Buying Gear Online: Getting the Size Right
By Trailbound Editors · Published · Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
Measure your feet and your torso rather than trusting the size you wear in other brands, and compare against the brand's own chart rather than a general conversion. Between sizes, go up for boots and down for anything that has to stay put. Buy somewhere with a returns policy you have actually read.
Online shopping for gear works well when you treat sizing as a measurement problem rather than a guess.
Measure, then compare charts
Do the measuring at the right time of day: feet at the end of the day, standing, in the socks you will use. Trace both feet, measure heel to longest toe, and plan around the larger one.
Then compare to the brand’s own chart, not to a general conversion table. Width and volume differ as much as length, which is why one maker’s 43 is another’s 42.
Between sizes
- Boots and shoes: go up. A slightly loose boot can be laced snug; a tight one cannot be fixed.
- Harnesses and packs: follow the torso measurement, and read whether the brand’s range has overlap.
- Anything that must stay put — gloves, helmets, knee pads — go down if anything.
Packs are a torso measurement
Pack sizing has little to do with your height. Measure from the bony point at the base of the neck to the top of the hip bones. Most brands publish a range for each size, and a pack that is one size out can be adjusted only so far.
Check the returns policy first
Read it before you order, particularly for sale items, which are often excluded. Buy from somewhere with a straightforward return process, keep the packaging until you have tried the item properly, and try it indoors first.
When it arrives
Try everything on at home with the layers you will actually wear, and walk around for twenty minutes in boots. If it is wrong, send it back immediately rather than persuading yourself it will work — an uncomfortable boot does not improve with use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do sizes differ between brands?
There is no enforced standard, and lasts differ in width and volume as well as length. A size 43 from one maker can be a size 42 in another, which is why the chart matters more than the label.
How should I measure my feet?
At the end of the day, standing, with the socks you will wear, tracing both feet and measuring heel to longest toe. Use the larger foot, and add a thumb's width for walking boots.
What about packs and clothing?
Torso length matters more than height for packs — measure from the bony point at the base of your neck to the top of your hips. For clothing, chest and waist measurements are more reliable than the S/M/L label.
