SHOT show is overwhelming. There are about 1,660 exhibitors within a 12.5-mile maze of aisles. If you wanted to see everything during the four-day event, you’d have all of 22 seconds to spend at each booth. But I’m hunting specifically for women’s gear. Which gave me plenty of time to find and pore over my favorite new gear for ladies for 2018. Here’s my short list.
Browning Women’s Buck Shadow
This is no pink-and-shrink product. It’s a waterproof, breathable boot designed by an outdoorswoman and cut specifically for women’s feet, which are generally narrower than men’s and have a higher arch. The boots are made light on lift for backcountry hauls and soft on sound for spot-and-stalk hunting. $150; Browning
Filson Women’s 3-Layer Field Jacket
No need to run for cover. You’re wearing it. This durable jacket is breathable yet insulating with a three-layer membrane inside and waterproof nylon outside. It has hand-warmer pockets for cold hunts, pit zips for ventilation on warm days of beating brush for birds, and a full, zippered-back game bag. $395; Filson
First Lite Women’s Aerowool Wick Quarter Zip
Been waiting for a women’s version of the low-on-stink, high-on-dry First Lite wool that sportsmen enjoy? Wait no more. This quarter zip is the company’s first Aerowool product for women. It’s a merino wool base layer blended with a quick-drying, durable outer layer. Price not yet available; First Lite
Camp Chef Deluxe Outdoor Camp Oven
Hold up. I know you didn’t expect a traditionally domestic appliance to make the list, but this is not your mother’s oven. It’s yours. Take it outside. Camp Chef turns your tent site into bakery with this even-heat oven. Outdoor cooking comes with temperature swings, so new this year, the oven comes with a self-regulating thermometer. $249; Camp Chef
Girls with Guns Carbine Pant
This lightweight, 4-way stretch pant with adjustable 32-to-36-inch inseam is designed to flex with all the ways you contort in the field. It features a Velcro strap expansion at the waistband for your bigger days, as well as cargo pockets and a concealed-carry pouch. $70; Girls With Guns
Slumberjack Wild-Her Pack
Two dozen sportswomen pitched in on the design of this pack, which features a shooting channel between the top pouches, a beaver-tail expansion flap for hauling meat, and a locking strap for securing a gun barrel. The biggest design advantage: belly room. The waist strap crosses your hips like a seatbelt clipping to the side of the pack, instead of across your middle. At any size, you know the rub I’m talking about. Let’s not make it worse with a big buckle. As for the accent color: Slumberjack asked sportswomen if they preferred pink or plum. Sixty percent said plum. $159; Slumberjack
I’m a lefty. Right-handed equipment bugs me almost as much as pink-and-shrink. Syren’s latest shotgun is made for lefty (and righty) ladies, and it’s a beauty. The L4S Sporting is a semiauto that swings and handles like an old-school O/U. The stock features adjustable recoil-pad depth and accommodates for upper body curve, female cheekbone structure, and shorter reach. $1,895 right hand, $2,080 left hand; Syren USA