By Team Member Jenny Burden
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been hunting since you could
walk, or just picked up a gun or a bow this season, one universal truth for
female hunters remains unchanging: shopping for hunting clothing can be a
nightmare!
As I walked the aisles of my local Gander Mountain
searching for a camo fleece jacket last week, I noticed a familiar pattern.
- 1) Finding the women’s camo was more
difficult. It wasn’t, as you’d think, near the clearly and boldly labeled
“hunting clothing.” That, of course, was for men and boy’s clothes (I mean,
women just use camo as a fashion statement, right?). The women’s camo was
hidden in a corner under the giant label of just “women’s.” There were three
racks compared to the 10+ on the other side
- 2) The three racks contained very few
options, and almost all of them were priced $85 or more. Quality clothes come
at quality prices, but that doesn’t explain why men got additional options in
the $15-50 range.
- 3) Sizes and styles were even more limited
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| Piecing together this get-up took quite a bit of doing! |
I
just wanted a fleece jacket to help with the cold snap that had blown through
in Texas! I wandered the entire store, trying on everything I could in the
men’s section and finding nothing that wasn’t way too big, yet unable to afford
the women’s options. This scenario is not unique to Gander Mountain- I’ve
experienced it both online and in-store everywhere I’ve gone at one time or
another.
Thankfully, I’ve had a few seasons of practice, and although I’m still
on the hunt for the perfect face mask, I’ve picked up a lot of tips and tricks
to make shopping for women’s hunting clothes a little less painful. (Although
if you want to talk about options for tree stand harnesses, that’s a rant for
another blog because there are like -5 options out there that securely fit
women for under $100!)
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| The Guide Series Insulated Parka helped me get the job done! |
In-store options
A sudden opportunity arises to hunt with a friend, a
laundry accident renders your pants unwearable, or a sudden change in the
weather necessitates an immediate purchase. There are many reasons that
sometimes, you have no choice (or you even prefer) but to shop in a store. As
described above, this can be a frustrating experience, but thankfully more and
more options for women are showing up on racks. Many big stores even have their
own in-store lines for women. While lots of sporting good stores have camo clothes,
the following have women’s specific options (actual availability,
unfortunately, varies greatly!)
- -Bass Pro: Their options include the SHE Outdoor
line, which features shirts, pants, jackets, and accessories. Prices range from
$15-120, with most items falling between $40-60, making their line reasonably
affordable.
-
-Cabela’s: While they do have their own line of
products called OutfitHER, the options aren’t super extensive, and prices tend
to be higher than the Bass Pro line.
- -Gander Mountain: Although substantially fewer options
than other stores, they do have a women’s component to their Guide Series.
Their website has a lot more options than are in the store, typically, but
their thicker jackets are great (from personal experience, as I have the
waterproof insulate parka and love it) and reasonably priced for the quality.
- -Field and Stream: While they do have women’s options in
their brand, on the website there are 102 items for Men’s “hunting clothing”
just under jackets and vests. Guess how many are there for women? Go ahead,
guess! ……14. Yes. 14. Only two of those options are under $60. Still, they’re
worth looking at if other local stores are either not close, don’t have what
you need, or someone gave you a good gift card, as they do have great free
shipping offers and sales often on their website.
- -Academy: I’m a Texas girl, and thankfully one of
the million perks that come with that is that my state is blessed by an Academy
Sports and Outdoors on practically every corner. (Move over, Starbucks!)
Academy’s store brand is Game Winner, and it is the trifecta of perfect: cheap,
quality, and available. Although their stores still feature men’s to women’s
options in about a 4:1 ratio (online is 196 men’s options to 44 women’s
options), I have always found what I needed. In fact, I noticed last time I got
in my tree stand, I was in Game Winner head-to-toe, even down to my boots.
Prices rarely go over $60, and the quality is comparable to any other major
brand. And seriously, my Game Winner camo bibs have a flap in the back that unzips so you can pee in the woods without taking
off your jacket. The. Best. Ever.
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| Game Winner brand, head-to-toe in the tree! |
Online Options
Of course, when you have the time to shop around but not
the patience to drive to every store, online storefronts are perfect. Many big
box stores also sell online (as described above) but the beauty of the internet
is it allow entrepreneurs the ability to get their business going without a
physical storefront. Several of these businesses are even run for and by women!
Online is definitely the way to go when
it comes to finding the best deal, but always check the return policy to make
sure that if it doesn’t fit, you don’t lose your money!
- -PRIOS is on the pricier side, but their
products are great quality and especially tailored exclusively for women. From
my personal experience with them, their customer service is also excellent and
friendly. Have a question? Just call them and speak with someone right away who
will help you pick exactly what you need for the hunt you’re going on.
- -Girls
with Guns is a bit more
affordable and has a lot more options, ranging from serious hunting apparel to
more fashion/fun options, including swimsuits and active wear. I’m not sure
when in my life I would ever need a camo sports bra...but I mean really, it’s
pretty cute, so I just might have to!
Alternatives in a pinch
If you’re like me, stuck in a store in immediate need of a
jacket and yet unable to afford the limited women’s options you can also do
this: try the youth section! This is not a perfect solution, but I am 5’9”,
150lbs, and discovered on that day that a Youth XL Columbia fleece was
absolutely perfect, and was only $30. If being sized the same as a husky tween
has any perks, it is that at least the clothes are cheaper, and there’s a cute
patch on the inside for me to write my name on.
Options for women’s hunting clothing are still
frustratingly limited, but because women are the fastest growing demographic in
the hunting industry, this problem will hopefully lessen with each passing
season. Until then, unfortunately sometimes the hunt is on in a major way
before ever stepping foot in the field! Hopefully, with this list of options,
you can cobble together the perfect outfit to help yourself stay dry,
comfortable, stealthy, and successful. Happy hunting, errr, shopping!
