The first year I felt confident enough to take out my longbow, climb up into a tree stand, and attempt to shoot a deer, I found myself rummaging through the closet for anything that would keep me warm and allow me to pull a bow with no clothing restrictions. The best I could do was a pullover King of the Mountain wool jacket that belonged to my stepson. The wool was soft, warm, and quiet, but the fit was all wrong. I had to make some modifications using a roll of duct tape to secure the sleeves, which were much too long and bulky for me to be able to come to full draw without hitting my arm. I still ended up whacking my bulky sleeve with a bow string more than once, resulting in arrows flying off in the wrong direction—along with my prospective quarry.

Lori wearing her trusty King of the Mountain wool during typical Montana November weather.

First, full disclosure about the topic of women’s hunting apparel. When I started out as a newbie bowhunter and enthusiastic outdoors woman 30 years ago, there was no such thing. There was nothing out there that even remotely looked like anything I would consider useful as women’s outdoor wear. The closest I could come to finding something I could wear in the field was in the youth department at Cabela’s. Luckily, I am just five-feet tall, so I could make it work—sort of.

As late as 2008, when I had a conversation with the well-known owner of one of the premier outdoor gear businesses about why there was no good outdoor clothing for women, he replied, “There’s no market for it.” Needless to say, I was disappointed by his answer but not surprised. Maybe in retrospect I was just ahead of my time in the women’s outdoor playing field.

Fast forward several years, when there was a little push to put out some clothing geared toward women in the field. I politely refer to this time as the “Shrink it and Pink It” era. There was a little flurry of substandard clothing that basically took men’s outdoor clothing, shrunk it down a few sizes, added some pink or baby blue bling, and called it women’s outdoor attire. I found that insulting at best. I think there are still women’s waders that are baby blue. I would not be caught dead in a pair of blue waders—whatever exact shade they come in!

Somewhere during that time, I was privileged to go to the newly established Sitka Gear headquarters in Bozeman, Montana. My husband Don, the Co-Editor at TBM, was checking out the establishment to do an article for the magazine. I couldn’t help but notice that there was nothing on the racks for women. When I inquired about what I thought was a glaring deficiency in their offerings, I was politely told that they were thinking of bringing out a women’s line of outdoor clothing but were holding off until they were sure they could get it right.

Now, in 2022, Sitka Gear has a great line of women’s hunting gear. Does it cover all the bases? No, but I am impressed by the fact that they are giving it a try. I can tell you from experience that their Whitetail Fanatic line of clothing for women has changed my whole program. Cold has always limited my ability to hunt during the late Montana whitetail season. I am just not cut out for sitting in a tree stand when the thermometer dips below 20 degrees. I bit the bullet and bought the coat and bibs the first year they came out, and the new clothing was a game changer. I can now sit in a tree stand wearing well-fitting outdoor clothing with handwarmers in my pocket and tolerate a cold-weather day. If that big buck happens to come along, or a nice, fat doe for that matter, I can pull my bow and make an accurate shot, whereas before I would be so cold and uncomfortable that I didn’t feel confident that I could shoot accurately.

I still struggle with finding good outdoor apparel geared toward women, although women’s hunting clothing has come a long way. There are a lot of good options out there, with Sitka Gear my first choice for hunting clothes. I still like my old wool, although it is bulkier than the new synthetics. Waders and boots are another story. Simms is making a valiant effort with several choices of sizing in women’s waders.

Although I haven’t been in a sporting goods store since the pandemic struck, I am excited that there are more women entering the world of hunting and fishing. Little by little, the outdoor clothing industry seems to be responding to our needs. I guess we just need to be more vocal about what we want and need in the field. I am not looking for a fashion show. I am just looking for function. We need to revolt against the “shrink it and pink it” movement and find useful outdoor gear for women!

Lori Thomas

Hand-Me-Downs to High-Tech

Late season small game success featuring the Breanna Fleece set.

My first piece of hunting apparel was a pine green zip-up hoodie lined with gray fleece. I can still remember how soft it felt, and the tiny holes in the well-worn cuffs. It was one of my dad’s jackets, and it swallowed up my seven-year-old frame.

As I grew older, my hunting gear upgraded to hand-me-down camo coveralls from my older brother and some hand-me-down gear from my dad. The pant legs were often too long, and the jackets weren’t created to accommodate the hourglass figure of a woman. Yet, despite not having camo that fit me perfectly, it certainly didn’t take away from the quality of my hunts or the memories that accompanied them.

I was in my early twenties before I purchased “women’s” hunting gear. It was a bit pricier than expected and I remember being a bit disappointed with the quality of it. For the price, it didn’t seem to be made as well as the men’s clothing. However, it did fit much better. I figured I was just going to have to make some sort of sacrifice if I wanted clothing that fits.

Women have been hunting since the beginning of time—hunting isn’t new for us. Really, there isn’t much excuse, in my opinion, for companies not to market to women as well as men. And, thankfully, over the past 10 years, women’s hunting gear has vastly improved. There are now multiple companies that proudly create hunting gear specifically for the serious female hunter. Some brands are better than others, however it’s great to see the hunting industry working toward catering to the women hunters. Boots, turkey vests, bowhunting jackets, gloves—there are even overalls with a drop seat to make things easier for us when nature calls.

The perfect pants for scouting, hiking, and hunting in warm weather.

It took some trial and error for me to find gear I truly loved, looking for the perfect marriage of quality and affordable price point. For the past few seasons, I have been wearing gear from the company DSG (Doing Something Great) Outerwear. They are best known for their snowmobile gear; however, they are quickly becoming number one in the women’s hunting gear category. Designed by women hunters, for women hunters, this company has thought of just about everything, and they improve upon their gear every year. My top few items are as follows:

Breanna Fleece Jacket—designed with bowhunting in mind. This jacket is extremely warm and quiet, perfect for cool fall days. The hood is removable, the sleeves have adjustable Velcro to keep excess fabric snug against your arm, and this jacket features a huge kangaroo pocket that is perfect for keeping your phone or snacks close.

Breanna Bibs—these were meant to pair with the jacket and are equally comfortable and warm. They have adjustable suspenders that have stretch to them to prevent any restriction of movement. And, of course, the famous drop seat.

Field Pants—I have searched high and low for a good field pant, and these are the best. I own two pair of these and can attest to their durability and comfort. Similar to wearing a favorite pair of jeans, but not having to worry about them being shredded in the underbrush. Added bonus—tons of pockets.

For many years, I wore men’s boots with no issues. I didn’t really think there would be much of a difference, I mean, feet are feet, right? I have worn Lacrosse Grange boots for over a decade, but they were always men’s sizes. This past turkey season I decided to finally try a pair of women’s Grange boots and I will never go back to men’s. Not only did they fit my foot better, but I didn’t have the huge gap around my calves that always accompanied the men’s sizing. I have worn these nearly every day for the past year, except in extremely cold weather and they are still going strong. If you’re looking for a durable waterproof boot, this is it!

Everything is always within reach when using the Alpha Pack.

When it comes to hunting backpacks, I’m not exactly an expert. I haven’t carried a standard backpack in over three years as I have been toting my daughter on my back in a carrier. I have always been a minimalist, pack only what you need and what is practical, and leave the rest at the truck. However, I came across the Alpha pack from The Push Archery, and it piqued my interest. Instead of wearing it as a traditionally styled backpack with shoulder straps, the Alpha pack features an adjustable buckle waist strap and a second smaller strap at the base of the pack that buckles around your thigh. Not only did this pack solve the issue of where to carry everything when I was wearing a child carrier, but it also was lightweight and could double as a quiver. I was surprised with how much I could carry in it, and discovered I far preferred this style over any other pack I had used. There is no need to remove the pack to grab something you need, everything is always right there within reach. Despite the fact that my daughter has outgrown her backpack carrier, and I could technically carry a regular backpack again, I will be continuing to use the Alpha pack. No, it isn’t made specifically for women but it’s something that can truly be used comfortably by everyone and comes highly recommended.

Looking back on how far the hunting industry has come with women’s hunting clothing, I have no doubt my daughter will never lack for quality gear. We are moving in the right direction, but maybe just chill a bit on the pink accents.

Beka Garris

Stay Warm and Stay Afield Longer

As an adult-onset female hunter, I never experienced the time of “men’s only” gear. In fact, the marketing practices of hunting companies trying to win over the female demographic was overwhelming when I tried to find gear to outfit myself with. Hunting companies that I would have supported started sponsoring insta-huntresses and women were seen across social media sporting less than practical “hunting wear” that definitely did not cover as much as it needed to. I realized quickly that choosing women’s hunting gear would require a bit of discernment and wading past the looks over function mentality that goes along with many clothes these days. I have found that many “women’s only” products have lacked quality and function and instead boasted a modern style and slim, flattering profile. Many are the items I have ordered and returned because they looked great, but I knew they wouldn’t function in the field. I don’t know if this is because companies lack good field-testing opportunities for women’s products or if they simply think women will not put the product through the same abuse a man would. Either way, I have learned that simply being expensive does not always mean a product will be worth the price.

Melody’s knowledge of body heat distribution helps her layer appropriately for each season.

If there is any gear to pour money into when hunting in the Midwest, it is likely cold weather gear. You can’t get the animals if you cannot stay out where they are due to the weather. There were far too many mornings spent shivering and quitting early before I decided to invest in good cold weather gear and after hunting with it for a while, I wonder why I waited so long.

First off, when considering women’s cold weather gear, I want to share a little bit of anatomical background. Look up just about any study on muscle and you will notice that men have significantly more muscle mass than women (or you could just look at the average man and woman). The average man has around 20-percent more muscle by weight than the average woman, and this matters to us because muscle helps to generate heat. I’m betting there are conversations in many of your homes (as there are in mine) about the house being too cold, freezing fingers and toes, and a battle in the car over the thermostat. Before you dismiss these complaints as high maintenance, realize that there is science behind it!

The hands and feet of a woman are significantly cooler than that of the average man with some studies indicating that women’s extremities are as much as three degrees cooler at rest then a man’s. Women’s bodies have a survival mechanism that shunts blood to the vital organs when cold sets in, whereas men’s bodies will often maintain perfusion (pumping of blood) to the extremities when temperatures drop. They can lose a few degrees in core temperature and often not notice. One theory surrounding the “why” of this occurrence is when our female ancestors would get cold, the body would shunt blood to the vital organs to protect offspring and therefore assist the survival of the species. Men, on the other hand, would be prepared for action to fight for the survival of the species and would need to perfuse the extremities.

While some of this may seem irrelevant in a bowhunting magazine, I assure you it can help in choosing cold weather gear. Women hunters need to be aware that they are more likely to maintain their core temperature while losing warmth in their skin and extremities at a higher rate than that of their male counterparts. For this reason, I invested in battery-powered heated soles for my winter boots. The ones I chose have four different heat levels and external batteries that strap onto my leg. While this may seem cumbersome, I have never had issue with the batteries being in the way. The charge lasts through an all-day hunt and with my feet comfortable, the rest of me feels warmer. If there is no snow on the ground, I opt for lightweight insulated hiking boots with these heated insoles.

Melody prefers these mukluks when the Minnesota winter cold sets in.

For the coldest Minnesota weather, I love my Mukluk boots. I am amazed by the ingenuity of the indigenous people in the Arctic that led them to develop this flexible sole boot. Many winter boots have a hard, heavy sole that doesn’t allow the foot much movement while walking. Mukluks allow for the sole to flex, a vital part of maintaining foot warmth, while still providing ample insulation, traction, and comfort. When I wear my Mukluks, I have yet to need the heated insole I mentioned above. Another huge benefit of the Mukluk is that they are incredibly lightweight. When I hunt, I am often mobile, and I take more steps than any other single thing (other than breathing) when I am in the woods. I am looking to shave every ounce off that I can to make this repeated movement less tiresome. Sir Edmund Hillary’s advice that, “One pound on the foot is five pounds on the back,” seems to prove true!

After warm feet, warm hands are the next on my list of necessities. The struggle of trying to bowhunt with heavy cold weather gear is never more real than when trying to find gloves. After purchasing, returning, and testing many different styles and brands, I have found that Outdoor Research makes the best fitting warm gloves for me. I once had to let down from full draw on a deer when the flip-top of my mitten obstructed my sight picture and since then, I’ve worn only gloves when hunting. I use hand warmers on the back of my bow hand under my glove to keep the feeling in my fingers on the coldest days as I often hunt in sub-zero temperatures in the late season. And I am never in the field without a hand warmer pouch (which is also a great place to store milkweed for scent checking).

Paying attention to my own physiology has helped me to understand how to stay warm in the woods and I hope it has given you some insight as well. Keep those hands and feet warm, ladies!

Melody Haege