Pants for the Short of Stature

[Laliibeans]

I went with my mum today to try and find her some zip-off hiking pants. She wanted to trial some on a trip this year before going on the Camino next year. We tried on many different brands but unfortunately my mum is quite short, and all the pant legs were trailing down under her feet.

She's going to have a more thorough look when she comes back from her trip, but they did all seem to be of the one length. I held up some 3/4 shorts on her, and they were nearly long enough to qualify as full pants, but not quite.

Has anyone else faced this problem? I think we might end up having to get some taken up, which is an extra expense we'd rather avoid, but since they all seem to have zips in them now to get them over your boots, it's not as simple as just hemming.

If anyone has some suggestions I'm all ears! We'll be leaving mid-April 2014 and she's worried about getting cold (strange woman...), will 3/4 shorts with thermals underneath be warm enough for a summer-loving shorty?

I told her to join this forum to get some more info about gear before she goes, but she's a bit technologically challenged :lol: Thankfully, her daughters and grand daughter are all tall, experienced hikers!

 

[fortview]

Hi, know this problem only too well, being just over 5 foot! My suggestion would be shorts, and a pair of leggings, which can be worn under the shorts if its cold. I met some women who found their trousers were not warm enough, without a layer underneath.
The leggings were also my "evening wear" with a long shirt over the top.
Hope this helps , good luck!

 

[miguel_gp]

I had a pair of walking trousers once where they zipped off in two places so that they shortened to mid calf or above knee. Maybe zipping off at the calf level permanently combined with a longer leg length than normal would be the right combination for your mum. However, you may need to take the waist in.

This sort of thing (but maybe not that colour :wink: )
http://www.fjallraven.com/outdoor-equip ... trousers-w

 

[Laliibeans]

They look like they'd be perfect. She had a good five or so inches trailing under her feet >.<;; I'll have an ask around at some of the camping stores here and see if any stock double zip-offs. I have a feeling though that even if we end up going with the thermals under shorts option she'll probably be warm enough. She said it's really her throat and upper body that feel the cold the most.

I did see later some roll up trousers with buttons at different heights. If I sew a few more buttons on for her they might do too, as long as she doesn't end up with masses of rolled fabric around her shins!

 

[grayland]

Why not simply cut off the extra length, including zipper, and hem them?
The zipper really makes little sense as I don't think many people put the pants on or off without taking off shoes.
I usually have to alter pants myself (actually my wife does) and talk to many who also have to alter length.
The zipper is really a pain.

 

[Laliibeans]

The zippers on most of them were so long that just cutting it off and hemming would mean having to replace the zip with a shorter one, too. I'm not a fan of the zipper up the leg, in the rare cases when I couldn't take my boots of too (some sections of the Overland were simply too narrow and boggy) my pant legs always turned out to be wide enough to slide off over my boots.

I think there is a point of diminishing returns on hi-tech hiking gear that may have been reached with all these X-TREME!!! pant variations

Hemming the zipped ones is an option, but again, it just comes with that extra expense of having to deal with the zip issue, too which we're hoping to avoid. (Why do so many have studs, grommets or eyelets too, is it just to make a would-be hemmer more frustrated?)

 

[grayland]

Simply remove the zipper and sew it up...or just cut it off across the zipper (they are plastic and sew it shut.

Zipper not necessary for most people.

 

[Laliibeans]

Oh, I see what you're saying. You haven't found that creates a weak point at all?

 

[Mmc_56]

I am 4'11", and just took a pair of capris that were actually long on me, and a pair of leggings. The capris had buttons so I could roll them up if I wanted to...and I found them long enough with my boots...they certainly didn't drag in the dirt...luckily we had no mud. I too had looked at the zip off pants and decided that I wasn't built for them
Marilyn

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks, Marilyn. I didn't think about how high her boots might be. I guess we should try pant shopping again when she's wearing them so we can see if the 3/4's will be long enough. Maybe I'll buy her some extra long woolly socks to make up any difference.

 

[muzzal]

Hi

There are some brands of convertible pants that come in different lengths but you'll have to check their availability in Australia.

I have the Columbia Silver Ridge pants which I'm pretty happy with; lightweight, quick drying and take up little space. They are also available in Women's version and different lengths:
http://www.columbia.com/Women%E2%80%99s ... lt,pd.html

Their Women's inseam lengths are: Short 30", Reg 32" & Long 34". The bottoms don't have side zips so they are easily cut to size.

Hope that helps!

 

[muzzal]

Oops! Correction to my previous post:

The Women's version of the Columbia Silver Ridge convertible pants have leg zips so shortening them may be a problem. The Men's version don't have the legs zips. :?:

 

[Laliibeans]

We do get Columbia clothing stocked at a few places, but I've never really looked at it. I'll go back in and see what the range is like in a couple of places. Thanks!

 

[Susan04046]

I am also short. Used LLBean beach pants which come in a variety of sizes. They come in Capri length which is ankle length for me. Their performance on the camino was outstanding. Very easy to wash and dried so quickly, well before the ex officious.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Laliibeans I don't know your travel plans but consider buying when you get to Spain - you will be amazed at the number of people who have a short stature and small feet - therefore sizes in clothes and outdoor shops start very small. I am certain you will find what you are looking for here. People who are over 6 feet are the ones who have the problems buying here!

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks, we might just do that. I always did suspect my mother was born in the wrong country. :lol: