The Outdoor Scene

If you’re getting ready to pack your bags and head to hunt camp, take a moment and check out what the experts travel with. Learn what products and brands the following beautiful and influential women use for health, hygiene and beauty purposes when they’re afield. Plus, if you don’t laugh out loud at a couple of their observations, your funny bone must be missing.

Sherry Kerr
Owner, Outdoor Media Resources
Since I’m often hosting writers clients, and others when I’m in camp, some of the items I take are as much for my guests and friends as for myself.  I find that I share them on every hunt.  Here are 10 items I always pack:
- AfterBite - Bugs love me.  I’d go crazy from bites if I didn’t keep AfterBite close by.
- Johnson & Johnson Baby Wash Cloths (or a similar generic) - These keep me feeling and smelling fresh in camp without smelling like alcohol or medicine, and they’re large and thick enough to actually bathe with them.
- Benadryl - This doubles as medicine for allergic reactions and as a sleep aid.
- Ibuprofen - It’s a great painkiller, and since it reduces inflammation, it can help get your feet ready for another day of walking and climbing in boots.
- Advil Cold/Sinus - With a group of hunters, at least one person will need sinus medicine.  I find this one to be easily tolerated.
- Minimal make-up - While not feeling the need to wear make-up while hunting is a perk, sometimes I want to look better for a photo shoot or the trip home. I use a tiny make-up bag and pack a few items; anything that doesn’t fit in it doesn’t go.
- Neutrogena hand cream - It’s rich, scent-free and non-greasy. It saves my hands.
- Trial size toiletries - I feel challenged to pack necessities as tightly as possible, so I never take a full-size container of any toiletries.  Whenever I’m in a drugstore or discount store, I look for trial sizes in the brands I like and stock up on them. Some can be refilled from regular sizes.
- Water bottle - When we’re in camp and away from our usual routines, it’s easy to not drink enough water, resulting in dehydration, headaches, UTIs and other problems.  I always have a bottle of water in my daypack.
- Toilet paper - I take about a half roll with the cardboard core removed, then flatten it to take less space.  Aside from the obvious, it can also be used for marking your trail or a blood trail.

Karen Lee
Editor, Turkey Country
National Wild Turkey Federation
- ChapStick, because my lips will either get wind-chapped or sun burned.
- Oil of Olay face lotion with SPF 15 (It protects my skin but doesn’t get it greasy feeling after a day of sweating outdoors.)
- A natural shade of lipstick. Clinique’s Bamboo Pink is what I use. (I want to look nice for a trophy photo but not unnatural.)
- Funky flip-flops for around camp. It’s kind of “my thing” to wear, which gives me a sense of individuality in a sea of camo. Plus, they’re easy to slip on and off and allow my feet to breathe after a day in boots.
- A compact, folding brush and ponytail holder to go in my pack.
- Not a fan of cover scents that smell like pee, so I use vanilla-scented shampoo during deer season. I’ve heard that it doesn’t spook deer. Seems to have worked OK for me in the past.

Stephanie Mallory
Owner, Mallory Communications
To camp I usually carry:
- A hairdryer and round brush - I don’t want to bring a curling iron or rollers to camp, but I can put some shape in my hair with the hairdryer and brush.
- I bring a modified version of my normal makeup bag - includes at the very least concealer, powder, lipstick, ChapStick and mascara.
- Of course, toothbrush, toothpaste, some form of squeeze soap, razor, moisturizer, deodorant (scent-free when deer hunting).
- I usually wear a pair of small silver earrings that will go with everything.
- I bring a cute hat (in addition to my hunting hats) in case we go somewhere immediately after hunting and I have time to change clothes, but I don’t have time to fix my hat hair.
- Rubber bands for my hair.
- To the field, I just carry lipstick, in case I need to get my picture made.

Lisa Metheny:
Outdoor Writer/Photographer and Accomplished Hunter
Here is a list of the critical things I always pack, regardless of whether I am headed out the back door for a quick hunt in a nearby treestand or headed to the mountains. What starts out as an ounce in the backpack in the morning will end up feeling like a pound in the backpack by noon. So I only take a few things and all of them can fit into the SAME small Ziploc bag.
- Hunter Specialties Scent Free wet wipes - I always take these as I don’t have to worry about scent, and they serve multiple purposes such as when nature calls. They are also great for cleaning up after field dressing and super for freshening up mid-day. They are thick and soft enough to use as a washcloth.
- Hunter Specialties Lip Balm with SPF - Don’t tell the guys but the HS lip balm not only protects against sunburn but it also gives a nice little shine to the lips. Great for using throughout the day but perfect to put on when it is time to smile for those trophy photo shots.
- Elastic Hair Tie(s) - I like to keep my hair in a loose ponytail while hunting as it helps keep it out of my eyes and helps to keep it tangle free. But when it is time for a photo, I try and take the ponytail out. Keeping one or two hair ties around my wrist is common for me. They also serve multiple uses such as sleeve or pant gaiters.
I never leave home without these three items. A clean face, shiny lips and tangle free hair makes everyone look better in trophy photos.

Kirstie Pike
Founder and CEO Prois Hunting Apparel for Women
- Pro-Active Sunscreen SPF 15.  Minimal scent.  Doesn’t clog pores and cause acne.  Small bottles are easy to tote.
- WetWipes- portable pack.  Don’t leave home without them.  Great for ANYTHING that needs a wiping or cleaning!
- Burt’s Bees Lip moisturizer.  It’s the bomb.
- Ibuprofen…always.
- Honestly- any time I travel, I have my mascara and BodyShop eye shadow.  Very compact and a must-have if photos will be taken. I wasn’t blessed with that ‘gorgeous when she wakes up’ look!  I need help.
- Small bottle of Castille Liquid Soap. No scent, no environmental impact.
- My flippy ‘fold in half’ toothbrush.  Oh man, forgot that one time.  Ick.
- Ball cap. No matter how rough the hair looks, you can cover it up!
- Dove Antiperspirant.  Yeah, that should be at the TOP of the list!
- I have finally learned the true value of SPF in my ChapStick, after having my lips swell up like a baboon. It’s also nice not to have my lips sloughing like I have leprosy.

Brenda Potts:
Outdoor Writer/Marketing Consultant
Midwest Legacy Marketing
- Chap stick (never leave home without out it, always have several packed).
- Unscented sunscreen (use as a foundation under makeup).
- Hunter’s Specialties Field Wipes (also great for in-field washing off unexpected exposure to poison ivy).
- Neutrogena hand cream (must-have in cold weather when hands get cracked and dry).
- Tissue (for hay fever, no one wants to hear constant sniffing during on-camera hunts and of course, calls of nature).

Cheryl Riley
V.P. Education and Outreach
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
When I pheasant hunt, it’s all about my feet!  I have sturdy shoes that support my ankles on uneven ground and keep my feet dry.  I have learned to always wear a pair of liner socks under my wool socks to avoid blisters.  Ruined one hunt before I learned that. If you can’t walk, it’s hard to hunt upland birds!

Shannon Salyer,
Public Relations Specialist for Nikon Sport Optics, Winchester Ammunition and ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent
If you were to look in my toiletries bag at hunt camp, this is what you would find:
- Secret Invisible Protection Unscented - Apologies to all of the scent companies who make pit sticks, but I don’t want to use the same deodorant my guide uses.
- Hair Ties - You can never have too many of these.
- Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara (Green & Pink bottle) - This is the only makeup I wear in the stand, accent your natural beauty!
- CamoFX™ Face Paint (Realtree) - I love this stuff, just wipe it off, no scrubbing necessary.
Wildlife Research Center’s Vanilla Cover Scent - Why smell like dirt?
- Dead Down Wind e2 Scent Prevent Lotion - Scent-free body wash makes my skin dry and itchy, this stuff solves that problem.
- ChapStick - The original is all I need, I usually buy this in bulk since I lose at least one per hunt.
- HS shampoo, conditioner & body wash - A basic essential to staying scent-free.
- Good smelling shampoo, conditioner and lotion - Nothing like the feeling of your everyday products after a week or two of being scent-free!

Lisa Snuggs
SEOPA Executive Director
- Lip balm - Sun, wind and extreme temps play havoc on your lips. I keep lip balm handy everywhere, but especially when I’m outdoors.
- Deodorant - Some women glisten and glow. I sweat. Period.
- Mineral powder make-up - These new powdered foundations are quick, easy to use and convenient, offering a smooth look to your face anytime, anywhere. A touch of mascara and you’re good to go!
- Face wash - Can’t stand to go to sleep with a dirty face. Even if it’s not convenient to have a full-fledged bath for a couple days, there’s always a way to clean your face. The make-up removing towelettes are great for travel because you can pack just a few in a Zip-Vac bag.
- Face lotion - As we age, it’s more important than ever keep our faces moisturized. It feels good, too!
- Toothpaste and toothbrush - Duh!
- Hairbrush - Even a very small brush is better than none at all.
- Meds - I always make sure to carry a small first aid kit that includes baby aspirin, ibuprofen, a topical antibiotic and bandages.
- Vitamins - Gotta have ‘em.
- Snacks - I always carry granola bars for back up to planned meals.
- If I’m certain I’ll be photographed while on an outdoor adventure, I make sure to add a few more essentials to my tool kit:  lip liner, eye liner and pressed powder.

Brenda Valentine
First Lady of Hunting, TV show host, author, spokeswoman for the NWTF and member of the RedHead Pro Hunting Team
Stuff I carry on hunts, of course this varies according to the time of the year, hunt destination, and mode of travel but here are a few of my standbys.
- Free & Clear Liquid Cleanser.  Recommended by my dermatologist. I buy it online.  It is free of dyes, fragrance, lanolin, parabens and formaldehyde, plus it is very inexpensive.
- Vanicream Sunscreen Sport. Another product recommended by my dermatologist and found online at an affordable price.  Totally free of all scent, allergens or irritants.
- Vanicreme. Deep moisturizer for night and Vanicreme Light for day wear.
- Mitchum unscented anti-perspirant.  This stuff works so well you can use it every other day with no sweat!
- Harsh weather conditions are brutal on skin. That is why I layer my face with protective barriers of sunscreen, moisturizers, and makeup to shield it from the elements. I use a foundation made by Make Up Forever in Professional High Definition.
- Multivitamins
- Lip Balm . All kinds since I’m prone to losing it or leaving it in pockets and washing it in the washing machine.
- Orly Red Nail polish.  At the end of a hard day whether it be climbing mountains chasing an elk, shivering in a treestand waiting for a whitetail, or splashing through the creeks hunting for a gobbler, when the wool socks and heavy boots come off nothing reminds me faster that I am a strong, yet feminine woman than perfectly pedicured toe nails polished bright red.  I’m always amazed how that one little thing works such wonders.

I am NOT the kind of woman who snoops in people’s medicine cabinets when I visit their powder room. That’s just creepy. I do confess to an acute interest in what people pack in their luggage, though, especially women heading to hunt camp. That is, of course, not weird. It’s a matter of practicality. What health, hygiene and beauty products do other women need when they head afield? Last week, I sent an email to several women quizzing them about what they carried to hunt camp. These are women who are not only beautiful and self-assured; they also are frequent travelers and expert hunters. Their needs range from the bare essentials to those who focus on caring for the diva within to women who know they’ll be appearing in photos and video.

Those I surveyed were more than indulgent about my blatant nosiness and provided the following feedback on what they take to hunt camp for this two-part series.

Marilyn Bentz
Executive Director of the National Bowhunter Education Foundation
Some “have to haves” for my trip to the woods.  Most of them have a dual safety purpose.
- Water (best beauty aid around). Portable water purifying system for trips longer than a day.
- Pre-moistened towelettes, large and small sizes (the no-scent ones are nice, but anything anti-bacterial will do).
- I always have at least a half a roll of toilet paper. Besides the obvious reason, it also can be used as a compress for any accidental cuts.
- Propane powered curling iron (uses same propane canister as Thermacells) for overnight trips.
- CD to use as make-shift mirror or emergency signaling device.
- ChapStick or other lip balm.  I also carry a film canister smushed full of cotton balls that have been saturated with Vaseline (petroleum jelly). This can be used if you forget your ChapStick.  Their real job is as a fire starter, however.
- Gloves, heavy and lightweight to wear all the time for hand protection from cold, rocks or other elements.  Include several pair of disposables if you plan on field dressing game or even just getting your hands wet in a stream. 
- I also carry a small multi-tool that contains a small scissors you can use for a hangnail, pesky tag in a t-shirt, etc.
- Besides being used to put a fine edge on a broadhead, a small file or stone sharpener also can be used to smooth out a rough edge on a fingernail.
- And here is something you may want to consider, if you are a lipstick type gal, consider getting some make-up tattoos.  That way you can put on a baseball hat over the hair and you look great!  The tattoos can be a little expensive up front, but the lipstick and eye-liner are really worth the initial discomfort and effort.

Carolee Boyles
Outdoor writer
- A hairbrush!
- Hand cream for dry skin and a razor to shave my legs is about it.

Laurie Lee Dovey
Outdoor writer/photographer
Executive Director of the Professional Outdoor Media Association
Hygiene and health, yes.
Beauty, no way.
- Revitalizing face cream because my face takes a beating from the elements.
- Sunscreen – always.
- Oil of Olay for all day use, plus it has suncreen in it - in case I forget to use sunscreen.
- Hard core hair gel can turn bad hat hair around in a few minutes.
- Tweezers for tick pulling.
- My own pillow so I can get the best sleepy time possible.
- Hand sanitizer. I just don’t leave home without it.
- Mole foam (self adhesive) for the sore spots on my feet. Get ‘em no matter what boots/shoes I wear. I stick it on the owies, and I’m off and running.
- Vitamins and Airborne. Hunting season means running ourselves into the ground during germ season. We all have to fight back.
- Super wicking underwear, bra and panties. I perspire a lot, and having all the great high-tech cloths that help us me stay comfortable and warm is worthless if I’m wearing cotton underwear that gets soaked from perspiration and clings to my skin. Yuck.

Sheryl Gallup
Media Director at Richard Scales Advertising
In camp or in the field I am always sans makeup but I still carry these essentials:
- Clean & Clear Morning Burst facial cleanser.
- Oil of Olay Fragrance-Free moisturizer.
- SPF 40 or higher sun blocking lotion.
- ChapStick or Burt’s Bees lip balm.
- Benadryl for any allergic reaction.
- Anti-Itch cream.
- Fingernail glue.
- Dove Moisturizing soap – fragrance-free.
- Toothpaste/brush.
- Band-Aids, every size, shape, color.
- For the trip home, I drag out the entire collection of makeup, hair care products, hair dryer and curling iron. But, one of the oddest things in my bag is a roll of camo gun tape. It is the Duct Tape remedy for hunters. I have used it for everything from patching my camo pants that I caught on a barbed wire fence, fixing my suitcase, covering my gun stock, applying over a blister, to temporarily patching boots. I also bring earplugs for a good night’s sleep in camp. I usually bring enough for all the ladies who have to share a room with me!

Vickie Gardner
Alpen Optics Vice President of Stuff
- Juice Plus capsules because you never know if you’ll see a fruit or veggie in hunt camp.
- Target brand wet towelettes because they work for cleaning all parts when water isn’t near camp.
- Floss - for the obvious, and you can use it for anything that needs tied.
- 15-hour lipstick, just because!

Karen Lutto
Co-owner of Hunter Outdoor Communications
Top Ten Items I take with me on hunting trips:
- Aveda Shampoo & conditioner (When in the field, especially for long periods of time, it is nice to smell clean and fresh, but not sexy or too girly.)
- Clear nail polish. This works great if you get chiggers and looks better than pink or red.
- Tweezers. Always have them handy for splinters, cactus and other irritants and, of course, a stray brow can be plucked.
- Aveda lip-gloss adds a little color and sun protection but looks natural.  Not too flashy.
- Ear plugs. Always have earplugs.  You never know who will be in camp and how bad they snore.  Despite having your own room these guys can rattle a house!  And if you are in a tent or tepee they are a god send!
- Simply Sleep. Sometimes earplugs aren’t enough. 
- Mole skin, in the event of blisters this is a must. Always keep it in your pack.
- Super glue. I always keep super glue in my pack or in camp.  If you are in a remote place and someone gets a bad cut this will work to seal the cut if a hospital is not accessible.  (Also repairs fingernails!)
- Preparation H lotion. If you don’t get any sleep, but want to look fresh, rub a little Preparation H under your eyes.  The bags will disappear. 
- Sure Fire flashlight with extra batteries.

Check back in next week for more great tips from women who hunt and travel. And if you have a unique tip you want to share, drop me a line at: tammy@womensoutdoorwire.com.

As a tourist destination, Florida can seem cliché to the untrained traveler. Each year, more than 75 million people troop to the Sunshine State visiting the usual places - Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Sea World and the Kennedy Space Center. But it also offers plenty of entertainment for those who shun commercial holiday havens in favor of turkey hunting for Osceolas (found only in Florida), fishing for snook or snorkeling.

I recently found something new to love about Florida. While traveling to the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) conference in Punta Gorda, I stopped to visit my sister-in-law, who lives on the charming, eclectic barrier island, Siesta Key. If your feet love the feel of sand that’s the consistency and color of powdered sugar, stop what you’re doing and go right now. It’s that awesome. Watching the sun set while wiggling your toes in that sand is a happy place for your mind to visit no matter how crappy your day is.

Another memory-worthy moment was seeing my first roseate spoonbills while sightseeing at a nearby island. I immediately knew what they were, having recently visited the Birds in Art exhibition at the Woodson Art museum in Wausau, Wis. where these pink beauties were all the rage on canvas.

More birding was in store as I kayaked for the first time. As a guest of Grande Tours in Placida, Fla., I paddled the waters of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve. White ibises, great egrets and several members of the heron family stood wing to wing on sandbars and in the shallows while pelicans, gulls and osprey were also part of the scenery.

Guide Chris Warren introduced us to a few groovy gastropods, too, such as Florida’s state shell, the horse conch, and the belligerent, yet beautiful banded tulip. These shell-dwelling marine critters do the locomotion using a big, flat foot situated alarmingly close to the mouth. Living among the sand and weeds, these species are easily overlooked but well worth discovering.

The grass flats we paddled across were alive with mullet leaping out of the water. Chris said nobody really knows why these vegetarians go airborne, but he did offer four possible theories : 1) sea lice under their scales gives them the willies, 2) they’re escaping toothy, underwater predators, 3) it fires up their gizzard and aids digestion, or 4), they were jumping for joy at seeing us. Whatever, the reason, Gasparilla Sound is a productive fishery with tarpon, grouper and about 200 other species.

The best part of the eco-tour was gliding through the spooky cool mangrove tunnels. No wider than a dirt road with a thick canopy overhead, it makes you feel a zillion miles away from civilization. We kayaked through a portion of Woolverton Trail, which has been groomed for the last 30 years by Ed woolverton. When he took this chore upon himself back in the ‘60s, he did so without a permit. However, the state discovered it was healthy for the mangrove forest and granted him permission to continue. Now 93 years old, he still travels the tunnels in a poke boat armed with a pair of hand loppers trimming the red mangroves’ prop roots.

On our way back to the outfitter’s home base, a couple of bottlenose dolphins surfaced and a bald eagle did a flyover. While I wasn’t ready for the trip to be over, I have to admit it was a picture perfect ending.

If you dream of exploring paradise from a kayak, visit http://www.grandetours.com/

I’d like to thank Jennifer Huber of the Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau for coordinating the trip and Chris Warren of Grande Tours for his expertise throughout this 2-hour complimentary tour.

The results from questions posed at anglersurvey.com and huntersurvey.com about pink outdoor gear are in and when the dust settled, it appears that color alone may not woo women who are shopping for equipment.

In addition, there were not huge differences between men’s and women’s responses. However, there was a disparity in the numbers of men and women who took the survey. More than 2,500 men logged into anglersurvey.com with only 148 women participating. The hunter survey showed stronger numbers with about 190 women and 3,500 men taking part. I’m not surprised, though, because even in this day and age more men hunt and fish than women. Of the total number of anglers, 75 percent are men while 25 percent are women. The difference among hunters is even more striking with men comprising 91 percent of all hunters and women only 9 percent.

What I am surprised about is while there are 30 million anglers versus 12.5 million hunters, more people took the hunter survey than the angler survey. Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, attributes that difference to the hunting press doing a great job of getting the word out and hunters being more apt to see the need for collective action.

Taking a look at the angler survey first, it’s apparent when buying outdoor gear (such as rods and reels, firearms, binoculars, coolers and similar gear) men and women prefer black. Pink is way down on the list after camo, brown/tan, blue, gray and green. Interestingly, the same question revealed about a third of men and women don’t give a rat’s fanny what color their gear is. In a separate question, slightly less than half of men and women say color of outdoor products doesn’t matter when purchasing outdoor gear.

One difference I noted is what men think of pink versus what women think. Half the men said they believe women are more likely to purchase pink outdoor gear unrelated to breast cancer, while only 40 percent of the women responded that way. However, it’s important to note because far fewer women took the survey, it introduces variability into the results. Simply put, there may not be a big statistical difference in the results.

Half the women who took the survey believe offering pink outdoor gear is a condescending way to market to them, while only 46 percent of the men believe that. Again, statistically there may not be a big gap between how men responded versus women.

The majority of men and women agree pink outdoor gear that supports breast cancer awareness promotes sales and more than 80 of men and women concur pink gear offered to promote breast cancer awareness is viewed positively by women.

Hunter survey results were not that different than angler survey outcomes.

When it comes to color the majority of men and women said they prefer camo, then black. Green and brown/tan also were popular. However, approximately 20 percent of men and women said color doesn’t matter. And only about 15 percent of women preferred pink.

Similar to the results of the angler survey, half the men said women are more likely to purchase pink outdoor gear unrelated to breast cancer while only 40 percent of the women said they believe that. A bigger sample size of female respondents would have allowed us to draw conclusions with more confidence.

47 percent of the women taking the hunter survey said they believe offering pink outdoor gear unrelated to breast cancer is a condescending way to market to them, while 42 percent of the men believe that.

Three quarters of men and women who took the hunter survey believe pink outdoor gear that supports breast cancer awareness does promote sales and more than 80 percent of men and women indicated it’s viewed positively by women.

Overall, it appears pink is effective when used to help support finding a cure for breast cancer but may not be important otherwise. While we didn’t test this, my gut tells me women (and men) are more concerned about gear fit, performance and value and less interested in what color it is. However, if pink provides a welcoming entry point for women to try hunting, fishing or shooting, I can heartily embrace that. And I also can understand those who wouldn’t touch a pink firearm with a 10-foot pole. What we can all agree on is the debt we owe to the many strong women who paved the way for today’s female outdoor enthusiasts to be exactly who they want to be.

This has been an interesting project and I really hate to see it end. Please join me in thanking Rob Southwick and Donna Leonard of Southwick Associates for their help and willingness to share their knowledge.