Women have been hunters since prehistoric times, with recent archeological evidence showing that the early woman was a big game hunter. Fast-forward to 2022; the modern American woman still indulges in game hunting.
According to one statistical report, the US is home to 1.2 million female avid hunters. Unfortunately, the hunting apparel and tactical industries primarily focus on male hunting gear, forcing women to settle for unflattering parachute pant legs with hanging crotches.
However, select brands offer flattering and comfortable hunting clothing and gear. Therefore, keep reading to discover the best-rated hunting items designed for the female physique.
SHE Outdoor Apparel
SHE Outdoor is a leading brand supporting women’s outdoor expeditions, including hunting, by crafting womens hunting clothing and gear. The brand designs clothing that drapes and flatters the female physique and is stylish but sturdy enough to offer warmth and protection and withstand the outdoor hazards and elements encountered while hunting.
Whether you like to fish or shoot, the brand delivers field-grade apparel with cutting-edge features. It has multiple hunting clothing lines, with its lightweight hunting collection being a fan favorite.
The collection features performance element pants, long-sleeve and short-sleeve T-shirts, and utility pants. All items within SHE Outdoor’s lightweight collection feature multiple inseam lengths, rugged (but not bulky) material, and breathable fabrics to expend sweat and keep you undetected by prey on hot hunting days.
However, SHE Outdoor also makes mid-weight and rainwear hunting apparel for hunting days with variable temperatures or layering on cooler days. The brand’s mid-weight performance features include windproof, waterproof, breathable fabric, and odor control.
SHE Outdoor also designs female-oriented heavy-weight hunting clothes with protective features, including robust insulation and waterproof protection in harsh cold weather. Lastly, the brand is also the lady hunter’s go-to for waders, hunting boots, waterfowl gauntlet gloves, neck gaiters, trekker socks, and other accessories. Therefore, whether you are a veteran female hunter or a novice, SHE Outdoor has something affordable, fitting, flattering, and practical.
First Lite All Women’s Gear
Although the First Lite hunting apparel brand designs and produces hunting clothes for both genders, it has a line dedicated to female hunters. The brand takes pride in comfortable and performance-oriented gear for female hunters demanding excellence and style.
First Lite combines leading industry technology to design female-centric apparel with adaptive hunting features. Such features include antimicrobial and odor locking properties, thermoregulation, humidity control, silence/ stealth, and low UV rays signature. The brand also features proprietary camo patterns, lowering your visibility to prey while enhancing style.
Besides the high-quality apparel, First Lite has a fantastic website that makes shopping for female hunting gear a breeze. The brand’s website has an intuitive navigation bar that allows you to shop for hunting pursuits (Western big game or whitetail), weather, preferred fabric, body size, and fabric color/ camo pattern.
First Lite’s female hunting apparel line includes Long Jane pants, wick tank, short-sleeve, quarter-zip shirts, soft shell pants, kiln hoodies, aurora puffy coat, and Altura guide pants. Additionally, the brand channels some of its profits towards select conservation organizations to keep the hunting sport alive for future generations.
Sitka Gear Women’s Hunting Clothing
Sitka is a top hunting gear and apparel brand for premium women’s camo. The brand designs high-quality female-oriented hunting staples, including hoodies and jackets, insulated camo hunting pants, wind stoppers, rain jackets, bibs, vests, and rain pains. It also stocks hunting accessories like trucker hats, neck gaiters, sleeping bags, bow slings, bino harnesses, gloves, regular packs, and wader packs.
Most of the items listed above are available in multiple proprietary colors and print options, including Optifade Subalpine, Elevated II, waterfowl marsh, Sitka black, white, and storm. Moreover, the brand’s website allows you to shop by pursuit (big game, whitetail, waterfowl), pattern, and layer (lightweight, midweight, heavyweight).
LaCrosse Women’s Hunting Footwear
Appropriate footwear is vital for a successful hunting expedition, facilitating stealth and comfort regardless of the weather and hunting terrain. The LaCrosse hunting footwear brand has female hunters like you covered with their hunting footwear variety.
LaCrosse’s women’s footwear range features seven categories: rubber hunting boots, waders, hiking boots, and backcountry hunting boots. The brand utilizes premium material and expert techniques to create scent-free, lightweight, durable, and comfortable hunting boots for all seasons and pursuits.
Weatherby Vanguard Camilla Bolt-action Rifle
The ammunition industry is another sector that caters predominantly to male hunters while neglecting female hunter needs. However, Weatherby, one of the leading magnum ammunition companies, is pioneering big-game rifles for women hunters.
Weatherby partnered with women with experience handling guns and ammunition and executed the women’s design recommendations to craft the Weatherby Vanguard Camilla Bolt-action rifle. Therefore, the Camilla Bolt-action rifle is designed by women for women.
The rifle has features that accommodate the female anatomy, allowing female hunters to maintain a comfortable posture and position their eyes close enough to the gun’s scope while hunting. First, the Vanguard Camilla rifle’s stock is angled away from the body, nestling on the shoulder to accommodate the female chest. Second, the gun has a short grip-to-trigger reach to accommodate the slightly smaller female hands, facilitating a firm grip.
Third, the rifle’s length of pull is slightly shorter at 13 inches rather than the standard 13.5 inches. Fourth, the rifle is slightly shorter and weighs slightly less than the standard male-oriented hunting gun. The Vanguard Camilla is a suitable off-the-shelf hunting rifle for women.
Conclusion:
Most male-centric outdoor gear and apparel brands resort to “shrinking it and pinking it” techniques to entice female consumers. However, the brands above went the extra mile and designed female-centric products from scratch. Therefore, consider purchasing the recommended apparel, hunting gear, and accessories for a comfortable hunting pursuit.
