Last fall, a friend and I were packing up for a weekend of backpacking in the Desolation Wilderness. She’s a badass professional guide, and I work in the outdoor industry, so naturally we started comparing gear—which led to a list of all of the gear we’d passed on buying because it was only available in “girl colors.” At times, we’ve both resorted to shopping in the boys’ section of REI (size-wise, it turns out that I’m either a slim woman or a very strapping 12-year-old boy).
When I first started working in the outdoor industry, I was so excited to be surrounded by other smart, tough women—and I still am. But whenever I go to trade shows or industry events, I’m shocked at how solidly, stubbornly pink all of the women’s options are—even gear for truly extreme sports, like mountaineering and ultra running. Women’s gear often lacks features that are available for men. For some sports, equipment isn’t available in women’s sizes at all.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised; after 15 years of backcountry escapades, I’ve become all too familiar with the myriad ways that people underestimate women’s abilities in the wilderness. Sometimes it’s subtle—for example, when other hikers ask for directions, they’ll invariably address the men in my group, even when I’m the person holding the map. More often, the double standards show up in the form of concern. My boyfriend is an ultramarathoner, and when new friends hear about his latest 50-mile trail race, they respond with awe and admiration. But when I mention my latest solo backpacking trip, the response isn’t “Awesome!” or “I bet your calves are super muscular!” It’s “Weren’t you scared?” or “Isn’t that dangerous?” Instead of seeing a female hiker as strong and capable, they picture me as a slow-moving target in Tevas.
Then there’s the outright disdain. A few years ago, during a class on backcountry navigation, our male instructor asked each person to estimate their typical hiking speed. When I came up with a rate of 4 miles per hour (brisk, sure, but not blistering), he rolled his eyes and announced to the whole group that I must have miscalculated—nobody my size could maintain that pace.
In reality, some research suggests that women may have an edge over men in extreme endurance sports, especially long-distance swimming and hiking. Our bodies burn energy more efficiently over the long haul, and researchers also speculate that women use better judgment in the wilderness—we’re less likely to overestimate our abilities and crash midway through a race. If we are so well suited for the outdoors, why can’t we find equipment to match?
Jill Missal, founder of GearGals.com—a blog devoted to reviewing women’s outdoor gear—has been hearing the same feedback from her readers for a decade. “The biggest complaints regarding inadequacies of women’s gear compared to men’s are lack of pockets, color choices, and fit,” she says. For example, men’s ski pants don’t change much from year to year, but lately the industry has been designing women’s ski pants to look more like skinny jeans. The result? Too-tight pants that make it hard to move freely, with pockets so shallow they can barely hold your car keys.
Missal notes that the gap between women’s and men’s gear widens when it comes to high-risk, technical activities. “The biggest thing I want to see is high-altitude double-mountaineering boots for women. I keep hearing that ‘women don’t buy tech gear’— but if they don’t make it, how do they know?” She points out that most female mountaineers are stuck buying ill-fitting men’s gear. And on high-stakes expeditions, something as small as a too-wide, wobbly mountaineering boot can be a safety risk.
The market for women’s athletic gear has exploded in the past few years; according to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), sales of women’s gear grew by 10% between 2012 and 2013. But the industry still has a color palette problem: walk into the women’s section of your local trail outfitter, and you might as well be in the doll aisle at Toys R Us. It’s probably a solid wall of magenta, baby blue, and purple, with a generous sprinkling of flowers and butterflies. Pick up a catalog, and you’ll see the men’s gear displayed prominently on the cover, with women’s options relegated to the back pages, right next to the kids’ fleece onesies.
The disconnect is obvious: these companies are outfitting women who are scaling rock faces, running marathons, and scrambling up mountain tops. We need our clothing to be ultra functional, not ultra feminine. Sure, there are some women who gravitate toward traditionally feminine colors, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but there are also many of us who are desperate for a jacket in navy blue, hunter green, or charcoal gray. We’d also kill for pants with pockets big enough for our wallets, because none of us are bringing our purses on the trail. Lauren Heumann, a pro guide based in the Bay Area, notes that even unisex, one-size-fits-all items like hats and gloves are designed with men in mind, leaving her with “baggy items that inhibit peak performance, as I’m constantly readjusting and trying to tighten them down.”
If so many women are frustrated with their gear options, why haven’t things changed? When I’ve asked other people in the industry, they insist that the traditionally feminine designs and colors just sell better—but they seem to be overlooking the huge swath of women (including their own female coworkers) who are simply buying men’s gear instead. The industry itself is largely a boys’ club—in 2011, the OIA also reported that just 12.5% of the largest outdoor companies were led by women. In other words, brands are guessing at what women want and coming up with pink gear that often prioritizes fashion over function.
Some do seem to be trying to turn things around, especially now that major publications like Outside Magazine are calling out the problem. Last year, the REI foundation gave a $1.5 million grant to the Outdoor Industry Women’s Association with the aim of promoting women’s leadership in the industry. Up-and-coming companies are also focusing on making more unisex gear: Daniela Perdomo is the co-founder and CEO of goTenna, a company that makes devices that let people use their phones off-grid—especially useful for rangers and ski patrollers who spend their days in the backcountry. Her product recently won the “Gear of the Show” award at the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow, the industry’s biggest gear expo. Perdomo has made a concerted effort to avoid gender-based marketing: “I didn’t like those gendered flourishes when I was six and I definitely don’t like them at 30. I also don’t plan to release colors that feel more ‘feminine’ — whatever that means. Even as we craft messaging for specific audiences, gender doesn’t play a role in the character I think of as the intended target . . . I don’t think I need to separately message for ‘female hiker’ versus ‘male hiker.’”
As much as pink puffy vests infuriate me, I know they’re just the most visible aspect of harmful, pervasive attitudes that insist that women are less capable of handling themselves in the wild—the same biases that motivate middle-aged men to chase after me at the trailhead so they can offer some friendly mansplaining tips on how to “optimize” my running form. Like so many people, I head into the woods to forget myself, and if I’m lucky, I’ll enjoy a few exquisite hours of thinking about . . . nothing at all. But when I look down at my magenta running shoes (sadly, my favorite brand only offers them in that one color), it’s a little reminder that the world doesn’t always consider me to be as strong and capable as I feel. I hope more outdoor companies explore the outer reaches of the color spectrum when making gear for women, and more women can take to the mountains with equipment that matches their individual preferences and abilities. Until then, you can find me on the trail in my trusty little boy’s down vest.
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Ivans_Sister 106p · 469 weeks ago
POCKETS. I'm not hiking Everest, I'm just walking or taking yoga, but Target, I love you baby, you have great cheap workout gear, BUT NONE OF YOUR PANTS HAVE POCKETS. Especially with how big phones are getting nowadays, and how crucial they seem to be to carry (safety, music, apps, etc) I need a damn pocket to fit it. I find a pair I like, I buy multiples (Athleta has a pair that have side pockets on the legs that I love.)
I'm not a girly type of gal anyway, so sometimes the color options are frustrating as well.
Iris · 469 weeks ago
houblonchouffe 123p · 469 weeks ago
I want things that are high-vis without being neon pink.
How is this difficult. Literally every woman I know that runs is SCREAMING for this stuff.
robindavisdesign 119p · 469 weeks ago
Ethylbenzene 119p · 469 weeks ago
And I don't even have the option of just getting the men's, because padded cycling shorts for people with vulvas has the padding in a much different place and with a different design than padding for people with penises and testicles. I have tried wearing men's shorts. It just doesn't work.
And do not even get me started on sizes. Fat women need sports bras and cycling shorts too!
hammocknap 133p · 469 weeks ago
My climbing harness is magenta and also doesn't fit. The clerk laughed when I asked if they had anything that would fit me but also run long.
My hiking pants lack the built-in belt and, yes, pockets the men's model gets.
The only snow pants in the store that fit me are made of a fashion-y fabric and are also pink.
Indefinitely Wild asked commenters for suggestions for good gear for tall women and the answer overwhelmingly was, "Haha you can't," or, "Buy something very expensive and Scandinavian."
cankillgathergrow 116p · 469 weeks ago
In brighter news, Grundens, a supplier of commercial fishing raingear finally came out with women's' specific garments. They are the same bright orange of the men's gear, just fit for women. They tested it on the many commercial fishing women around the US and now it's on the market. So if the dudebro land of commercial fishing is changing, maybe there is hope.
deleted1892326 122p · 469 weeks ago
rawrbook 125p · 469 weeks ago
I usually just buy men's gear, and I'm lucky because I have a body type that fits into a lot of men's cuts but it frustrates me to no end that I usually have to settle for second best or something that doesn't fit quite right.
Also, outdoor/backpacking/nature magazines ALWAYS prioritize men's gear/perspective to an infuriating degree. If you look at 'gear of the year' type editions you're lucky to find 1/4 of the gear aimed at women.
Rillquiet 118p · 469 weeks ago
The exception, of course, is horseback gear: You can get sparkly pink stuff if you want it, but it's not the default. Go figure: When women are perceived to be the default consumers, we get more options.
SmrtCookie 122p · 469 weeks ago
allofthewhine 117p · 469 weeks ago
CleverManka 143p · 469 weeks ago
GreenGrasses 121p · 469 weeks ago
longdistancepicnicclub 85p · 469 weeks ago
Related: I went to a columbia store a couple weeks ago: I found a single mountain hardware jacket in navy that fit me. There was another raincoat I looked at that came in taupe, pink, pastel teal AND had only two extra-small versions of it in a dark blue. I think perhaps the market was telling them something, there.
Kaitlyn Dwelle · 469 weeks ago
In the ski industry women call the method for designing gear "shrink it and pink it" which I feel like a lot of other active women can relate to.
newglasses · 469 weeks ago
Running, I gave up. I hate pink, fuschia, etc. So I run in jeans or old school sweats (with deep pockets) and t-shirts, with various layers of hoodies and sweatshirts in the winter and men's baggy shorts and tank tops in the summer and Chuck Taylor style 'tennis' shoes all year around. I'm not fashionable on the trail, but like I said, I gave up on women's hiking/running/outdoor gear.
emmysuhweeks · 469 weeks ago
There's the one commercial where she's doing all this badass running and the shaking ropes thing and hardcore work outs -- and she just stops the production to say, "Can't we just tell them how CUTE all the clothes are?"
And then the one where she says, "I think women will really like it because it's all cute!"
And I'm like -- being cute is not my number one concern at ALL TIMES, sometimes I'm more worried about whether or not this sports bra will keep my boobs in place, or if my shoe fits properly. IMAGINE THAT.
Either_Ada 139p · 469 weeks ago
Absotively 112p · 469 weeks ago
dakimel 122p · 469 weeks ago
My sons both went through a major tall & skinny phase, when their overlong feet were super narrow, and I was surprised that even in the smaller mens' shoe sizes that there weren't a lot of narrow shoes available, so their choices were womens shoes that fit their shape or mens shoes that were too wide. Generally they picked the mens shoes, because they wanted navy or black or grey (they save color for their socks).
And then their feet got even bigger so the only things that fit their length were mens shoes.
So hey!, maybe manufacturers will start to accommodate stork-like 13 year old boys. It seems perverse that they would do something for such a small market segment when they won't for the entire segment of women, but as biased as the available products are now, it seems like a likelier bet.
SMTC · 469 weeks ago
Hey_Cinderella 104p · 469 weeks ago
Bent_fork 111p · 469 weeks ago
I went to refresh my memory of the difference in ski equipment. Here's one I read:
https://www.skis.com/Ski-Equipment-%7C-Men's...
Women's skis:
-lighter, so "easier to turn"
-different construction to produce "softer flexing and easier to turn to compensate for a woman’s lighter weight"
-shorter turn radius to help "you control your speed better as well as making the skis easier to maneuver", something only us ladies want apparently
Boots:
-fit based on women being lighter, smaller, more "delicate" (except our low-hanging calf muscles), having shorter legs, and not being as strong:
"Manufacturers realized that women are generally lighter than men and have shorter legs, making it more difficult for women to get the appropriate leverage to bend a stiff boot."
-Also, the ladies need better thermal properties in their liners. Wanting to keep feet warm and toasty is a gender specific desire, I guess.
LOLsob " Very aggressive female skiers often choose men’s skis because they construction styles make them stiffer and more challenging to ski. This is only recommended if the woman is confident in her skiing technique and always stays over the tips of the skis. "
Then I read this one:
"http://backcountrymagazine.com/stories/womens-specific-female-focused-skis-necessity-preference/"
"... there is little biomechanical gain to be had from using a ski that is marketed as female specific, whether the skier is at a recreational or advanced level."
"“A lot of women’s skis are watered down,” he adds. “Companies assume women are not strong or skiing aggressively.”"
Yup.
Ktcook · 469 weeks ago
I really just want some nice hunter green/kelly green/navy/charcoal grey/red/greyish blue clothing. Especially red. I love red and it's super visible but do girls get red? No, we get salmon or coral or freakin purple.
cosetthetable 121p · 469 weeks ago
..... what?
no. no no no no no no no.
Most clothing is not unisex. only a dude would think that.
rishmololo 95p · 469 weeks ago
As a size 18 woman who likes to cross country ski I cannot find pants that fit. Even those cute down skirts don't come big enough- the one company I found that has an xxl size thinks that is a 16.
It makes me so mad because it feels like the companies think that someone my size has no place doing outdoor activities.
Jenn · 469 weeks ago
buttonwood11 86p · 469 weeks ago
"It's a little reminder that the world doesn't always consider me to be as strong and capable as I feel"
It's SO HARD to feel comfortable in a male-dominated hobby as it is. Almost all the guys I meet in the field are either mansplainy or they will just talk past me, addressing only my boyfriend or buddies. I've been talked down to more times than I can count in tackle shops and gun stores- "you think you can handle that, little lady?" I feel like I constantly have to prove that I belong in the club, that every time I miss a shot it's going to be chalked up to the fact that I'm a girl. It's even worse that half the time I'm out, I feel like I'm a child playing dress up in her mothers heels! Nothing fits, my jacket is too big, pants too short, I look and feel like I don't belong.
Finding hunting or fishing gear that fits, is warm, and is functional has become an almost Sisyphean task for me. Despite the fact that women are the fastest growing demographic for the hunting and fishing industries, I can't just walk into a store and find anything made for a woman with the same quality and price point as the men's gear. Cabelas is starting to improve their selection but it seems like the industry, as a whole, is insistent on making sure their women's gear looks as infantile and poorly designed as possible.
sausagedog 127p · 469 weeks ago
And can I yell about pockets for a bit? This is by no means limited to activewear, but what does a girl have to do to get a decent pocket in workout pants? The only pockets that exist are in those super short baggy/crinkly running shorts, while my boyfriend gets pockets in all his shorts and sweatpants. I've resorted to shoving key/ID in the sports bra and it is not comfortable, nor does that work for ye old iPod.
abb · 469 weeks ago
DogModerne 95p · 469 weeks ago
coloredlights 102p · 469 weeks ago
And then of course Nike released that BEAUTIFUL line of women's shoes along with the World Cup last year, but they are all like $200. Even though I play twice a week, it's still a hobby and I can't justify that price tag.
Fat and the SEA · 469 weeks ago
AmazingSandwich 109p · 469 weeks ago
La Sportiva (and some other Euro shoemakers) seem to enjoy making their men's shoes as garish as their women's so they're harder to tell apart. Usually only the men's come in black, though.
I don't have much else useful to add, as 95% of my stuff is men's and I'm incredibly lucky my biggest problem is inseam length, with slightly-smaller-than-is-convenient feet a far second.
RLovesRocks 127p · 469 weeks ago
And XC ski boots and cycling shoes are also such a problem! I generally can't find the really competitive/higher end styles in my size! Plus, the last pair of skate boots that fit my feet wouldn't zip around my ankles without cutting off circulation.
I'm also newly pregnant, and I want to do a backpacking trip this summer, and thinking about what to wear for it, let alone how to do the backpack properly is stressing me out.
On the positive side, I've put a gratuitous field photo in the reply, though!
AmazingSandwich 109p · 469 weeks ago
LD1 · 469 weeks ago
ela21 77p · 469 weeks ago
Kelsey · 469 weeks ago
Techiejackie · 469 weeks ago
As an active hiker / camper and a small gal who also happens to be allergic to red dye, I constantly have to buy little boys gear since everything is consistently some variation of pink.
poordrunkandhungry 119p · 469 weeks ago
Swan Parade · 469 weeks ago
Icebreaker is pretty bad at this. Or at least, what stores stock for Icebreaker is bad (I had good luck at their factory outlet in Auckland; the place dreams are made of). Men get greens, blues, greys, blacks with mountains or soundwaves or gears. Women get baby pink, baby blue, purple, bright pink with flowers or butterflies or arabesque shapes. Maaaybe some light grey, if you're lucky. Oh and ok have some black, BUT just in case you thought that was too neutral, HERE HAVE A FLOWER ON IT!
And don't get my started on backpacks. It is worth getting a women's pack for straps-cut-so-boobs-don't-get-in-the-way purposes. But what's in the store is usually effing purple or pink or whatever with embroidery. Deuter even affixes a little plastic lei flower on theirs to make sure you KNOW it's for ladies. Because ladies love flowers.
jennascherer 137p · 469 weeks ago
TerryTowels · 469 weeks ago
deleted1892326 122p · 469 weeks ago
danelleorange 119p · 469 weeks ago
Or tank tops that aren't ridiculously low cut?
terb 114p · 469 weeks ago
I have a long torso and slightly broader shoulders than the average gal my size. This means I am not allowed to hike in shirts. Can't do it, not for you. Yes I know they're cool and sunproof but you can't have them. Why don't you look in the men's section..... SYKE you have hips no deal
Alli525 111p · 469 weeks ago
When we're talking about gear, and particularly hiking/camping gear, I get even more uncomfortable in pink. I travel solo a lot, and nothing says "I'm a girl! Clearly, because of my gender I am interested in hearing all your catcalls and entertaining all your sexual advances!" like pink gear. It's possible that pink/girly gear could call attention to my gender in a way that more neutrally colored and designed gear would not, and while being a woman is super cool, it is also kinda dangerous and I am in no mood ever to remind people that (to aggressors) I look like the Roadrunner looked to Coyote.
S. Pebbletush · 469 weeks ago
And I say this as a lady with hot pink running shoes. My problem is that when everything (EVERYTHING) is pink, it starts to look ridiculous.
But seriously, SERIOUSLY, I want outdoorsy stuff that isn't pink, isn't flimsy, isn't shitty material, and has fucking pockets. I want to go hiking with my girlfriend and be comfortable and wear, I don't know, gray or black or hunter green stuff that fits me.
Other complaint: I am a lady with boobs and hips. Can we please start accounting for boobs? I feel like I need to buy shirts and jackets in size XXL just so my tits don't bust out of them.
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