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Like most things in life, backpacking gear is usually designed for the average person. The further you stray from these “standard measurements,” the harder it becomes to find comfortable and functional gear. Whether you’re very short or very tall, chances are you won’t find everything you need in a gear store. From which brands to consider to how to properly size your gear, here’s our best advice on how to find the perfect fit for you if you’re not the average size.

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When you are tall

The problem: You can’t squeeze into a tent

First off, welcome to the club. At 6’5″, I’m familiar with the problems we tall hikers have when buying outdoor gear. The first thing you need to do is find a tent that fits you. As a tall person, you can sometimes get by with regular-sized gear, but squeezing into a tent that’s too small quickly becomes boring. When looking for your perfect shelter, there are a few important things to consider: interior length, interior height, and the angle of the tent walls.

Choose an inner length that is 15 to 20 cm longer than your height. This will give you a little more room for your sleeping bag to expand and allow you to wiggle if your mattress moves during the night.

Interior height is a little trickier—whether a tent feels high enough for you depends on your torso length, not your overall height. To make sure you find a tent comfortable, measure your height while sitting and choose a tent that has a few inches of room to spare.

Lastly, the tent design. Choosing a tent with steeper (more vertical) walls will make the interior feel larger and the tent walls won’t touch the head and foot areas of your sleeping bag. If you find a tent with vertical walls at the head and foot areas that you like (for example, check out one of my favorite tents, the Tarptent Scarp 1), that’s ideal.

If you’re interested in ultralight shelters, pay special attention to the interior length and wall angles. Many lightweight trekking pole shelters have naturally flatter (less vertical) walls, so if you’re looking for something like the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo, I’d recommend making sure the interior length is a full foot taller than your height. You might pull out an old geometry textbook to figure out the exact measurements you need, but the concept is pretty simple. Flatter tent walls mean less vertical space at the head and foot of the tent, and extra interior length is the only way to ensure you don’t have to squeeze the foot end of your sleeping bag into tight spaces. Some brands and models to consider for extra-long tents include Tarptent, Slingfin, Big Agnes, Durston Gear, the Lightheart Gear SoLong 6, and the Zpacks DupleXL.

The problem: your clothes are too short

For very tall people, buying clothes remains a tricky business. Unfortunately, the list of outdoor brands that offer plus sizes and extra-long inseams is, well, short. For 36-inch inseams, check out Eddie Bauer, REI, Prana, and Outdoor Research. Eddie Bauer and REI also offer shirts and jackets in sizes medium and large.

Finally, remember that just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you’re tall in every way. For example, I’m well over 6’1″ but I usually wear a size medium because my torso is relatively short. Every body is unique, so if in doubt, measure yourself.

There are other issues with gear size for tall people, but some of these are becoming easier to manage. Most quality sleeping bags now come in a long version (though if you’re over 6’6″, Western Mountaineering is one of the few companies I know of that offers 7’2″ sleeping bags). The same goes for extra-long and wide sleeping pads. Most packs are also adjustable to accommodate tall people’s torso lengths.

If you are small

The problem: backpacks are too big

People at the other end of the size spectrum face a whole different set of gear issues. For people of smaller stature, it starts with backpacks.

A pack that is too big will never provide good load transfer and comfort for small hikers. Shoulder straps don’t fit as intended, the pack can rub in unexpected places, and load lifters (a crucial component for taking weight off the shoulders) are less effective.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to spot an ill-fitting pack by simply noticing your feet touching the end of the tent. For most people, pack size basically comes down to a single measurement: torso length. In a recent conversation I had with Wild Brush backpack designer Julianne Mahoney, she told me that many of her customers have torso lengths of less than 16 inches. But for most brands, 16 inches is the smallest size available. What’s the solution?

If you’re looking for a “traditional” style pack that you can buy at your local gear store, you’re probably best off choosing a model with an adjustable back length. Osprey’s women’s packs come in sizes XS and S and are designed to fit back lengths from 33 to 43 cm. Likewise, Gregory’s women’s packs in XS are designed to fit back lengths from 35 to 43 cm.

It’s not so simple with lightweight or ultralight models. Adjustable frames add weight and make construction more complicated, which is why most ultralight packs don’t have them. One option is Granite Gear, which offers packs with shoulder straps that adjust up and down the back panel, effectively changing the torso length. For non-adjustable models that come in really small sizes, consider ULA Equipment, Durston Gear, or custom builds like Wild Brush.

Finally, it’s worth looking at kids’ backpacks. Brands like REI and Osprey offer a few options, as does ULA, which makes a kid-sized Circuit. One advantage? These are usually cheaper than the adult versions.

The problem: sleeping bags are too big

Backpacks aren’t the only problem for shorter hikers. Regular-length sleeping bags are often too long. Not only does this mean the bag is heavier than necessary, but it’s also not as effective. Sleeping bags work by trapping body heat, and the empty space at the bottom of the bag means your body is producing heat that gets lost. To find the right size, look for brands that offer short or women’s-specific models, which are generally designed for people under 5’6″. If you’re shorter than 5’6″, check out youth models—Feathered Friend’s youth sleeping bag is both less expensive and lighter than the comparable women’s sleeping bag.

For sleeping pads, look for short or small sizes. Sometimes these are called three-quarter length pads and are marketed as a weight-saving alternative for taller people who use their empty pack as insulation underfoot. That said, they can also be used as full-length options for shorter people. Finally, you can save even more weight with an extra-small or torso-length mat. For a 5’11” person, using Sea to Summit’s shortest, 4’10” mat is about the same as a 6’11” person using a three-quarter length mat.

The problem: The clothes are too big

And then there’s the clothing. If the average American hiking clothes are big enough to swim in, look at European or Asian brands, which generally run smaller. European brands like Rab and Mammut tend to have a slimmer fit. Japanese brands like Montbell offer both “Western” and “Japanese” sizing, and the Japanese fit is about a full size smaller than the Western fit (though you’ll have to buy directly from Montbell’s Japanese website). You can also look at youth sizes from American brands, but your choices might be limited, especially with specialized gear like down jackets, underwear, and active insulation.