Selecting clothing for bushcraft and wilderness survival requires a fundamentally different approach than choosing standard hiking gear.
While lightweight trekking garments prioritise minimal weight and high breathability, bushcraft clothing must withstand harsh woodland hazards such as heat from campfires, kneeling on damp ground, and sustained exposure to ever-changing weather.
At Ray Mears Bushcraft, our approach to women’s outdoor clothing is built on decades of practical experience across arctic, woodland, and other temperate environments. Every garment in this collection is chosen for its functional performance and long-term reliability.
Equipping yourself for spending time in nature demands clothing that works with your body, not against it. Our collection of women’s outdoor gear moves away from simplified fashion trends in favour of authentic kit.
Maintaining core body temperature during outdoor activities is a balance between moisture management and thermal insulation. Bushcraft tasks alternate between intense exertion (such as tracking or shelter building) and static periods (such as cooking or sitting in camp). To stay comfortable and safe, your clothing must function as a modular system.
1. Next-to-Skin Base Layers (Moisture Control)
Moisture is the primary enemy of thermal efficiency. Sweat absorbed by cheap cotton or poor-quality synthetic materials stays against the skin, conducting heat away from your body faster than air once you stop moving.
2. Mid-Layers & Insulation (Thermal Trapping)
The primary role of the mid-layer is to trap still air warmed by your body heat while allowing moisture vapour to escape outward. In traditional bushcraft, natural fibres like wools excel as they are extremely quiet when moving through woodland and effective at regulating temperature across a wide range of conditions.
3. Outer Shells & Work Trousers (Protection & Durability)
Your outer layer must defend against not only the weather but against abrasion. Unlike standard ultralight rain jackets that tear easily on thorny undergrowth or melt near open flames, bushcraft outer layers utilise dense, tightly woven canvas or reinforced technical fabrics.
Women's bushcraft clothing fits matter too. Historically, women in the outdoor and bushcraft sectors were forced to wear scaled-down men's garments. This resulted in poor freedom of movement, improper pocket placement. Modern technical bushcraft wear addresses these issues through dedicated pattern making.
1. Curved & Articulated Fits
Women’s expedition trousers often feature a higher waist-to-hip ratio, eliminating gap at the back waist when bending or squatting, combined with pre-shaped knees for unhindered movement.
2. Chest & Shoulder Proportions
Mid-layers and jackets engineered for women provide tailored chest accommodation without adding excess material in the shoulders or sleeve lengths, preventing bulk under backpack straps.
3. Strategic Seam Placement
Seams are shifted away from friction points, such as the top of the shoulders under rucksack load zones or the inner thighs, to prevent discomfort during long days trekking.
