I'm looking for anyone who has had carriers that they've loved or hated. We're going on vacation up north in about 4 weeks and my husband wants to get something that will allow him to wear our 2.5 year old daughter while hiking. I would also like to be able to use it for our son (who is now 3.5 months old) as he is growing out of the baby bjorn (he's kind of a giant). I've heard wonderful things about the ergo carriers, good things about kelty and sherpana (or something like that), but don't know much else and don't really know anyone personally who have used any. Primarily, we need to be able to use it for our daughter. Any information you ladies could provide would be much appreciated! Thanks so much!
I have a Gerry hiker backpack carrier and love love it!
Its my second one, and easily adjusts from person to person for wearing the kiddos.
We have a used Kelty carrier. My husband used it nearly every day last summer to carry our then 1 ½ year old son on their walks (he was probably 27 or 28 lbs). It worked out great and my son loved riding in it. He hasn’t used it for hiking though, just walking on sidewalks.
We've done a lot of hiking with our son and personally I prefer our ergo. I find the ones with the frames just don't fit my body that well--and when my son moves from side to side he just about knocks me off the trail. The ergo is comfortable for me to use. My husband likes both of them equally--oh except in the frame type carriers my son tends to do things like stick his fingers in his dad's ears and purposely shift back and forth just to entertain himself. The one thing I've found that is helpful is a dog leash--he loves to "hike" but we sometimes find that he just about falls off the trail into a creek so a retractable leash on his pants buys us a little piece of mind. Enjoy your trip!
We loved our Kelty for hiking. The hip strap was comfortable and it felt like wearing a backpack. We could also set it down and it became its own stand. (handy high chair for the little one) Good luck as you search :)
I love my ergo. When my son was younger I wore him on the front to get him to sleep if he was cranky and it worked great on airplane flights for no hands transport as well as getting him to sleep. Now he's 2 and he loves being on my back. They are made very well and are very comfortable. The weight is well distributed to your hips as opposed to your back. I just think it is probably more versatile than those with the frames.
I dont know of any, but I recommend going to like, babies r us and target's websites, any that have the ability for customer feedback, and seeing what other people who have purchased the one's your looking at say about them.
Another vote for the Kelty. It adjusts easily to the person wearing it, and as your child grows. We have taken it hiking and on many vacations and I think it's very comfortable, even with a bigger child. Our son would frequently take naps in it while we were walking, so it must be comfortable to ride in too. We also liked that the frame allows you to take off the pack with the child strapped in and set it down and use as a chair. Another bonus over the ergo is that it has sun and rain canopies to protect your child while you're hiking. I believe the lower end age is 6 months so you wouldn't be able to use it with your son for a couple more months.
I have been researching the same thing! I have not personally used any but I have done tons of research. THe kelty type that is structured and the child sees over the top of the parents head was what I thought would be the best for hiking...what I found was that some people love them...but they are heavy and you have to VERY careful with clearance (branches) when hiking. I ordered a boba boba carrier...which is similar to ergo...but it has foot straps for larger kids..making it more comfortable. The only downside is it doesn't have storage. : ( Hopefully the added comfort for my little guy is worth giving that up. Good luck finding what works best for you and your family! Happy Hiking! : )
