child carrier dos/dont’s/lookout for’s – advice needed

In general, look for a suspension system akin to an expensive framed backpack (rigid external stays, good shoulder straps, thick hipbelt). Remember you'll be carrying a 20+ lb kid, plus water, snacks and diaper changing stuff. Fully loaded with a 22lb 1 y/o kid, 1L of water, diaper kit, snacks and small blanket, my rig weighs right at 35 lbs. Good load transfer is imperative.
A solid harness for the kid is important too. I'd look for a shoulder harness with sternum strap, and a waist belt holding the little one in in case I have to scramble (I've climbed Class 2+/Class 3 with mine) It's also really nice if they fall asleep, the harness holds them upright. Good ones will have a pad in front for them to sleep on. Also a hydration sleeve is super nice.

I have an REI Piggyback, its fantastic. Really really nice. If you can find one on CraigsList, snag it, as they aren't made/sold at REI anymore. I've been carrying my 1 y/o in it for 4 months and its all day comfortable for me, as well as for him. We've hiked for 3 hours, no stopping before.

Kelty makes a good alternative, but get the FC, not the TC. The TC doesn't have a good enough frame/suspension to be comfortable for you over long periods.

Some have a sun canopy, I think this is important, but opinions vary. The Kelty FC has one, as does the REI.

I'll elaborate more if needed, and post a pic of mine when I'm not posting from an iPad.

Osprey just released a new series of child carriers for 2012 called the "Poco" series.

My daughter just got the Poco plus for her new-born. It was a baby shower present from all her fellow workmates at Moosejaw Mountaineering. How cool is it to get outdoor gear as baby shower gifts?? :-)

"Grandpa" (that's me now) will be looking forward to helping carry the child later this fall and next year on some local day hikes as well as a trip next year to the Olympic Peninsula / Rainier National Park areas to explore and day hike.

It's pretty fancy, with lots of cool features, but also heavy at 7lb.

I own an Osprey mountaineering pack, and my wife's traditional pack is also an Osprey. So, I'm pretty confident about the shoulder strap and suspension system, but won't really know for sure until I try it on with some weight.

So far as I can tell, the only difference between the Poco Plus and the Poco Premium is the capacity of the removable day pack. ~1000 cu on the Plus vs ~2000 cu on the Premium.

I have an REI piggyback and a ergo baby carrier. The ergo is a soft carrier but keeps the weight right against your body. I perfer the Ergo up to 25 to 30 lbs. Then I go to the framed carrier. I like using the ergo in front carry mode as I find you are balanced betterthe a big back carrier. If you have to kids you are trying to carry you can go Ergo on the front and piggyback on the back.

I did that last summer and it was as comfortable as expected for a 60 lb load.

My daughter is due in September. We were just given a used Sherpani Child Carrier as a gift. You can find these on line, but Sherpani doesn't make or sell them anymore.

Seems robust enough and has comfortable looking supsension. One feature that looks nice is the back frame stays pulled out, so when loading the child, it is a stable platform. No need to pull out the frame before setting down/loading, and no falling over either. It doesn't have a lot of storage space on it, probably just enough room for essentials for the baby. So either mom or I will have to carry the bulk of gear for an overnight or longer trip. Haven't weighed it yet, but I'm sure it is in the 6-8 pound range. It's really heavy considering my base pack weight for Colorado trips is 7 pounds!

Does anyone have any input or comments on this Sherpani carrier?

I have been thinking of using a Baby Bjorn style carrier (while the baby is still small) and using it as a front facing carrier, and then also using a regular backpack. It could be a little heavy, but seems the weight distribution would be a little better? If anyone has tried this, I would appreciate the input on that as well!

I have a sherpani and have used it quite a bit. I carried my almost 4 year old in it a couple weeks back. The frame is great and transfers the weight well to the hips. The best part is the strap system that holds the kid in. When I was first figuring out how to use it, I once tipped it over with my kid still in it :( I had a lot of bruises on my arm from my wife hitting me, but the kid stayed in it securely and was just fine.

The waist belt is a bit thin but works well enough for me. The back part of the frame is flat. I usually step on that to hold the pack completely stable while I load the kid up.

also… to avoid tipping your kid over while putting on the pack, only pick the pack up by the center loop. If you use the shoulder strap, the weight will be out of equilibrium and the whole pack will flip.

Hopefully Sarbar (Sarah) will come on here; she has a lot of recent experience!

One warning–those child carriers are only for children who can sit up strongly and support their heads. (7 months is usually about right.) For a younger child you need one of those front carriers that fully supports the baby's head and neck.

The really fun part comes when the child is 2-3 years old and keeps wanting to get down and walk on his own, but after 10-15 minutes gets tired and wants to get back into the carrier. Don't expect to make a lot of mileage when they're at that stage (or for several years thereafter).

My wife and I have a Deuter Kid Comfort III. It is very heavy but transfers weight very well. Which is nice since my daughter is almost 20lbs at 10 1/2 months and we hope to use it for a couple more years. When you add water, snacks, diapers, etc the weight can get up there. We have the optional rain fly which has great coverage, a must for our variable conditions, it also helped keep her comfortable in late winter. The suspension is very adjustable fitting most moms and dads though I think that shorter you make the torso the worse balance gets as you are effectively raising the center of gravity.

I went and tried out the Katmandoo child carrier as it was local. It is rated up to 19kg but my son of 7months is already at the max limit of fit size not weight wise!!!!! I was sure that 19kg would see at least 3 years out of an item like that.

Looks like I can't buy something just by seeing the picture on the net or ebay but have to go and try it on.

Sorry Mik,

I saw this post, but didn't realise you were in Australia, so didn't chime in.

Go with either the Wild Child, which I think is the best carrier out there, but only if the harness fits. I love the harness, and use a WE as my big loadhauling pack. There used to be a photo on the website of Ian Maley(The owner and designer) carrying one of his employees in it.

The other option is the Macpac. This is what we used for our kids. I like the simplest version they have, as most of the others add extra weight for stuff that new parents think you need, but that mostly is just rubbish.

A drool cover on the front is good. A ring to clip a toy and a hat on is good, as it's great fun to throw those on the ground and make Dad pick them up. Stirrups are good for older kids, as it allows them to stand for brief periods and get the weight off their thighs. And even it looks like a gimmick, a mirror so you can see what they are doing is good too.

If you're in Melbourne, Bogong and Wilderness Shop stock WE. Macpac have their own stores now, and have a sale on at the moment.

We bought the Macpac on ebay, pulled the frame out and threw the carrier through the washing machine. We sold it four years later for about $30 less than we paid.

I actually own a baby carrier company- http://www.actionbabycarriers.com (please let me know if I need to remove the link)

Anyway- being in this industry there is a lot to understand about how our bodies carry weight. When you are talking about a child between 8-40lbs the worst thing to do, and the quickest way to get a backache really fast, is to have them in a plastic or medal frame carrier. The reason is that they sit farther way from your body and then put your center of gravity off. You end up straining your back to try to keep your core centered.

I would go with a carrier that keeps your baby as close to your center as possible. A good sleeping hood is ideal and a light weight carrier. Even in the non-frame (or as the industry calls them, soft structured carriers) there are some that are really light weight and also pretty bulky and not made for warm weather.

If you would like more info, please ask!

It’s a balance between your comfort and the baby’s comfort. Initially battling between Deuter KC2 and Osprey P+. At first glance, I thought the Osprey would win due to overall comfort, but I’m really leaning towards the Deuter, especially because of some of Sarah’s recommendations.

After trying them out on a few local walks, the Deuter is more comfortable for me and my daughter – especially because it is a seat for her, and not a crotch sling. She seems to be able to get more leverage to adjust herself a bit more in it when out and about. What is missing is the better bottle holders, integrated sun shade, and back venting from the Osprey. However, I like how the cargo area is independent of the kickstand (unlike the Osprey).

Now, I’ve decided to try Vaude JC1 as a final comparison.

I have a kid comfort2. Very happy with it. Have been carrying my daughter in it since she was 9-10 months. She is 24 months now. Have done long days with it. But no overnights so can't comment on how useful it is for that kind of trip. Volume is pretty good, head support when she nods off could be better. Very comfy harness and shoulder strap. Good load transfer to hips. Nice rain coverand sun shade options. We purchased ours using REI dividend. It was stolen in a parked vehicle in SF 6 months later. Immediately bought a second one, without hesitation. I ttied the Kelty but did not like them as much. Osprey were not available at the time. Take your child with you and test them out at a store, find oneyou like then start searching the garage sakes, used boards etc… Parents sell that stuff all the time and they are very well built so they keep their value. You can easily pass on to friend or family or resell.

— I copied this over from another post of mine on the same subject —

I have the Deuter KC III and I love it. Now, I haven't tried any of the others, so I can't say that I have anything to compare it to. Is it heavy? Heck yeah, when compared to everything that we all are used to carrying. But, it seems like all of the features are well thought out. Some examples…

– There is a built in rain/sun cover that is stow-able in the back of the headrest. Really east to deploy.

– The front pillow (or drool sponge) is easy to remove for cleaning.

– The water bladder compartment has outlets on both the right and the left.

– The "kickstand" feature is great when it's not on your back.

– VERY comfortable carry, and easily adjustable from my back to my wife's

– Pretty good volume for cargo – nothing crazy, but then again the main cargo is the kid.

– Nice finishing details like a mirror in the left hip pocket to check on your little one and even a little stuffed bear included.

Our guy is about 11 months old and he hasn't fussed once when in this. I'm a big fan, too!