Once upon a time buying outdoor gear for ladies meant buying something pink from a small pool of options. While the outdoor industry still has some work to do in creating gear as strong as the women who rip, shred and own it in the mountains, our favorite garage grown companies are ahead of the curve. They’ve created some of the most innovative and wildly cool gear for women out there.
Here we share our picks for nine great gifts for outdoor women. Many of our suggestions you likely never knew existed.
Windrider 3400 Pack by Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Lighter gear means faster travel in the mountains, which means more exploring. While we often think about trimming weight with our shelter and sleeping bag, it’s easy to forget about one of the most important places we can lighten our load – our pack.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear is a leader in making lightweight backpacking gear. The Windrider 3400 is a 55-liter, 32-ounce backpack that is perfect for backpacking, mountaineering or winter hiking. It’s water resistant, durable and holds up to 40 pounds. The one downside to getting this pack for a woman on your shopping list – you are going to have to move a lot faster to keep up with her.
Click here for a behind-the-scenes conversation with HMG's founder.
Farm to Feet Wool Socks
Want to gift a pair of socks that the recipient is actually excited about? Then check out Farm to Feet. What sets them apart? For one, they are entirely made in the USA. This is shopping you can feel good about. The socks are also durable, comfortable, warm, and now come in models designed specifically for women’s feet. And, yes, there is a pink model, along with some other color choices. We aren’t anti-pink, we just like a little variety.
Click here to read our full review of Farm to Feet socks.
Ganesha, Joy or Peacock Yoga Mat by Mondo Mehndi
It only takes a glance to understand why we love Mondo Mehndi yoga mats. They are beautiful in color and design, without being so flashy that they distract you from your practice. The mats feature original artwork meant to remind you of centering yoga principles. But these mats are so much more than aesthetics. They are extra long and extra thick, and made in the USA.
Click here to learn the story behind Mondo Mehndi.
Women’s Elite Northern Lites Snowshoes
If you think of snowshoes as outdoor gear made only for leisurely walks in the woods, you haven’t tried Northern Lites. These extra light snowshoes (they weigh 38 ounces) are designed for mountaineering and winter backpacking, and feature an aggressive crampon system. You of course can still take that leisurely winter walk in the woods on these snowshoes, but you can also plan an epic adventure. We like the options.
Click here to read our full review of Northern Lites Snowshoes.
Women’s Black Spider Hoody by NW Alpine
The black spider hoody by NW Alpine is long enough to fit under your climbing harness, fitted enough to act as a base layer, and made from Polartec High Efficiency Power Dry fabric, so it keeps you warm while you work hard, but also prevents overheating. You can wear it on its own in the fall, or use it as part of your layering system in the winter. It includes features we love: longer arms (for reaching above your head with an ice pick), a hood and thumb loops. It’s made and designed in Portland, Oregon.
Click here to learn NW Alpine's startup story.
Women’s Cortina by Pakems
It’s not uncommon to see people grabbing a beer, still in their ski boots, post a day on the hill. After you try Pakems, you’ll wonder why. These shoes are lightweight and packable, and offer sweet relief to feet that have been smothered all day in ski boots. They are comfortable and warm like slippers, but offer the sole structure of shoes for walking outside. They come in a variety of styles, including low tops, high tops and the calf-length Cortina boots. Pakems look so hip people won’t even realize you are wearing them for the comfort and not the style.
Six Corners Handlebar Bag by Po Campo
The problem with biking to work is the question of where to put your belongings. Po Campo designed a variety of adorable bags that attach easily to your bike. The Six Corners handlebar bag attaches, like the name suggest, to your handlebars, and then converts to a cross-body bag when it’s time to head into the office. It’s waterproof and durable and comes in a variety of patterns and designs to match your needs, style and, if you want, your outfit.
Click here to read our full review of Po Campo bike bags.
Alpine Winter Hat by Skida
We ladies may not want everything in pink, but we do still want our performance gear to have some style. Enter Skida, a company that makes comfortable, beautiful and moisture wicking hats, head bands and neck gaiters in Vermont. Yep, in case you didn’t catch that, these are USA made products that support cottage industry sewing. The Skida Alpine mat is lined with fleece and plenty stretchy to accommodate a variety of head sizes.
Click here to read our full review of Skida hats and headbands.
Yoga Paws
Yoga is one of those activities that people like to say can be done anywhere. It’s true, but usually there is a caveat – if you have a mat. Yoga Paws are that mat, with the bonus of fitting easily into a pocket or purse. When you get the urge to strike a pose, whether in an airport or on granite rocks by a mountain lake, you are equipped with the padding, support and stickiness of a mat, right in the palms of your hands. With yoga paws you really can do yoga anywhere.
Click here to read our full review of Yoga Paws.
