What To Wear On A Hot Outdoor Shooting Range
This month, I flew to Covington, LA, for an industry event with Ruger and Magpul. It was a short trip that was jam-packed with product info, training, and content creation.
Before I talk about the event, can I tell you how stressful it is to find the perfect out for this sort of thing?
I knew we’d have shooting time and content creation time, so I needed to be range-ready. I also wanted to look as cute as possible in this situation. Not the first thing I think about at the range, but it’s part of the deal when you know photos and videos will be captured.
It’s also hot as balls in Louisiana in the summer. A few weeks out, the forecast said it would be sunny, humid, and in the 90s. Okay, wow. I mean, I grew up in humid weather, but I’ve lived in the moderate PNW for a while.
I needed range clothes that were light, breathable, and would protect me from the sun without making me overheat. No big deal. 😬
Pants were the biggest issue because they had to have belt loops. All the women’s tactical pants I’ve tried suck and don’t work for my hourglass body shape. I have range leggings that are fine, but I’m not really a leggings girlie, and I wasn’t going for that vibe.
So, I ordered 20 pair of hiking pants (I’m not exaggerating) and, once again, tight in the hips and butt and loose in the waist. Not much stretch either so I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable.
Finally, I came across a pair of women’s golf joggers. Not exactly tactical, but they had belt loops so I had to try them. Aside from being too long, they fit well, which I expected because joggers are my jam.
I knew they wouldn’t hold up to any serious tactical training, but for two days on the flat range, they would work and look ok in photos.
I wore long sleeves because I thought it would be sunny. It ended up being overcast, which was great. I could have worn a short sleeve, but both of these were breathable and I pushed up the sleeves. They also had extra neck protection from flying brass.
I bought two other things that turned out to be awesome.
One was a portable fan that worked really well. I was surprised at how high the speed went. It also folds to sit on a nightstand or desk, which is great for me when I travel because I’m a hot sleeper.
And two was a molle pouch for my belt. I wanted to be able to keep my phone, chapstick, and knife on me without them being in my pockets. I took a chance on this pouch, and it’s much better than I expected. The zippers are like butter, and that’s usually the worst part of these things. I could reach back and unzip easily.
I don’t train outside much, but I’m still on the hunt for the perfect outdoor range outfit, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.
And now I have to find a box big enough for $457.48 worth of Amazon returns. I wish I was kidding!
Anyways, the event. I can’t really talk about it. Yet!
We were there to test and evaluate a new product that will hopefully launch this fall. October, if everything goes well. And I signed an NDA, so that’s really all I can say about it.
I liked it, and I appreciate that they gave us a lot of hands-on time. I think I shot about 1000 rounds the first day which is way more than a typical industry event.
I took a lot of photos and videos and even filmed a little couch chat with the ladies.
All to be released at a later day, so stay tuned!
