengths range from 30.5 to 38 inches (77.5 to 96.5 cm).
TESTED WEIGHT:  10.1 oz (285 g)
TESTED SIZE:         Men's size XL, regular length.  40-42 in (101.6-107 cm) waist, 35 in (89 cm) long.

Length is measured from the top of the waistband to the bottom edge of the skirt.  The waistband on the XL I received starts at 31 in (78.7 cm) and stretches maximally to 47 in (119.4 cm).

FIELD NOTES - MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION, AND FEATURES

A detailed discussion of materials, construction, and features is given in the Field Report.  The Macabi Skirt is made from Supplex, and I have been very pleased with the material.  I have not managed to stain it or tear it.  The Macabi skirt does not retain odors.  While the Macabi may be wrinkled when it comes out of the pocket/stuff sack, once I wear it for a little while - 20 minutes or so - all the wrinkles fall out of it.  When wet, the Supplex dries relatively quickly.  The waistband, being thicker, takes longer than the rest of the skirt to dry.  Despite many washings, many miles, and a lot of abuse, the Macabi Skirt is still in excellent condition.  I expect to get several seasons out of it at this rate.

FIELD USE

I have continued to wear the Macabi Skirt frequently.  It has gotten to the point that if I appear outside in something other than the Macabi, my neighbors wonder if there is something wrong with me.  I have taken the skirt on all my trips, and frequently it was the only garment I took with me on the trail.  I will admit that sometimes I didn't wear it much, being inclined to follow Colin Fletchers rule that, "The best dress for walking is nakedness." (The Complete Walker III; opening of Chapter 8.)   I did, from time to time, lend the skirt to hiking partners who were interested in trying it.  All reported that they liked it.  I continue to wear the skirt on my daily walks and while doing yard work.  (My neighbors evidently do not appreciate Mr. Fletcher's rules.)  I've worn it to the store, to the movies, to restaurants, to parties, to doctor's visits, to a firearms certification course, and even to work once, as well as many other places.  The Macabi Skirt is, by far, the best piece of gear that I have had the privilege to test for BGT.  Now that the test is over, I am going to order a few of them.

Field conditions were variable.  Terrain was variable, and included sandy beaches, river sandbars, bottomland hardwoods, and rolling hills.  I used the Macabi Skirt in weather conditions ranging from clear and hot, to very hot and stormy.  I was hoping that the weather would turn cooler before this review concluded, but Mother Nature did not cooperate in this regard.  I never wear underwear in the backcountry, and I have never worn underwear when wearing the Macabi.

As I noted in my Initial Report, in modern Western Civilization, the appearance of a man in a skirt - unless that skirt is part of some kind of costume - engenders a range of response from total disregard to curious inquiry to obstinate denouncement. During the Field Report, NOT ONE stranger ever seemed to notice that I was wearing a skirt.  Not a single person commented on it, except my immediate friends and family.  During the Long-Term Report period, several strangers inquired about the Macabi.  The response of those persons has been wholly positive.  Women are more likely to make a teasing comment like, "Where are your heels, honey?", but once engaged with a witty comeback like, "I lent 'em to your daddy.", and being shown the Macabi's tricks, state that they like the looks of the skirt and its features.  The response of men has been between, "I wish I were brave enough to wear that.", and, "I want one."  It has been commented that my lack of negative response may be due to the rather liberal attitude towards fashion in and around the area of New Orleans.  My friends and family have become so accustomed to seeing me in the Macabi that they no longer comment on it.  

For the most part, I wear Macabi Skirt as a skirt.  I will pull it up into its shorts configuration from time to time when the situation demands it (as when wading), but I will always let it back down as soon as possible.  As noted in the Field Report, when in places like small rural towns where I am likely to encounter less enlightened persons for whom the sight of a man in a skirt might be considered some kind of abomination, I found that configuring the Macabi as a pair of shorts proved to be a valuable 'disguise'.  In the shorts configuration I have never been questioned about the Macabi, nor have I frightened small children.

When on less traveled trails, it has been my usual habit to remove the Macabi and drape it over the back of my pack.  This allows the Macabi to dry if it has gotten wet, and keeps it in easy reach should I need to put it on if I hear other hikers approaching.  The Macabi is easy to get on and off even while wearing a backpack.  Since there aren't separate legs, I don't have to worry if I have put it on backwards, I just turn it around.

The Macabi is a very modest garment, and provides a feeling and a coolness that approaches being totally exposed to the air.  Once the heat of the day settles in, however, even the Macabi - which is still cooler than any pair of shorts I have worn - saturates with sweat and cannot provide evaporative cooling in the swampy heat of the Gulf South.  In these circumstances, I have found that I can gather the front of the skirt - including the pockets - and tuck it into my hipbelt, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) of the hem sticking out.  I then grab the back hem and pull it up between the small of my back and my pack.  Next I gather the sides and tuck them into the hipbelt.  In this manner, I can walk along and enjoy all the benefits of nude walking.  Should I suddenly encounter someone coming down the trail, a quick tug on the hem sticking out of the hipbelt deploys the Macabi as a full skirt again, and I am in no risk of frightening a group of Girl Scouts or something.  In the picture, I am using this 'configuration' to its maximum benefit, but I can leave it as long or as short as desired.  Since the material is soft and fine, there is no danger of chafing under the hipbelt.  For this photo I took the precaution of donning a bathing suit so as not to offend the reader's sensibilities.

After a trip to the beach I found another benefit of the Macabi Skirt.  After a weekend of sun, fun, and sand, I had a moderate sunburn.  This was nothing compared to the fact that I had rolled around in the sand a lot and had managed abrade a lot of skin off my hips in the sharp quartz sand of Navarre Beach.  I was quite raw, and the only garment that was comfortable enough to wear was the Macabi Skirt.  (Well, my silk robe wasn't too bad, but I couldn't wear that to work...)

FIELD NOTES - ADDITIONAL NOTES

In addition to wearing the Macabi as a garment, the Macabi has other uses as well.  As it is, essentially, a tube of Supplex, it is useful for anything that a medium sized piece of cloth is good for in the back country.  I have used it as a ground cloth to sit on and to protect my pack from the ground.  I found that a hazard of doing this is that ground moisture will seep into the garment and I will have to dry it the next morning - but at least my pack doesn't get dirty.  I have also spread it out as a welcome mat under my hammock entrance so that I can enter and exit the hammock and keep my feet clean while taking my sandals on or off.  Used in this manner, the Macabi gets dirty quickly, but most of the dirt shakes out, and a quick rinse and wring in a creek will remove common dirt.  I actually like to rinse and wring it every morning.  It dries quickly enough when I am wearing it, and it also dries when it's draped over the back of my pack.  Of course, this is fine for warm weather, but for cold weather such a practice might not be desirable.  As I have not used the Macabi in cool weather yet, I can't predict exactly how I will use it.  As a summer garment, though, it beats everything else.

Using two hiking poles as 'legs', I have arranged the Macabi as a sun shade and a wind block.  I was once caught in a violent rainstorm with nothing but the Macabi and my hiking poles.  I had abandoned my pack for the day at the campsite while I did a six mile day loop.  While I am accustomed to hiking unprotected from the rain, this particular rain was quite cold and I became chilled.  I needed to stop and dry, but I also needed to get back to camp before dark.  I found a large tree that leaned enough to provide a little relief from the downpour, stripped off the Macabi and wrung it out.  I then used it to dry myself (which was mostly successful, and wrung it out again.  I picked up two suitable sticks and broke them to a certain length and stretched each end of the skirt over them so that they would hold each end wide.  I then passed both hiking poles into the skirt, and in this way stretched the skirt into a flat trapezoid.  I then carried this as a crude umbrella.  This kept me much dryer than nothing, and I made it back to camp with my makeshift shelter.  After this, I realized that this configuration was good for several things, including sun shield and wind block.  Try doing that with a pair of shorts!  

Tying the bottom of the Macabi in a knot and then filling it with leaves, moss, or other soft, dry detritus, and then closing the waist band with the drawstring, turns the Macabi into a pillow suitable for laying or sitting.  Stuffing the Macabi into one of its large pockets and adding something else like a water bladder or t-shirt makes an excellent travel pillow.  

The PantClip, being essentially an adjustable piece of nylon webbing with a clip on each end, is removable from the skirt.  It has many uses all by itself.  Hanging water bags while filtering or showering, clipping a fly out of the way, hanging something from the ridgeline of a hammock, as a replacement for a broken sternum strap, and as a clip for carrying keys other valuables into public showers.  

The Supplex material makes an excellent prefilter for straining out large impurities before filtering water.  I discovered this on a black bayou that was full of (among other things) mosquito larva.  Wrapping the end of the filter hose in the Macabi made an excellent prefilter.  While I don't use chemical treatments, and always carry a filter, those who do not filter could do a lot worse than to strain their water through the fine weave of the Macabi.

The Macabi launders easily, and I frequently rinse it and hang it to dry overnight when hiking.  It is always dry in the morning, although some moisture may be retained by the waistband at times.  The Supplex does not retain odors like some synthetics.  Rinsing it in a stream every so often keeps it cool and clean enough.  When I get home, I zip the PantClip into the small zip pocket and wash it in the machine.  It comes out odor free the first time.

I would definitely pay full retail for a Macabi, and I intend to own several of them as soon as I finish this test and can generate the funds.  I feel that the Macabi is an excellent value, and I have found the Macabi to be durable, long lasting, and useful both as a garment and for many other things besides.  The Macabi skirt is far more versatile and useful than any pair of shorts could ever hope to be.

I will continue to wear the Macabi Skirt at every opportunity.  

SUMMARY

THINGS I LIKE

1.  Light, airy, and comfortable.
2.  Good fit.  If I put it on backwards, I don't have to take it off, I just turn it around.
3.  Very versatile.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

1.  Belt loops need to be larger
2.  A larger range of sizes would be desirable.  I know there are a lot of big people out there (I being one of them) that have a hard time finding outdoor gear designed for them.  When my daughter is five or six, I imagine she's going to want one of these as well.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

I have prepared a list of additional resources for those wishing to learn more about the benefits of hiking, backpacking, and generally wearing skirts, the coverage of which is a little beyond the scope of this review.  Men in skirts is something that seems to be coming back into fashion, if slowly.  This is hosted on my own hiking website and is not a part of this report.

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Thank you for your time.

Shane Steinkamp
shane@theplacewithnoname.com  
www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking