What Do You Think about Content Geared towards Women at ITS Tactical?

Your feedback is a critical element to our development here at ITS Tactical, so I have a question that I’m really hoping to get your response to. Should there be more content for women on ITS? We’d like to hear from you no matter if you’re a female follower of ITS, or if you’re a male follower who thinks your wife, girlfriend, daughter or friend would be interested in posts and reviews geared toward them.

At the 2011 SHOT Show in Las Vegas I noticed a larger segment of the booths there that had things specifically for women. There were  even entire booths dedicated to the female consumer. Having attended the show in 2010 with ITS as well, the difference was so significant to me that it confirmed what I had been thinking before we made it to SHOT. We should have content dedicated to helping women become better prepared for self-protection and anything they might encounter.

Content for Women

Part of what led me to begin thinking about contributing more to the site is out of my own frustration. There is a consistent lack of products that will work for me. I’m a petite person, so everything needs to be scaled down in size for me to be able to use it. Take my concealed carry weapon for example, a Sig Sauer P232. It’s a smaller gun that looks like it would be a good fit for me, and it even felt good in my hands when I was holding it at a gun show.

It wasn’t until I had already purchased the gun and got it to a range to shoot it for the first time, that I noticed why it wasn’t the most efficient gun for me. For starters, my index finger can’t quite extend long enough for me to have good form when I’m pulling the trigger. Secondly, the slide is very hard for me to rack without contorting my arms into a position that isn’t conducive to a quick, emergent response. My P232 is still a great gun that’s fun to shoot, but if I needed to draw and fire that first shot in a hurry I worry that a malfunction could cost me too much time to fix with a weapon that’s difficult for me to get back into the fight.

Another frustrating element of the tactical industry is that, in my humble opinion, the clothing and shoes are just too big and unshapely. I was so excited to see a brand at SHOT this year called SHE Outdoor Apparel. Their clothing line is tailored, classy and I actually saw XS in their sizing options! For someone who is vertically challenged and a borderline midget this is great news! I haven’t had an opportunity to try on their garments on yet, but I’m looking forward to checking out the true fit and functionality of it. I also found out that Magnum Boots is gearing up to offer more clothing for women very soon, so I can’t wait to see what’s coming.

I would love to see more resources for education geared toward women, too. I consistently hear about classes and training opportunities that are full of men, but honestly I don’t want to go shoot with men until shooting in any situation is second nature for me. The thought of a male-dominated shooting class intimidates me at this point. I’ve only been properly shooting a serious weapon in the last five years, and I just don’t feel I’m able to understand the lingo or how to repair my weapon without assistance. I know not all women are like me in this regard and maybe I can get Doc’s wife Andrea at RSKTKR to sign me up for private lessons, but I would venture to guess that there are plenty of women out there who are lacking enough confidence to sign up for classes as easily as men do.

Based on the points I’m making and your own experiences with what’s available for women, would you welcome more information published on ITS that will support self-protection and preparedness for the ladies?  I appreciate you taking the time to consider this new idea and providing your feedback; I look forward to reading your responses!