Why we need more female gear testers.
I know what you’re thinking, “Well duh we need female gear testers. It’s not like guys can tell us whether or not a shirt/bra/pack will squish/flatter/chafe/support our boobs.” And you’re right. They can’t! Just like we can’t tell them which compression shorts are going to chafe their balls. It’s anatomy. They’ve got some stuff we don’t have and vice versa. So putting the obvious anatomical differences aside let me point out some of the other, and in my opinion pretty important, reasons that we need more female gear testers.
First off, women make up 45% of outdoor enthusiasts, and yet, although I don’t have the precise numbers, it seems like there are substantially more gear reviews online that are written by (and for) males. So why is this a problem? Well not only does the lack of female-written gear reviews make shopping for gear online really tough for women, more importantly it hinders women from getting outside altogether. Read, ordering gear online, trying it out at home, realizing it doesn’t fit, mailing it back, waiting, repeat.
Want evidence of that? A recent study of school aged females examined why they did or did not take part in sporting activities, and do you know what one of the top reasons was for not participating? Clothing comfort; namely bra support. That’s right clothing comfort and support (or lack there of) was one of the main reasons for non-participation and/or dropping out. These young girls couldn’t find peer reviews of sports clothing so they opted out!
Can you now see why female reviewers are so important? Having female testers and female-written reviews is important. Being active and getting outside is healthy, and we need to encourage more women to participate, starting with helping them find the right gear, so they don’t opt out.
And I’m not just talking about helping them find packs that won’t chafe the girls. We need more reviews of gear that addresses female-specific backcountry issues like shewee’s, skirts with trap doors, reusable menstruation products (yes those are a thing), and we ladies need to review and let each other know about their effectiveness.
Tampons? diva cups? If we are hiking the AT or the PCT our periods don’t take vacations, we need to know what works best, which feminine products to avoid. And while we’re on the subject of female-specific gear, what about gear for pregnant women? Pregnancy is no reason to stow away your gear and hide inside, but you certainly might need some different gear to make your adventures comfortable, hence the need for more female (possibly pregnant) gear testers.
We need female gear testers because we need to keep empowering females to trust in themselves, be confident and active. Us women are just as big of gear junkies as the guys and we need to start being a little more active about it. Otherwise, just like the young women in the study, discomfort and lack of the proper gear is going to keep preventing new women from jumping in and enjoying the outdoor activities that we all love.
