This one is for all the ladies out there (and those shopping for them).
Let’s be honest: we live in a world designed by men, for men. From seat belts to medical procedures, from sleeping bags to backpacks. Yes, most outdoor gear is designed by men, and it shows. Now, you might think: how much difference could it possible make? And I used to think the same, until I started asking more from my gear. Until I started spending the majority of my nights outside. Until my backpack started hurting my shoulders, and my sleeping bag left me shivering in the cold nights.
I get many questions online about what kind of gear I use, and what I would recommend for longer hikes, and many of these questions come from women. So, I asked myself: when is gear designed for women a necessity, and when just a nice-to-have? (and let’s be honest, unisex is just another way of saying it was designed for guys, no?)
The items I will discuss below:
- Sleeping bags/quilts
- Sleeping pads
- Backpacks
- Clothing
Sleeping bags/quilts
This is where I first started diving down this particular rabbit hole. I needed a new quilt, and I asked advice from a guy who owned the same quilt I was considering. Rookie mistake…
(Don’t know what a quilt is? Read it here!)
Temperature ratings
Sleeping bags and quilts all come with a temperature rating provided by the manufacturer, and these ratings are not standardized for all manufacturers. One bag might be rated at -6 degrees Celsius/20 Fahrenheit, another at -12/10F. You might think that the second bag will keep you warmer in cold nights, but this is not necessarily the case. Some manufacturers will give you the comfort temperature, others the limit temperature. What this last means, is that you won’t freeze to death at this temperature. But, trust me, it won’t be a pleasant night.
Okay, so you look at the comfort temperature and go by that? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…not necessarily. Because, as you probably guessed by now: the temperature ratings are pretty much always tested on…men! (surprise!)
And as I found out to my detriment when I ordered my new quilt, whenever guys consider something to be a perfectly balmy temperature, I am usually wearing all my layers, shivering and wishing for a hot water bottle. Yes, this is a generalization, and you might be different, but if you sleep hot, you probably know by now.
Sizing
Another consideration: sleeping bags are usually a standard length and width, a one-size-fits-most (guys). That means: most unisex (mummy) sleeping bags are wider at the top, narrower at the hips, and are much longer than the average woman. The insulation will be compressed (and therefore losing its capacity to insulate) at your hips, and you’ll be attempting to heat up a lot of spare space at your feet and shoulders. Does your bum keep getting frosty at night? It might be because of this.
What do I want from a sleeping bag?
- Not too much extra room at your feet
- wider hip area
- narrower shoulder area
- more insulation at spots where you get cold easily (feet, anyone?)
Do these illusive creatures exist? Well, luckily, they have been getting more common lately. More and more brands have been offering options designed for women.
One brand that has been making great, high quality (but also higher priced) down sleeping bags for women for years is Feathered Friends in Seattle. I highly recommend them if you’re looking for something durable and if money is not your main concern.
Other brands make bags that are not necessarily marketed as women-only bags, but feature shorter lengths, wider hip areas or the option to overstuff the bag with extra down. Find some recommendations here. Getting a shorter bag is a great and easy way to save weight and increase warmth at the same time.
What am I using now?
I have several sleeping bags and quilts, but for my winter sleeping bag, the one where it really counts, I had a bag custom made for me by Cumulus. With a shorter length, and more down added to the foot box. It is not wider at the hips, unfortunately, and I went with a bag that had a comfort temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius or 10 Fahrenheit lower than I was expecting to encounter. It’s been working great for me when temperatures really start to drop.
Sleeping pads
Mummy style pads are shaped like mummy bags. So, again: wider shoulders, narrower hips. Saves weight, sure, but waking up every time you have to roll over, is pretty tiring. This one is pretty specific to whether or not you are a side sleeper though, so maybe not just for women.
The only other important consideration: insulation. The R-value of a sleeping pad is an indication of how well it will keep you warm at night. The higher the value, the warmer it is. Guess who tested these values?? Yep…
In general, most websites will tell you that an R-value of 3 or 3.5 is enough for three-season use. I have owned many mats over the years, and once even a mat with an R-value of 3.5. I sold it because it was too cold for most of my trips, and only warm enough for balmy summer nights. For three season use, I have a mat with a value of 4.5 (fine most of the time), and for winter or anything remotely approaching it: 7.
What am I using now?
Thermarest NeoAir Xlite W – the older women’s version of the NeoAir Xlite NXT Regular Short.
Shorter, lighter, and with a higher R-value than the regular mats at that time. Also preferred by many backpacking men because of the higher weight-to-warmth ratio. No longer available, they now just call what used to be their women’s XLite the Regular Short (NXT version – 66″ or 168 cm), and all their mats have the same 4.5 R-value. The Regular Short is their lightest mat at 330 grs or 11.5 oz. It is not the comfiest mat I own, but it is the lightest.
Thermarest XTherm – My winter mat, with an R-value of 7. Guaranteed to keep me warm in the coldest nights. More comfortable than the XLite, but also heavier at around 500 grs. This is also an older version of the mat, their latest version is called the XTherm NXT and offers an R-value of 7.3 at a weight of 440 grs or 15.5 oz. Unfortunately, this pad is not available in a shorter version, but for the brave: it is possible to cut off the lower part of the mat and reseal it with an iron. Lighten your load! And void your warranty…
Nemo Tensor All-Season Insulated – this will likely be the mat I am taking on my next adventure. Not in my possession yet though. I will update this article once I have tested it.
Backpacks
Many of the same considerations described above apply to the fit of your backpack. Ever found that the straps of a backpack where pulling outward, chafing your neck or constricting your chest? Designed for guys, I tell you…
Generally speaking, our backs are shorter, our shoulders narrower. And any thru-hiking woman with a standard hip belt will recognize the chafing and bruising that starts showing up on your hip bones after a while. Does that mean we need a backpack for women? It depends…
Make sure to measure yourself properly. Ask someone to help you with this for the most accurate measurements. Most important is to measure your back length correctly, and order a pack with an appropriate length for your size.
Shoulder straps
The usual strap is a J-strap: straight down from the shoulder, then curving to the side underneath the arms. More and more brands are now offering S-straps as well, and they are much better in my opinion, as they curve around your chest area and give you some more room to breathe with the chest strap closed, and reduce underarm chafing.
Hip belt
A hip belt that fits properly should be resting atop your hip bone, with one-third of the hip belt sticking out above the iliac crest, two-thirds below it. Ideally, I like my hip belt to be able to tilt slightly forward, so the weight is transferred in the most comfortable way. Remember: about 80% of the pack weight should be resting on your hips, no more than 20% on your shoulders. If your pack’s back length is wrong, and your hip belt does not fit properly, there’s no way you will achieve this, and you will soon start to notice that in your shoulders, neck and back.
You’ll want some padding as well, padding makes life worth living. If your hip belt does not offer enough padding, you can stick some sponges in between the belt and your hip bones (or sow them on) to relieve some of the pressure and reduce bruising.
What am I using now?
I just switched from a Gossamer Gear Mariposa to an Atom Packs Prospector. Some of the main considerations: Atom Packs offers different back lengths, an option to choose S-straps or J-straps, and a fairly generous hip belt (for ultralight standards – the hip belt that my first Osprey pack had, is still far superior to the one I have now, but hey, that pack weighed about 5lbs. all by itself).
All pretty good, but again, I noticed some design features that were likely not designed with women in mind. The biggest gripe I have with this pack so far is the chest strap: it is hard to close the small buckle of that strap, which is attached to the shoulder strap on the right. Closing it gets very finicky if you are carrying both a water bottle in the strap pocket and a pair of boobs at the same time. Just a minor annoyance overall.
My Mariposa had many good points as well, but the J-straps started hurting my shoulder overtime. Another brand I’ve been eyeing for a while but haven’t tried out yet is ULA Equipment. Their various options for customizing your pack ensure you’ll get the right size and straps for you.
Clothing
I guess this one is fairly self explanatory: properly fitting clothes also insulate better, reduce chafing, are more comfortable, etc. And there is a very, very wide range of women’s outdoor clothing.
General rule of thumb: make sure anything that is designed to keep you warm, fits well. Jackets that are too small will not get you warm as the insulation will be compressed, and too large will result in drafts and excess air that needs to be warmed up by your body heat. Materials such as down, alpha direct or merino wool are my go-to favorites for lightweight warmth on the trail.
Anything else?
If I left out anything you feel needs a women-specific version, please let me know in the comments below!
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