The first of many- a new babe backpacking adventure

Congratulations Brendan! Should fit right in the packraft without any troubles.

Sweet!

Looks like you have some sort of sling. Let me recommend woven wraps for the long haul — they're sort of the flat tarp equivalent in the baby carrying world. The striped ones from Vantanai are especially good for hot weather (no connection).

Good for you Brendan and fam!

Unfortunately, there 'might' be a time when your lil girl (girl, right?) is too big for any type of carrier and too small to hike herslef. Maybe.

Thats when you car camp till she can hike the distance herself.

Thanks all.

Katherine, thanks a bunch for the recommendation. Those look perfect. Any recommendation on size? Like a flat tarp, there's a hundred ways to pitch it but seems like you'd usually use one or two. Less fabric seems better for using with a pack; is there an easy, secure wrap you can do with one of the 2-3m wraps?

I always got 5m length wraps, and my favorite carries, which required a long length, were "double hammock" and "DRS2S" (double rebozo side-to-side).

There probably are good carries you can do w/ less length. I don't know them, but folks over on thebabywearer.com will.

I believe my Vatanai Marayuma (the salmony-colored striped version) is about 1.5 pounds at 5m. That and the other two striped patterns, with the same weave/fabric are a blue one – Kipawa, and a saffron one – Tibet. I've had other, thicker, Vatanais and loved them all.

Caveats: The Vatanai stripes have a steeper learning curve than thicker wraps. They can also be hard to find, you might need to post that you're seeking one. They say "ISO" instead of "WTB" over there. (oh, and theres's a really confusing thing about lengths 5m = "size 7" in one sizing system.)

Nice thing about wraps is, for front carries, the fabric lies flat enough that you can also comfortably wear a daypack. I occasionally carried a baby in front in a wrap, and a toddler in a more structured carrier on my back at the same time.

Now I need to go convince a bunch of new moms that they should to try pitching tarps!

Great info. Thanks a bunch.