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If you try googling hunting clothing, most results will refer to men’s hunting clothing. On the one hand, it’s totally understandable since, for centuries, men were viewed as providers, while women’s responsibilities were mostly limited to householding, which couldn’t help but influence the way the industry saw its customers. In reality, women always hunted, but their involvement was ignored.
During the last decades, the liberation of society has led to the growth in the number of women embracing their desires and aspirations and finally deciding to engage in hunting. But what did they face? The absence of hunting apparel designed with women’s needs in mind.
Today, many women lament the old days when they had to wear men’s or youth’s clothing that obviously wasn’t performing properly. The excessive material on the jacket’s sleeves interfered with the weapon operation and snagged on brunches, bigger waistlines of pants collected debris, and pantlegs lacking space on the thigh and hip area rubbed sores and generally made motion problematic.
Finally, the industry acknowledged the growing presence of women and responded with the emergence of women-led businesses and new lines of women’s hunting apparel, which put an end to their sufferings.
As such, Prois Hunting and DSG Outerwear are women-owned companies manufacturing hunting clothing for women only. On the other end, such well-known hunting brands as Sitka, King’s Camo, First Lite, KUIU, and Nomad diversify their hunting gear range with ladies’ lines of quality clothing designed with the expertise of huntresses who know their own minds better than men. By the way, you can find products of some of these manufacturers in our outdoor clothing and gear store at GritrOutdoors.com.
If, for some reason, you can’t have the clothing produced by the mentioned brands, you’ll turn to other manufacturers. However, it may turn out that some of them carelessly follow the principles of inclusion by introducing hunting clothing that is only marked as women’s but, in fact, misses crucial features.
So now, let’s run through these crucial features we should look for in hunting clothing.
Necessary Features of Women’s Hunting Garments
Serious huntresses put functionality and comfort before style, unlike many male designers have thought until recently. In this respect, men and women are alike. However, the shape and anatomical differences between male and female bodies dictate different approaches to constructing hunting clothing.
Fit
First of all, let’s touch upon the importance of fit. While some prefer to pick men’s hunting clothing, it can’t be an approach for everyone. As opposed to clothes for ladies, men’s clothes have more space in shoulders and waistline and less space in chest, hips, and thigh areas. Besides, men are taller, which means their clothing uses more fabric to make longer sleeves, pant legs, and the portion from shoulder to waist.
The excessive material can interfere with drawing a bow or shouldering a rifle, get caught on branches or gear parts, or simply add bulk. Moreover, clothing that is too loose won’t keep you warm. We shouldn’t waste our time on hemming or think about how to retain our pants on the waistline. Your hunting jackets and base layers should have enough space in the chest area, and the pants’ hip and thigh areas should be wider and stretchy to provide comfort in all positions.
So, consider going with clothes designed for women for enhanced comfort. Choose slim-cut base layers and outer layers with just enough space for multiple layers underneath.
Relieve Yourself Easier
Let’s put it straight. When in the field, we all need to answer nature’s call at some point, but the design of traditional hunting pants, bibs, base layers, and underwear doesn’t allow women to answer it without freezing off their asses. But don’t be upset. There are options that take into account the female anatomy.
You may want to look for pants with inseam zippers. Huntresses also speak well of Sitka’s Fanatic line of base layers that feature the free-to-pee system.
Waistline Adjustability
It’s nice to have an adjustable waistline for several reasons. The first one is kind of obvious. You may need to change your waistline to tuck in more insulation layers. The second reason is biological. Most of us experience bloating before and during our periods. Pants that lack the waistline adjustment feature will make you miserable and unfocused during that time of the month.
Belt Loop
Even if your pants sit perfectly and you don’t need a belt for support, you may need it to attach gear, such as a hunting knife. So check if the pants in question have belt loops.
Deep Pockets with Zippers
Shallow pockets drive many women mad. They may be a fashion statement when it comes to regular clothing, but hunting clothing is above all about comfort and functionality, as we noted above. Small pockets can’t accommodate all our hunting gear we want to keep at hand. And if they don’t have zippers, losing things is only a matter of time.
The best women’s hunting clothing has zip-through pockets of adequate capacity. They hold all your necessary gear and prevent it from falling to the ground on the movement.
Gussets
Actually, gusseted underarms and crotches won’t go amiss on both men’s and women’s hunting clothing, so that’s not something particularly women need. Gussets allow for a wider range of movements and increased mobility.
General Recommendations
When choosing the best hunting clothing for women, consider what, where, and when you’re going to hunt. Pick camo patterns that best suit the terrain and season, and change camo as the environment changes. What is perfect for duck hunting from the marchy blind will serve poor concealment on your turkey hunting. Treestand hunting gear feature more white than clothing for deer hunting on the ground. Give consideration to the season and your hunting style, and adjust your layering system to achieve the perfect temperature.
Conclusion
Though women’s clothing for hunting isn’t as widely available as men’s, we still can choose from a decent amount of quality products. The representation of women is growing every year, instigating the market to react. So be sure, brands will keep making more and more women’s hunting gear that suits every budget and need. We hope this article will be helpful to women who need guidance on picking the right hunting clothing. Good hunting!