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Women Specific Gear

5K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  MoonChild 
#1 ·
So there are several things in my BOB that are female specific but I am still looking for some other items but am not sure what exactly to get such as boots, thermals, underwear, sleeping bag..
So it got me thinking that we could have a thread where we can list some of the female specific stuff we have and recommend to help eachother out. I know a big issue I'm coming across is knowing which brands or materials are best and like to know what another womans thoughts are on the items before I purchase them.
So if there are any women specific items you have in your BOB and like, list em :)

Things I Recommend

Cloth Pads - Fuzzibunz Pads
They feel as soft as fleece and I've had zero issues with leaking or moisture. They fold up under the snap too so that you can store them easily or fold them up after use so they are not out in the open. I got the 3 pack of regulars & the 3 pack of the supers (from amazon).

Backpack -Deuter Women's Futura Pro 34 SL
The straps & waist are designed for a womans frame. The shoulder straps are very comfy & well padded and it has a frame thing that seperates the bag from your back so that you can get air flow. Also comes with a rain cover which is really nice.

Coat - Columbia Lafayette Street Jacket
Omni-Tech Waterproof & breathable, underarm vents & powder skirt to keep snow & cold air from going up your coat. This is a really nice coat and I used it all winter long and it kept me nice & toasty in the cold single digit weather.

Bra -Moving Comfort Women's Grace Sports Bra
Has a front zipper that has material flap behind the zipper so it doesn't dig into your skin or chaff it. The razorback is a mesh material for airflow. Really comfortable and the front zipper is so nice when your body is in pain or you are sweaty and don't want to pull tight clothing over your head. (from amazon)

Pants - The North Face Womens Horizon Tempest Pants
Lightweight, quick-drying and ripstop. They can be rolled up and buttoned to turn them into capri's. Has a drawstring which is really nice. The pants can also be folded up into its own stow pocket.

I also have a really nice fleece sweater but I can't remember the name of it so I'll add it later.

A lot of the stuff I got on sale, like my coat was $200 but I got it on clearance for $60 at Sierra Trading Post so I highly recommend that place. I got most of my stuff there or from Amazon.

Hopefully when I get some more stuff and test it out I'll be able to list more. Looking forward to your recommendations. :thumb:
 
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#2 ·
Not an Oprah fan but I caught a show she did on underware she reccomended a brand called "spanx" they looked they would be wonderful, but when I finally found them at $35pr, I decided it was something I could live without. Not too long after I found a very good knock off a Dollar General for 5$pr. I wear them daliy and they are in the BOB too. Check out the spanks website http://www.spanx.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3716919&cp=3026742 look for the style called "power panties" this is the style you will find in the dollar store for $5, the dollar store also has the underwire camisole listed at Spanx for 78$ for 10$.
 
#3 ·
You might take a look at these holsters.

http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/2011/05/23/flashbang-bra-holster-review/

I have a friend who swears by hers. She finally convinced me to try it and I really didn't find it comfortable at all. That said, I'm a lot bigger busted than she is and I just couldn't get used to the gun and holster constantly poking me.

Personally, I prefer to carry my .45 in my purse or IWB although if I'm wearing summer t-shirts or going someplace a purse is cumbersome I'd rather have my LCP in my pocket than no gun at all.

I've wondered about those Columbia jackets. Thanks for the review!
 
#5 ·
Thats all fine for you little women. But, I'm almost 6ft tall and not a toothpick. I need big stuff. And guess what? They don't make big stuff for women. At least not nice good stuff. I have big hands, so a knife made for a woman doesn't fit. Some of them are like tiny toys! ugh. Pants? Forget it. I buy mens. Have since high school because all the women's were high water pants on me.And mens are more affordable and last longer than womens. Same for good boots. ( as a side note, do they even make a good woman's winter boot without hooker heels? good grief!).

It just gets me how us big women are just not even thought of in most things. I tell ya, if I had the ways and means, I'd open a store and you wouldn't be allowed in unless you were a size 20 or larger! lmao! A sign that said: No toothpicks allowed would be on the door lmao!!
 
#6 ·
Pants - The North Face Womens Horizon Tempest Pants
Lightweight, quick-drying and ripstop. They can be rolled up and buttoned to turn them into capri's. Has a drawstring which is really nice. The pants can also be folded up into its own stow pocket.
Those look pretty nice, but the price is sort of high, especially when you can buy BDUs at any military surplus store, websites and catalogs for $20-$30 (cheaper if they are used.) I wear a "small-long".
You don't have to buy them in ACU or multicam, you can get them in plain OD green, black, blue, khaki, sometimes others, just depends on where you look.
Try uniform stores too. they sometimes require ID (like for military/LEO uniforms) but not always. Think about it, there are women in the military, LE, paramedics, fire fighters....they all wear that stuff, it doesn't have to be marketed "for women" to be appropriate.

Galco has this page of women's top choices in holsters: http://www.usgalco.com/Women.asp
 
#7 ·
Yeah the North Face pants are normally pretty expensive but thankfully I got them on sale for like $25. Like I said in the op, pretty much everything I have I got on sale/clearance so make sure you check for the sales before you purchase! Thats usually the only time I purchase my clothes is when they are on sale.

Great recs so far guys. I like the holsters & bags. I never even thought about spanx, they look really comfortable. I'm going to have to check them out (see if our dollar store has the cheaper ones) :)

@ Genevieve - yeah thats completely understandable. Feel free to post the clothing you've been able to find (including the male clothes) to help out the other women who have the same issues with finding their sizes, if you want.

I mainly just wanted this thread to be a place where women can post clothes & items that work for them so that other women (or men looking to make a BOB for the women in their lives) can have a place where they can find types of bob items that work for other women.

By the way - Sierra Trading Post is having an Extra 15%-25% Off on their site and An Extra 20% OFF orders $100+ with code SITEHOT711 if anyone is interested. I think it expires tonight. They are also having a huge 25th Anniversary Giveaway Contest . Expires July 25th.
 
#8 ·
MoonChild thanks for the info about the bras! I went to the manufacturer website and looked at all the stuff they have available, fantastic!

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions. I just look for smaller versions of mens stuff, which isn't always easy to find, I no longer get a period so menstruation isn't an issue. What I can never find is a comfortable sports bra that provides enough support, I'm rather chesty.
 
#9 ·
Great thread!

Kelty makes outstanding backpacks for women. Getting one was the best thing I ever did for backpacking! The advantage of a gender specific backpack for women is that the good ones shift the load bearing to your hips and away from your shoulders. Lowers your center of gravity if you pack it right. Also, the shoulder straps are placed a little bit closer together. Men have proportionally more upper body strength than most women but women have proportionally more strength in their legs. Getting a gender specific back pack makes a lot of sense, imho.

I have a fondness for Duofold long underwear for when it's not too cold out. Just like the way they feel. However, I only get the men's version because it has a higher wool content. That's something you have to watch for, btw. A lot of gender specific gear for women is sub-par.

I only buy men's gloves (though once I start wearing them I consider them women's gloves!) By and large, women's gloves are too narrow and the thumb's never seem to allow for enough rotation.

One thing that makes hunting and target practice with a rifle a lot more fun for me is a shoulder pad. The one I have hooks neatly to my bra strap and doesn't shift around. On occasion, I've used a washcloth folded up and tucked under my bra strap for the same purpose. Wish I could tell you all about it but I've had it forever and can't remember a brand or anything. Using one can improve your accuracy if you have a problem with flinching, btw. If you bruise easily, it's a must have, too.

I'm an equal opportunity purchaser of boots - sometimes I get men's and sometimes women's, depending on fit. It's hard to find men's boots that are the right size (just subtract 2 from your shoe size and you have your shoe size for men's footwear) Otoh, women's stuff tends to have fiddly things attached for looks and it's hard to find stuff that's rugged enough. I have a pair of Asolo hiking boots for women that I love. I also have a pair of LaCrosse hunting boots that are great; I got them in the boy's section.

Socks - I just grab what fits as long as it's all wool. I also use sock liners in the winter and like all the ones I've tried regardless of which section I buy them in.

Just got a seal pup elite knife and I love it. The handle is a perfect fit for me. Can't imagine being gender specific about a knife, really, though I do take time to find ones that have a handle that fits my hand. My hunting knife is a buck knife with a gut hook. Outside of that, I have the usually collection of swiss army knives, fish cleaning knives, folding knives etc. etc. I've gone through dozens of the smallest swiss army knives over the years, the ones with a penknife blade, a file with screwdriver head blade and scissors with a toothpick and tweezers. They are tiny, don't show through your pockets and won't set off a metal alarm, ime. It is totally, totally cool to always have a little screwdriver even when dressed up. I can't recommend them highly enough. Using the screwdriver does wreck them eventually so I always keep a couple of spares.

A deer drag. Don't go deer hunting without one! I have one here still in the package, made by Arapahoe. Cost $4.49. You can get them any place that carries stuff for deer hunting. It's basically a harness that goes over your shoulders and around your chest. It has a D-ring on the back for attaching a rope. The other end of the rope goes around the deers head or antlers (be sure you fasten the deer on while you're kneeling so that it holds the head up or else it'll catch on things). Leaves your hands free and lets you put your legs into hauling the deer.

Here's a generic comment on guns: "guys who are into guns" tend to think bigger is better. A sure symptom is when they start carrying on about 'stopping power'. For long guns, I use a .270 rifle (Browning A bolt) and a Remington 20 gauge shotgun. Focus on accuracy and a high velocity load! My opinion, again, ymmv. Since I don't anticipate hunting Cape Buffalo, I am extremely happy with the .270. I use a .22lr Remington Mark III pistol for target practice. Best accuracy you can get, I think, and the safest pistol to have in the house. I keep meaning to get a higher calibre handgun, but just never get around to it. When I do, it'll probably be a .38 with a decent length of barrel. Short barrels seem awfully handy, but you sacrifice way too much in accuracy. YMMV, of course.

My hunting coat is a 4-in-1 parka from Cabela's - women's again. Perfect fit and I like the adaptability - you can wear the liner as a jacket, wear the parka as a shell, wear them both together, with or without the hood. Shed's water and is pretty quiet in brush. I've had it for quite a while so don't know if they're still making it. Cabela's is pretty good about having a basic selection of hunting gear for women, btw. Not great, but pretty good.

I really hope this thread takes off!
 
#10 ·
I'm glad that you checked out the website for those bras, wyldflwr. They are, in my opinion, a great brand and I really enjoy their stuff. The Grace one is my favorite :thumb: I hope if you buy one of their bras that you like them too.

Really great info & recs Radclyffe, thanks for posting it! :D: I agree that the women backpacks are one of the best things you can buy, so worth it. I also dislike how womens stuff is sub-par and a lot of times more expensive..
I cant believe how the same item can be like, $5-$10 more just because it is pink or some other girly color! I went to get some earplugs the other day and the pink ones were several more dollars but were the exact same product! I said screw that and got the cheaper one haha.

Another issue I've been having is finding stuff that fits, as I am pretty petite and with most things I am stuck with womens or young girls clothes or inbetween. Like gloves, I am between a child & womans hand so it can make it pretty difficult to find some that fit properly. Same thing with boots because I wear a narrow 5 or 5.5 and some places do not carry those sizes.
Thats why I am so interested in finding out what all everyone else wears/uses. Since there are a lot of people who have to grab from different genders/age groups - we can really have a nice variety of options for people who are looking for gear.


Ohh and to add to the gear list:

Boots: Women's Pandora Breeze Mid Waterproof Boots - Breathable, waterproof & antimicrobial, goretex, toe cap, Vibram sole. They are really comfortable and do not need much breaking in at all so far. I got them in the shadow color and they are really nice looking, comfortable & so far they seem pretty durable.. now I've only had them for a little while now so I can't say longterm yet but so far they've been a great boot.

Socks: Wigwam merino wool socks, I have the comfort hiker ones and they are really nice.
 
#11 ·
"Another issue I've been having is finding stuff that fits, as I am pretty petite and with most things I am stuck with womens or young girls clothes or inbetween. "

Don't know if this'll help, but try the boy's stuff in Cabela's. They have a huge selection of hunting and outdoor wear for boys (not nearly so much for girls, and it's all pink, even the camo). Obviously, if it fits and you wear it, you've just changed the item's gender! But especially for gloves, I'd check out the boy's section.

When it gets down to it, I always check first in the women's section, then in the men's and finally in the boys.

Here's another suggestion for anyone that's looking for 100% wool sweaters - there's an outfit called "Woolovers" - http://www.woolovers.us/british-wool/unisex - and they have terrific sweaters at reasonable prices in the unisex section. There's an American company that drop ships from the central, british company, but I had really bad luck with them. Otoh, I've had great service ordering from the central site in the UK. Go figure. Delivery can take as little as two weeks or as long as six.
 
#12 ·
How about a bug home purse. Here is what is in mine.
1 extra pair of marino wool socks.
MREs or meal replacement bars
protein bars (chocolate peanut butter)
filter bottle and water bottle
Knife good sized locking
little sewing kit (altoids box)
bandannas
little first aid kit (altoids box)
cash in a secret pocket
fire starters (film canister)
emergency blanket with only one side reflecting (blanket, tarp or tent usage)
tin mug (for boiling water)
cell phone in an emp proof bag
sharpie with 5 ft of duct tape rolled around it
under armor long set
Thin T shirt and stretch pants if its cold you wear both.
pair of lightweight sneakers (Often I wear dress shoes to work)
small flashlight
fishing kit in a film canister
small .22 pistol and ccp ammo (altoids box) you'd be surprised how many fit safely
doctor type mask to filter air somewhat
ziplock bags

Things I have with me
I try to dress for that days outside weather everyday even if I am planning to spend the day inside (the jacket sweater or sweat shirt can always drape over my chair.
I always keep extra clothes for the kids and hiking shoes in my car.
my car also always has
water bottles
snacks
allergy meds
tools in a small toolbox
collapsible gallon camping jug
mace or pepper spray
fix a flat
picnic blanket
MREs
flares
flashlights Full sized
portable radio
hats and gloves in winter. ( how many times do you get halfway to school then notice your child didn't bring their gloves)
rope
If I could access the car but not drive it home I would empty it of useful items and dump them in the kids backpacks or fold the blanket and make a backpack with the rope.
 
#13 ·
@ Radclyffe - Thanks for the tip about the boys section at Cabela's - I will defininetly check them out! :) I'm also checking out the Woolovers place. I get really bad reactions from wool except for merino, so I'm glad to see they have some there.

Great list, scienceteacher! :thumb: That is one heck of a bug home purse, I really need to put one together. If I was ever out somewhere with my current purse and tshtf, I don't think it would be very good situation since I do not carry very much at all..:xeye: :eek::
Altoid cans are a great idea!
What kind of purse/bag do you use for all that?
 
#14 ·
I just thought of another item for the female specific gear list. Ta-da!! The 'female urination device'. Seriously. http://www.go-girl.com/

Can't tell you how well they work because I've never used one, but I know there are people who just plain can't get into the idea of squatting in the woods to pee. The one situation where I can really see one coming in handy is when fishing in a boat. Still, if you have an incredible yen to stand up when you pee, this is just the ticket!
 
#15 ·
I think those Go-Girl urination device could really come in handy, especially in the winter where squatting outside means having to pull your pants down in the frigid temperatures! :eek:
Also, I hear about how while camping, guys will bring a pee bottle so they do not have to leave their tent to pee. So I wonder if you could use the Go-Girl and pee in a bottle too? If so that could be really handy!
Plus, I've always wanted to write my name in the snow :cool:
 
#17 · (Edited)
Yeah Radclyffe, I'm thinking about getting one now too! :thumb: Glad to have given you some ideas, thanks for linking it!


Oh, I came across this the other day while checking out some different forms of birthcontrol or techniques to use if tshtf. I came across this little bead bracelet called Cycle Beads:

what it does is help you keep track & predict when you will be ovulating. Now I know a lot of people in the comments say that you can make one yourself or just track them yourself by learning how to watch for signs that your body produces and what not. But I've never learned all that stuff so I though it might be a neat thing to get.

They say it is "based on a method that is 95% effective in fertility awareness & family plannig. This family planning method is designed for women with cycles between 26 and 32 days long". and all you have to do is move the little bead slider to a new bead each day.

"Cycle Beads represent your menstrual cycle and function as a tactile ovulation calendar. Each bead stands for a single day. On the first day of your period, you simply place the rubber ring on the red bead (representing cycle day 1). On each following day, simply move the rubber ring ahead by one bead (an arrow reminds you which direction). As you move through your cycle days, when the ring is on a dark or red bead, fertility is low and your odds of conceiving are less. However, once the ring moves to a white bead - typically cycle day 8 through 19 - you know that you are nearing ovulation or perhaps already ovulating. While the ring is on a white cycle bead, you are at peak fertility and your chances of becoming pregnant are high!"

Here is their website too incase you would like more info: http://www.cyclebeads.com/

I have not purchased or used this before but I am considering getting it so I thought I would link it incase anyone else was interested. :)
 
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