What is Women Specific?
What does Women Specific Mean?
Find out what makes gear specifically for women and if this can benefit you on your next adventure
In the beginning...
bagging peaks, setting first ascents, and logging countless miles crossing continents was deemed strictly for men. If women wanted to come along too, that was fine as long as they stayed out of the way. And then Sibylle Hechtel and Bev Johnson climbed El Capitan in 1973, Junko Tabei summited Everest in '75 and finally finished the Seven Summits in 1992, and in 2018, Heather Anderson finished the Triple Crown 251 days.
These days, women account for 46% of all outdoor participants, 50% or rock climbing contestants are women and 85% of women see spending time outdoors as a key contributor to positive mental health. With women like Emily Harrington recently free climbing El-Cap (making her the 4th woman to do so), stereotypes continue to fall, the gear continues to improve, and we'll be here to help filter out the nonsense and the noise.
"SHRINK IT AND PINK IT"
For the longest time, women's equipment was just smaller versions of men's equipment with more feminine colors or accents. On e particular ski and snowboard company spent a winter marketing a women specific ski wax because it smelled like vanilla. Fortunately, things are starting to change for the better. Companies are actually working with women and learning about biological and physical differences and how their gear can be tweaked to perform better. That being said, not all women will benefit from these changes. So, we'll cover a couple of the main pain points and see if they will help or hurt you in the future.
Backpacks
Since Gregory was one of the earliest adopters to making a women specific pack, we figure they're a great place to start. However, as women packs are designed to fit a curvier waistline, a shorter torso, and a larger bust, if these qualities don't apply to you, you might want to try on a men's frame to see if it fits better. This is why you will find a few men's backpacks in our collection.
Gregory Amber 44
All of our Gregory's women's packs are designed to fit the anatomy of the female body. This means a hipbelt angled to fit the shape of a woman's hipbones and a shoulder harness that is shaped to work with a woman's bust and allow for a smooth wrap over the shoulder. They also provide smaller torso lengths in women’s packs to accommodate shorter women, as proper torso length is a key element to achieving the best fit.
Gregory Stout 45
All of Gregory'e men's packs are designed to fit the anatomy of the male body. This means a hipbelt with less curvature and angualtion and a shoulder harness that is shaped to work with a man's frame to support most of the weight onto the shoulders. They also provide longer torso lengths in men's packs to accommodate taller men, as proper torso length is a key element to achieving the best fit.
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Bags have their own unique design characteristics to make them women specific. From sizes, to insulation, to width, and more, find out if a women's sleeping bag is right for you.
LENTGH
Women's sleeping bags tend to be shorter than their male counterparts making them lighter to carry and easier to heat up in less time.
INSULATION
Women's sleeping bags tend to have more insulation, especially in the torso and in the feet to provide greater warmth where it's needed.
WIDTH
Women's sleeping bags tend to be narrower in the shoulders and wider in the hips to provide a better fit while preventing heat loss.
Some Products Unique to Women
Let's face it, women have some unique issues when they are out of the trail that most men don't have to deal with. Here at Wanderer's, we're trying to find all those little things to make life outside, that much easier.
Kula Cloth
A Kula Cloth is the first of its kind - an intentionally designed reusable antimicrobial pee cloth! The Kula Cloth® was designed for anybody who squats when they pee (or uses a pee-funnel)! Some people use Kula as a handkerchief or a small washcloth.
Shewee
Don't Squat! Stand up and take control, and avoid the filthy festival portable loos, and grim public toilets! Ideal for traffic jams, festivals, women in the military and much more!
Labels Belong on Clothes, Not on People
Every journey you take has it’s own unique challenges. This includes navigating your way through the seemingly endless selection of clothing and gear you’ll eventually need to take with you on your next adventure.
In our experience, the gender labels companies use should only be viewed as shortcuts. Some “women specific” products might not meet your individual needs which is why you will occasionally find a men’s or unisex option in our product lines.
Our sole purpose is to provide you with the best possible options to support you on every step of your journey.
Wanderer’s Outpost is an all inclusive venue and the gender labels we use are only to reference product sizes. We understand there is a much larger conversation about society’s use of gender labels that we are always more than willing to listen to. No matter how you personally identify, we are here to support you on your adventure.
Leave a comment