Gear for very short people

[RuthN]

Hello all. I'm writing an article for The Trek about clothing and gear for petite-size hikers (let's say 5'3" and under). I'm curious what recommendations and suggestions you have. I'd especially appreciate personal viewpoints from the "vertically-challenged" and recommendations from gear specialists.

[Feral Bill]

Some very nice gear is marketed as youth sizes. My daughter used her REI pack from a small 10 year old to a tallish college age, adjusting at the store as she grew. Similar current packs would be worth looking into. That seems to be the one item that's fit-critical, clothing aside.

[OwenM]

Hello all. I'm writing an article for The Trek about clothing and gear for petite-size hikers (let's say 5'3" and under). I'm curious what recommendations and suggestions you have. I'd especially appreciate personal viewpoints from the "vertically-challenged" and recommendations from gear specialists.

Find someone you trust to do alterations is my first piece of advice. When possible, look at makers who do custom sizing for reasonable prices, like GooseFeet Gear.
I'm hardly petite, but as a man just under 5'7" carrying 40+ extra pounds of muscle, and, more recently, another 15-20 of fat compared to an "athletic" person of my height and bone structure, today's performance clothing being designed for stick people can be a real problem when it comes to sizing. I generally make do with Large tops and Medium bottoms, but that doesn't always cut it. I looked at the size chart for a Feathered Friends jacket I was interested in a few years ago-needed the sleeve length of a small, waist and length of a medium, and XXL in the chest. Gosh.

One "trick" for anyone outside normal sizing is reading reviews of clothing they're interested in, starting with the negative ones. Most reviews are useless, but people do love to complain. Oh, the fit was too boxy, the neck too loose, the sleeves too short? Excellent...

[cmoulder]

Hello all. I'm writing an article for The Trek about clothing and gear for petite-size hikers (let's say 5'3" and under). I'm curious what recommendations and suggestions you have. I'd especially appreciate personal viewpoints from the "vertically-challenged" and recommendations from gear specialists.

Zpacks Arc Scout for a UL pack option.

Small people, especially, benefit the most from going all-in UL because the ratio of body weight to pack weight is less favorable right from the start.

[tiptoe]

Older female here, now 5 ft. 2 in. (barely) and a 32/34-in. waist, so for convertible pants I look for men's medium with a short (29 in.) inseam. EMS brand fits me well, and there are probably others that would do the trick.

[One Half]

When did 5'3" become "very short?!"

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[nsherry61]

Just this week, I let the hems out of three pairs of my pants because the pants I wanted to buy (like most pants) don't come long enough for me. It's much easier to cut down the length of clothing than it is to make it longer. It's also much easier to take in the waist or chest than it is to make it bigger, especially with insulated pieces. As suggested above, a good taylor is a great approach to getting clothing to fit those of us that are outside "the norm". When I can, I buy clothing big enough to fit my biggest dimensions and then remove material as needed in the areas that need less. Sewing machines are awesome tools!

[Feral Bill]

Many people can modify clothes to fit well enough. My wife often has to. If clothes look kind of baggy or otherwise funky, no real harm is done. Footwear and packs, however really need to fit well. People with odd shaped feet (again my 13AAA wife), for instance can end up out of luck. The other short people item I can see as an issue is sleeping bags, but that's pretty easy to deal with.

[Traffic Jam]

At 5’ 1/2”, I have to hem everything, even pants that are labeled as short. It is a problem when the pants have zippers or cuffs in the legs, as is often the case with rain gear.

My solution to the pants problem is to wear skirts. I love my skirts, no need to hem as I prefer them longer anyway. I highly recommend Purple Rain skirts. The waist material and construction fits great with my short torso...don’t have to roll or pin the waist to keep it from riding up to my chest.

Shirts (and jackets) are also an issue with a short torso. To get a shirt that fits in the chest, the sleeves come down to my elbows and the neck shows too much cleavage. Likewise, shirts that fit lengthwise are usually too tight in the chest. Either way, I always wear a cami undershirt which gets hot in summer.

Most packs have multiple adjustments but even so, all of my packs sit a little too low on my hips so I have to adjust the load lifters quite a bit when hiking.

My sleeping bags are made for up to 5’6”. The advantage is I have room at the feet for storing gear. The disadvantage is the hood/collar often doesn’t fit correctly and instead of using it properly, I hunker down in the bag, breathing into it and causing the cold cascade. I just purchased a Western Mountaineering bag and am tickled that I can actually use the hood and collar the way they’re meant to be.

My gear costs a little less and is lighter-weight. Smaller packs come with decreased carrying capacity and tents and bags are roomier.

[Time Zone]

When did 5'3" become "very short?!"

The OP used the word "petite" rather than "very short".

That noted, I think for a man that would not be a unreasonable statement, since by the CDC growth chart, 5'3" would be below the 3rd percentile (growth chart ends at age 20). By the percentiles, it would be like saying a 6'4" man is very tall.

5'3" would be about the 30th-35th percentile for women; is that "petite"? IDK, that's a closer call, and the term can carry connotations that involve more than stature.

[Time Zone]

My bad, I only read the content of her post and ignored the title, where she did use the term "very short." Well, anyway, my comments regarding the content of her post stand.

[Feral Bill]

The OP used the word "petite" rather than "very short".

That noted, I think for a man that would not be a unreasonable statement, since by the CDC growth chart, 5'3" would be below the 3rd percentile (growth chart ends at age 20). By the percentiles, it would be like saying a 6'4" man is very tall.

5'3" would be about the 30th-35th percentile for women; is that "petite"? IDK, that's a closer call, and the term can carry connotations that involve more than stature.

A couple of my shorter friends prefer the term "fun sized". Regardless, if the clothing industry can deliver functionally identical items in 1,000 styles and 1,000 colors and patterns, they should be able to manage more than 4-6 sizes. How about at least having short and tall versions of the usual s-xl? Maybe even xs short-xxxl tall? Is that too much to ask?

[tflaris]

Hello all. I'm writing an article for The Trek about clothing and gear for petite-size hikers (let's say 5'3" and under). I'm curious what recommendations and suggestions you have. I'd especially appreciate personal viewpoints from the "vertically-challenged" and recommendations from gear specialists.

LiteAF has backpacks in the 15-16.5” torso length (ExtraSmall according to their sizing).

https://liteaf.com/shop-1?olsPage=pr...tom-made-packs

My wife is 5’-3” with a short torso. It has been quite the struggle.

Hope this helps.




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[RuthN]

When did 5'3" become "very short?!"

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It's a fair point. The petite clothing category often has 5'3" as the upper limit, although that varies. "Very" is probably in the eyes of the beholder.

[RuthN]

Thanks everyone for your comments and insight. I will post a link here when the article is published.

[Traffic Jam]

LiteAF has backpacks in the 15-16.5” torso length (ExtraSmall according to their sizing).

https://liteaf.com/shop-1?olsPage=pr...tom-made-packs

My wife is 5’-3” with a short torso. It has been quite the struggle.

Hope this helps.




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Thank you for the info...I may have found my next pack.

[Traffic Jam]

Sort of off topic.. but I’ve found my biggest challenge is scrambling up rocks and climbing up man-made steps. It seems the steps are always just below my knees and I have to put my hands on the ground and do this push off. (It’s really much easier than digging into the ground with hiking poles.) I always think...if they used a 10 yr old as the standard for the height of the steps, short people wouldn’t have a problem.

My theory is that shorter people use more muscle power to climb. For instance, a 6’ person may only raise their knee/leg 25 degrees but a short person will raise theirs 45, requiring more muscle strength and energy.

And hiking with taller people is almost like running a marathon. For every step they take, a short person may have to take two. To maintain a 3 mph pace, I have to alternate between running and walking.

First world problems.

[tflaris]

Sort of off topic.. but I’ve found my biggest challenge is scrambling up rocks and climbing up man-made steps. It seems the steps are always just below my knees and I have to put my hands on the ground and do this push off. (It’s really much easier than digging into the ground with hiking poles.) I always think...if they used a 10 yr old as the standard for the height of the steps, short people wouldn’t have a problem.

My theory is that shorter people use more muscle power to climb. For instance, a 6’ person may only raise their knee/leg 25 degrees but a short person will raise theirs 45, requiring more muscle strength and energy.

And hiking with taller people is almost like running a marathon. For every step they take, a short person may have to take two. To maintain a 3 mph pace, I have to alternate between running and walking.

First world problems.

Yes indeed. Man made steps seem to be made for really tall people.

LOL.


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[tiptoe]

Sort of off topic.. but I’ve found my biggest challenge is scrambling up rocks and climbing up man-made steps

Yes, I agree. Often, you can do half-steps if you place your feet on the edges of the stairway. A related problem is reaching hand-holds (roots and saplings) along the edges of rock slabs. The shorter you are, the fewer you have to choose from.

[brewcrew1514]

Some pack companies such as Superior Wilderness Designs will accommodate individual modifications and specifications, such as torso size, by request. While it may cost some more for these modifications, I've found them to be very reasonable in their pricing.