By Peggy Tartaro,
Executive Editor

It wasn't until the last day of the 2008 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show that I made it over to the Gold "Hall"-the hall being a series of large tents pitched to take care of the overflow of exhibitors at SHOT. Because of the way show space is awarded-based largely on seniority-you often find the newest companies represented there and find a few treasures among the start-ups.

This year as I rounded one more aisle on my way to take a break for lunch I stopped at a corner booth in which a tall, blonde woman in a nice looking long-sleeved camo T-shirt was talking to a two-man film crew.

The company was Próis Hunting Apparel and the woman doing the interview was company founder Kirstie Pike. I looked over the line of clothing called "huntwear" my the company, grabbed a catalog and went on my way. The size of the show, and the distance from by home base several buildings away meant I wasn't going to make it back to that booth.

But as we headed into the Fall hunting season, I remembered the Próis catalog, dug it out and headed over to the company's website (proishunting.com), where, in addition to an on-line version of the catalog I found a community blog section and the most frightening commercial I've ever seen.

The commercial, which features Pike and a friend hunting in Montana is also on YouTube. There is a helicopter involved, and tall, tall mountains-high enough to give anyone with even the slightest touch of vertigo a serious case of the shakes.

Oh, yes, I thought, business is business and you do what you have to, but this jaw-dropping clip, measured in seconds, but actual taking days to film, seemed above and beyond what anyone would reasonably do to promote a business. Still shaking a bit, I dug out the business card attached to the catalog I'd picked up months earlier and emailed Kirstie Pike asking if we could set up a phone interview to talk about the company and the huntwear line.

One of my first questions concerned that amazing footage. "What were you thinking?" I asked.
Pike laughed. "At first I thought, 'I can't do this.' There were places where the finger [of land] was only five-six feet wide. But I thought, 'Get it done.' It was like it was supposed to happen."

And she did! The commercial has aired on the Pursuit Channel and WildTV. And, although it was May when it was filmed, snow delayed shooting for a day.

And that brought us to part of the reason the Próis line was created.

Hunters in the Western states (the company is based in Gunnison, CO) can face extreme fluctuations in weather conditions on a hunting trip-and even during a single day afield.

Pike is a big advocate of layering. Her favorite piece in the collection is the Ultra Long Sleeve shirt, the top I saw her wearing at SHOT. Made from a polyester birdseye wicking material, the catalog lists the top as "our signature piece." With an athletic cut, the shirt comes with thumbholes at the cuff line for warmth, full camo coverage in either Realtree™ AP HD or Advantage Max-1 HD in sizes S-XL and is priced at $38.

Próis picked Realtree to work with because Pike liked the pattern and because she said, "They were delightful from the get-go. They really want you to succeed and help all they can. The pattern is all-purpose, especially for the Western states."

The company started in 2005 with the idea of making functional and technical gear, but the products didn't debut until this year as Pike and her husband, Steve, geared up-in more ways than one. Like so many other women who hunt, Pike, an ER nurse by training, was tired of "making do" with men's products or some of the other women's hunting lines which she felt were just downsized men's clothing, with little thought given to women's specific needs.

The Prois name, by the way, comes from the Gaelic word for "pride" or "prowess."

Although she resigned her ER and Trauma job, she is still working in that field part time as the hospital tries to fill her position.

Pants, we both agreed, were one piece of clothing where just a smaller men's size isn't going to work for most women. Próis currently has two pants available, a Fitted Pants for $75 and their Pro-Edition Pants for $95. Both models come in the two camo patterns and are available in sizes S-XL. The Fitted Pants have a natural waist and a form-fitting feel but are cut to allow more room through the hips and thighs. The Pro-Edition Pants includes belting and ladder locks at the waistline for a perfect fit. These pants have elasticized cuffs with cordlock and large cargo pockets with magnetic snap closures. They also feature knee pleats for easier movement and comfort and additional front pockets with YKK zippers. Pike says the reactions to the pants have been quite good. "We worked with some customers who need extra length as well," she said.

All of the clothing is US-made, which Pike said was important to her. From conception to finished product, designing the pieces in the line can take months. As they wait for the fabric ordered to arrive, patterns can be changed 5-7 times as prototypes are field tested, to insure they are just right.

Próis is currently developing a raingear line, dubbed Eliminator, and next off the drawing boards will be a line for women shooters and archers.

In addition to the pants and T-shirts (which come in both long and short sleeved versions), there are also jackets, vests, and hats in the collection. There's even a ball cap, and a hooded sweatshirt and plain logo'd t-shirt for stylish wear off the field. The hoodie has the stylized "P" in the company logo as its only visible adornment and is offered in men's size S-L. At $38 it would make a nice gift for your favorite male hunting partner. The cotton short-sleeved T-shirt comes in a couple of colors with not just the "P" on the front but the company name and motto on the back. At $18, in women's sizes S-XXL, it would make a great statement from grocery store to dog park.

The blog section on the website has reinforced Pike's feeling that women shooters-not just hunters-are a community. "It's a network that builds on itself," she said. "Passion for the sport is the biggest thing and the website allows women to reach out to one another." Postings from as far away as England (where a charming pair of "lurchers," or hunting dogs who closely resemble Irish wolfhounds, can be seen) and Australia have appeared. Women have contributed a variety of hunting pictures as well as advice and encouragement to others.

Pike posts often herself but loves the interactive nature of the website. "So many women are jazzedproud of what they have accomplished."

It isn't only on-line that Pike has found the sense of community. She mentioned how supportive other women in the firearms industry were at SHOT. "They were so willing to lend a hand and be positive," Pike said.

And, with the line moving into specialty stores it's likely more and more women will come to appreciate the company's motto, "Serious Huntwear for Real Women."