Girl Scout Troop Leader Creates Tough Trail Pants for Girl

CONTACT: (800) 706-2994, Cory@Artemistrail.com

March 6, 2025

 

Austin, Texas — Presales have begun for the first line of Artemis Trail Supply Co. hiking pants, built for girls 8-17. 

 

Artemis Trail will initially offer pants sizes 8-18 in cranberry, olive green, yellow, teal, violet and black.

 

Designed by experienced backpackers and trail tested by actual Girl Scouts, Artemis Trail pants are wind and water resistant, offer roomy pockets, adjustable waists, removable legs (that won’t get hung on boots), a hook for water bottles and reflective tape that makes them easier to spot outdoors in the dark. 

 

“There is a glaring lack of affordable hiking pants for young women in the market today,” said Gamble, Artemis Trail co-founder. “The pants you do find lack practical features. For example, the pockets are too small to be useful. And the few exceptions to the rule are often too expensive for a typical family to afford.”

 

Gamble learned this through personal experience. As the leader of a Girl Scout troop that backpacked, kayaked and camped from South Texas to the Pacific Northwest, she has spent years shopping the boys’ section for pants her girls could wear hiking, using safety pins or rubber bands to modify the fit. 

 

Gamble and co-founder Cory Chandler worked with designers at Stitch Texas to develop the prototype pants using Gamble’s daughter as the fit model. 

 

“We [at Stitch Texas] love working with new brands,” said Rebekah Hoffer, Director of Pattern, Design, and Operations at Stitch Texas. "Their enthusiasm for their product matches our energy to help them create it and bring it from ideation, through creation, and into reality!"

 

The prototype pair has been tested on three camping trips, including the rocky slopes of Big Bend National Park and the waters of Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area.

 

“These are quality pants for quality outdoor activities,” said Chandler, a Scoutmaster who has witnessed the rapid expansion of girl troops in Scouts BSA, commonly referred to as Boy Scouts. “Girls love the outdoors. A 2022 report by Outdoor Foundation estimated females six years and older make up 46.5% of all outdoor participants. Hiking was their top outdoor activity, followed by running, biking, fishing and camping. My daughter is always excited to go camping and is considering joining Scouting. She should be outfitted properly.”

 

Experienced backpackers say cotton kills, and this can literally be true. It’s heavy. It chafes. And it’s notoriously bad at shedding moisture, meaning when it gets wet, it stays wet for a long time. This causes rashes, blisters and can lead to hypothermia. 

 

Artemis Trail uses a high-tech nylon knit specifically designed to be lightweight, waterproof, wind-resistant and quick-drying while holding up to rugged use. It is breathable yet feels soft like cotton. 

 

Maryann Gamble, M.D. practices family medicine at Austin Regional Clinic, but is also a trained wilderness survivalist who has served as both a Girl Scout troop leader and as an Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop. She has led both troops in backpacking, canoe and kayak adventures from Texas to the Pacific Northwest. 

 

Cory Chandler is an Eagle Scout, scoutmaster and deputy communications director who leads successful marketing and recruitment efforts to increase diversity in outdoor recreation. He has extensive experience mentoring youth in camping, backpacking and other outdoor pursuits.

 

Named for Artemis, goddess of the wilderness, and operating under the motto Everyone Belongs Outdoors, Artemis Trail Supply Company was founded in Seguin, Texas.Presales have begun for its first line of pants, The Switchback Reflectors, with the goal of introducing new colors and cuts by fall. To purchase a pair of pants or other gear, or to sign up for email updates, visit ArtemisTrail.com.

 

Founded in 2014 by Vesta Garcia, Austin-based Stitch Texas provides clients a full suite of products and services for apparel manufacturing, both domestic and overseas through Lefty Production Co. The partnership between Stitch and Lefty allows clients to move swiftly from development into production, while maintaining close communication with technical experts every step of the way.