Baby carrier backpacks

[rhunter424]

Last year my wife and I hike in 5 miles and +2000ft. elevation gain with her carrying our almost 3 year old daughter in a kelty kids carrier on her back and our 4 month old in an ergo carrier in front. I had all of our food, clothes, and gear for three nights- one of the heavier packs I've had to carry. I was really proud of my wife but we're definitely looking forward to when they are big enough to hike all the way in by themselves. The worst part was having to pack out all the wet diapers- those things just can't be burnt (I tried)

A three night backpacking trip with a 4 month old? Wow...that's some determination to get outdoors!

I was the one who originally put up on the Kifaru forums the idea of a cargo panel and the kid carrier. I will say after using it more and more that unless you're actually going to attach pouches to the back of it, all you need is a grab-it and two k-connector lash straps. It's a much simpler set-up and just as secure.

 

[Finch]

Not sure if you're looking for something to not only haul your kid but some gear too? I have one called Ergobaby Performance. It's comfortable and good up to 30 some pounds. It's got a little storage but not much.

This pic has made it's rounds on the interweb.

 

[dreamingbig]

We like our Kelty. In this pic I have one of my sons in the ergo and my daughter in the Kelty. I have searched for a dual back carrier but no luck yet.

 

[Rizzy]

I've been using my bikini frame with a bag of Cat litter and putting the Ergo over that with one of the kids in it. It takes me two trips, one for each of them
I just can't bring myself to buy a child carrier after using a Kifaru frame for so long.

 

[Domestique]

Has anyone used these baby carrier backpacks? Last summer my son was small enough to go in a Bjorn when we went to flagstaff hiking in July and August. This year he will be 15-16 months old and he will not fit in a Bjorn. Any suggestions on brand or models?

Do you have a Kifaru frame?

A guy over at the Kifaru site used his Kelty with his Duplex frame.

http://www.kifaruforums.net/showthread.php?t=31290

 

[dreamingbig]

And some significant mods. I have been too lazy to do the mod. I guess I could just use the cargo panel and strap it in that way.

 

[LitenFast]

We have the deuter kid II, my son loves it and it's a great way to train with the whole family, he is 30# now and it still works great. A nice feature is it's really easy to change torso lengths for different users.

We are also planning on doing an overnight with him in it with my wife carrying him one my EMR II comes in!

 

[cadahl]

We have an osprey poco plus and like it. Prior to getting it we tried comparable Kelly version and deuter. We went with the osprey for several reasons. I think osprey does a great job designing their packs. I have a backpack that I've used hunting and camping and they fit me well. With the deuter, the harness for the kid was down around the chest if I remember right and just testing strapping our one year old was a bit of a struggle and I think that part should be easy. Both the Kelly and osprey harness had two straps that each connect near the top of the kids shoulders and were more easy to access. Kelly version clipped on front side of kid shoulders where I think they could in clip themselves once a little bigger. The osprey straps clipped near top of the shoulders but on backside of kid and I don't think they could get to them. The osprey has a pocket for a hydration bladder. Can't remember on the deuter. The Kelly version we tried didn't have that pocket or any easily accessible side pockets for accessing bottles when on the move. Osprey has built in sun shade but deuter was separate accessory. Nice to have here in sunny Colorado. Like litenfast said about the deuter, the osprey is very easy to adjust torso length for different size adults. I like the way the osprey fits, amount of pockets, and the ease of putting my son in and getting out. He seems to enjoy it quite a bit too. Good luck and definitely a good way to get a little training in while including the family. Have fun.

 

[Josh Wright]

This is a new purchase I have to make soon as well.

 

[Rackmastr]

I have a Deuter II as well and its a very nice pack. Have used it for both kids. This will most likely be the last summer with it but hoping to get out with my youngest and pack her around a bunch. They sleep amazing in this thing and it fits me well and adjusts down to fit my wife well enough too.

 

[dotman]

Took out the Bikini Kid Hauler yesterday, only think I didn't think of was a tired kiddo bonking her nose on the top bar. It worked amazingly well other then the hurt nose. Used 4 lash straps and a grab-it to attach it, removed the belt and shoulder harness from the Kelty kid hauler.

 

[dreamingbig]

I need to weld two keltys side by side for my duplex kid hauler.

 

[coiloil37]

I bought mec baby hauler, cut all the "pack" off the kid hauler portion and mounted it on my Nice frame.

 

[mullmann]

Thanks for the input. My wife found a Deuter kid comfort II on craigslist one mile from our house for $150. It was practically brand new. We took our our son out last Friday and climbed the Echo Canyon Trail on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix. It's comfortable and carried the weight close to my body. I would recommend this to anyone.

 

[magalitemple]

I prefer to go for Boba G3 carrier. It is among the few carriers that works equally for both newborn and toddlers. It is very comfortable and no need to buy extra accessories separately. But before using it make sure to read ring sling instructions carefully.

 

[lam396]

We have a deuter kid comfort 2 and I have carried my 40lbs son in it for several hikes that were 5 miles. My wife carried our 2 yr old daughter in the Boba and that is what gets used around the house and for quick walks, shopping, etc but a framed carrier is what is needed for the bigger kids. We spent a week in Utah over the summer hiking and my son would get tired of the carrier before I would. Probably can't go wrong with a dueter, kelty or Osprey for a framed carrier but for a soft carrier, we liked the boba much mroe than the Ergo.

The kifaru mods do look interesting, especially if you already have the frame or are looking for an excuse!

 

[beetlespin]

View attachment 21751

I like the Osprey Poco pack. really nice for the baby and has storage as well. Very comfortable in my opinion when set up correctly.

 

[Yogi82]

I second the Osprey Poco. Price was right and fit/function of the pack is superb.

 

[Bughalli]

I went with Deuter. I think it was the Comfort 2. I compared them all and tried them on in the store with weight in them. Ended narrowing down my brand and tiers of product. Then found a used one on Craigslist for half price. The guy used it once.

For me I used the same criteria and scrutiny as I would a quality backpack. Designs are pretty similar, so it's more about fit. On the Deuter the hip belt fit better and felt more comfortable with weight in it. The weight was better distributed on my hips with no points of pressure. Very comfortable with30lbs. Osprey was a close second, but the belt was smaller and just a little less comfortable.

Be sure to review tourso length and adjustability. I have a long tourso and this is a factor for me when buying a hunting backpacks. Both Osprey and Dueter fit me well. Ease of adjustability is a factor as well because we're often switching it between my wife and I. Needs to be simple and repeatable, meaning it's easily know where to set it vs relearning each time.

Deuter has adjustable stirrups, which Osprey did't have (at the time). I think these make it more comfortable on the child because it supports their leg weight and allows the legs to sit at 90 degree angle vs hang straight down. Not a factor in short hikes, but feel it could be a factor on longer ones. It's no fun if your child gets uncomfortable and upset when you're miles down a trail. Lastly, I liked the sun shade better on the Deuter....or I should say my wife did. She's crazy about keeping direct sun off my son. The shade looks goofy, but works better than I expected it would. Just the right amount of shade but doesn't obstruct his view or give him much to grab.

In all the brands the middle version seemed the best choice. Right balance of form and function. The top tiers in each brand really had too many pockets, which just means you will carry more crap.

I liked the design of Deuters side loading option. It's a little easier, especially in cold weather when you child might have a few layers on. I also liked the built in mini pillow. If my son gets tired he goes to sleep on it. I realized this after the purchase. I think the Osprey was a little less padded in that area.

Oh, fyi I think it was one of the top end Deuters, where the child sat significantly higher relative to your body. They were almost looking over my head. I didn't like it. Started to feel too top heavy for a pack weight. It worried me since I hike mostly trails with terrain of variable footing. I bring it up because I never would have know this based on pictures or online photos, they all looked identical, but it was obvious when I tried it on.

 

[Lea85]

You can use these hands-free baby wraps which won’t let you have back pain!