Calling All Tall Cachers

[Pschtyckque]

I refuse to shop at Big and Tall stores.

 

They're usually for big and tall people, not big or tall people like me.

[SLCDave]

I am 6'2", but my inseam is about a 30", so I'm ALL torso. I have a Columbia jacket in 2XLT that fits great (I HATE having sleeves that fall well above my wrists). I also wear 13 shoes, which is becoming a lot more common than it used to be. Galyans stocks a good selection of large sized shoes, if you have one in your area.

[+Karma Hunter]

I love the concept of hip or lumbar packs. My back doc says they are far and away the best way to carry your gear. The problem I've found though is that I've got no hips or rear end... basically, the thing just slides right down to my legs. Anyone else have a similar problem and if so, how do you overcome it?

Some lumbar packs have a supplemental bandolier (or some such name) strap. Basically a single strap that goes from the pack, diagonally across the chest, over the shoulder, and diagonally down the back to the pack again. Some people use it to carry the pack casually without using the hip belt, but they can also be used together. Most of the weight is carried by the hip belt, but the shoulder strap could maybe prevent droopage in your case, while being more adjustable than the standard backpack shoulder straps. Another idea (way more dorky) might be to attach long suspenders to a lumbar back. Better adjustability for height than a traditional pack, and the old timers swear by them for holding up pants. Can't say I've tested these ideas myself as I'm of middle of the road height and have a 3D butt, but I hope they help.

 

PS- If you want a bigger caboose, bicycling tends to develop those muscles and could give you the firm semi-circular booty you've always dreamed of. And yes, it is possible to get bikes in your size. Not easy (and maybe not cheap), but very possible. Let me know if need help locating one. It's my job...

Edited February 6, 2004 by Karma Hunter

[+CacheCreatures]

PS- If you want a bigger caboose, bicycling tends to develop those muscles and could give you the firm semi-circular booty you've always dreamed of. And yes, it is possible to get bikes in your size. Not easy (and maybe not cheap), but very possible. Let me know if need help locating one. It's my job...

 

Where were you 2 years ago when biking was my life?!? I went the custom route (since there was zero off the rack) and built up a 29"er with a Rohloff speedhub. The thing was my passion for about a year. Then the back problems started and I was basically forbade from riding offroad again (the compression on the low back would only continue to worsen my condition). Sadly, I just recently sold her. I'm going to use the funds to start a recumbent project as well as a membership to the local aquatic center for some serious swimming.

 

Thanks for the lumbar/strap idea. I'll give that a look soon.

 

And Mrs. CC... you talk WAY too much

 

 

edit: Oh by the way, a bit of potentially good news. I was reading a different post where someone was commenting how they loved their Honda Element for caching. I went and sat in one yesterday, and there is a ton of head room! My knee is still very close to the steering wheel though. It would be a fairly tight fit for me, but the other benefits might outweigh the negatives. Thought you other tall cachers might like the "heads up"

Edited February 6, 2004 by CacheCreatures

[+Fatboy Slim & Rainey Belle]

6'6"

drive a Honda Element...love it. Lots of head and leg room, even in the back seat.

use a day pack I picked up at REI. Relatively nice fit for $50.

when I'm shoe shopping I walk into the store and say, "show what you have in a 14". I then try on both pair...

[+Karma Hunter]

built up a 29"er with a Rohloff speedhub.

Yowzaah! Nice bike, but no front or rear suspension? Can't say I'm surprised about the back pain. Would've been cheaper just to pay someone to hit you with a big stick. Less fun though. Hope the recumbent helps. They're great solution for a lot of people.

[+CraigInCT]

I am only 6'1". But I have always heard that women prefer really tall guys (for obvious reasons). So tall guys, is it true????

 

I'm 6'5 and yes its true to some extent. I hate that my back muscles hurt from all the bending over to kiss.

Edited September 24, 2006 by CraigInCT

[+Civisi]

I am 6'2", but my inseam is about a 30", so I'm ALL torso. I have a Columbia jacket in 2XLT that fits great (I HATE having sleeves that fall well above my wrists). I also wear 13 shoes, which is becoming a lot more common than it used to be. Galyans stocks a good selection of large sized shoes, if you have one in your area.

 

I agree about the wrist thing. I'm 6'2", 250 lbs. I've got long arms. A lot of the long sleeve clothes I try on are too short. I wear almost nothing but short sleeves. Even a lot of those are too short. If I was more muscular, I don't think it would be a problem, but I'm pretty wimpy. Fortunately, my shoe size is a more average 11-12 depending on brand.

 

As far as clothes, I've had real good luck with L.L. Bean clothing. Now it's not really "affordable" to me (meaning I can't buy a whole lot at one time) but their clothes are excellent quality and last a long time. I've still got an L.L. Bean parka coat that is about 8 years old. It's an Extra Large Tall and still fits perfect! Love it!

 

As far as vehicle goes, I drive a '94 Ford Ranger 4x4. It's a supercab with the 4.0L V6 engine. 173,000 miles. Transmission is ready to be replaced, but it's still drivable. Leg room is not a problem. I'm glad I didn't sell it when I bought my Mustang because I've needed it a few times. I would like to replace it with a Jeep Wrangler, though.

 

As for other gear such as back packs and hydropacks... well, I don't use them. I doubt there are many caches around here in Indiana that would require that much gear.

 

And about the Tall guy thing... I work with computers, and I'm amazed at some of the computers I replace. They're old, slow, run like crap, but come in this HUGE computer case that's about two and a half feet tall, a foot wide, and 2 feet deep. The computer-ignorant people will see it and say that it must be a fast computer. I smugly tell them the moral of this story: that size is no indication of performance.

Edited September 24, 2006 by Civisi

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

Seems like everyone in this old thread that were posting about being really tall were mainly guys... I happen not to be a guy, but think I still qualify as tall...

 

Wile E. (hubby) is 6' 2" and I am 5' 13" or there abouts. We drive a little Scion xA and it fits great. Love that little car! I wear a size 12 shoes in womens... so usually end up getting guys shoes and jeans. It's great fun. Just glad that my mother in law sews, otherwise my wedding dress would have been a real issue! At least as a girl, I can move up into mens sizes. I am putting a sunscreen long sleeved hiking shirt on my christmas list - the only bad thing is that guys clothes are not in as fun of colors. But, at least they fit - beats having to sew everything!

 

As to the never ending question of "Did you play basketball?" - yup, more than tired of that one! (And, no, never did play - seriously made the coach in my little school upset though!) My response is "No, Did you play miniature golf?". Usually either makes folks laugh or ask why I asked.

 

Havn't had any real problems with caching other than having to try to figure out if a hide is low enough for normal folks. Even had to ask a friend who found one if she could reach it. Luckily, a nearby rock worked as a step stool.

 

I think we do have a harder time blending into the general crowds though. We're tall enough as a couple that folks occasionally stare - but that couldn't be because we're holding the gps to our ear and talking to each other, could it? Or that we vanish into random clumps of bushes and trees?

[+nutlady]

I went to England when I was 18 (and only 6'3"), and I recall hitting my head on many pub beams.

 

By the way don't know how you other tall guy's feel, but me personally, I just don't like people taller than me

 

I know what you mean. I stood next to Kareem Abdul Jabbar once. He's 7'2". It was just freaky!

Heck! Im inly 5 foot 7! But Im female, so I guess that is ok. My hubby has a 400 year old house in Germany, and I crack MY head on the beams when I go from room to room.

[+Blacklaw]

Wile E. (hubby) is 6' 2" and I am 5' 13" or there abouts.

5'13"? You mean 6'1"?

[+Harry Dolphin]

I'm only 6'2', 200#. Yes, I find it a bit disconcerting meeting people taller than I am. Not that many out there. Size 12 shoes are common, so not a problem. It's the 37" sleeves that are tough! I swear by JCPenney XLT. (That seems to be the only store that stocks them at reasonable prices.) 38" waist can be hard to find. Stores stock mostly 34" and 36". I haven't fit in a 34" waist since grammar school! What also can be expensive is backpacking gear: Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad. Oh, well.

[+norsehawk]

I'm not the tallest person out there, I am about 6'3" I definately don't like people I need to look up to. just seems freaky. On the shoe front, I've never had a problem going after shoes very much, they stopped growing at a size 13. The stores I go to for shoes always have a decent selection in my size. I do have a lot of my height in my torso, and I have decently long arms so if I were truly evil, I would hide my caches up high, but I behave and place them at my eye level or slightly above maximum, however, I do need to put one somewhere high just to be 'difficult'

 

If it requires a ladder, would that be a difficulty 5?

[nobby.nobbs]

not our fault if they all stopped growing too soon is it!!!

 

makes shopping so much quicker. limited choice if any so if i go out for a pair of jeans then just buy the first one i find... likewise shoes etc.

 

36inch inside leg is hard to fit!

 

height comes useful sometimes but long way down to some of the tree root caches!!!!!

[+Wile E. Dragonfly]

Yup, 6' 1" or nearly there, depending on who's measuring. When I lived in the Dominican Republic in a tiny little village... I had a perpetual bruise on the top of my head from the low doors in my house. You think I would have learned after a while...but no.

 

It's great that I have the ability to buy guys shoes when needed... however, it is difficult to find mens purple sandles that will look good with a wedding dress. I told hubby he knew my shoe size before he proposed... not my fault the only shoes that big are incredibly expensive.

 

On the hiking/caching front - I am frustrated by backpacks. I like being a girl and occasionally even would like to dress like one. Backpacks, strange as it is, do have girl friendly additions - but not in my back length. So, I cross dress and figure that the bears won't mind. My caching bag is a fanny pack - no back length concerns at all.

 

And, Penny's is a great place to shop, even have a women's tall shop. Of course, tall stops at 5' 11", so I am "ultra" tall. Thank heavens for the internet - on line shopping is a wonderful thing!

[+Cache Liberation Front]

 

My car is a Subaru Forester. I fit just fine in it (took some looking to find a car with enough room) The AWD comes in handy while caching up here (I live in the CA Gold Country)

 

 

This is good to read. We're in the market for a car/truck we can take off-road. I'm 6'7" and all the vehicles we've tried are just incredibly uncomforable, save the 2005 Tacoma. We'll have to check out the Forester, thanks.

 

MrW.

[+Civisi]

 

This is good to read. We're in the market for a car/truck we can take off-road. I'm 6'7" and all the vehicles we've tried are just incredibly uncomforable, save the 2005 Tacoma. We'll have to check out the Forester, thanks.

 

MrW.

 

My (short) sister has a 2003 (I think) Forester and she loves it! She usually trades in cars every 2 years, but this one is now paid off and she's going to keep it awhile. That says a lot to me.

 

Jerad

[+Airmapper]

I'm 6' 4". I cache in a Ford Escape, and it may look small but I'm perfectly comfortable in it. (4x4 makes it better. )

 

As for a caching bag I use a camo Wal-mart waist pack from the hunting section.