UKC

Hi All

Can anyone recommend me a rucksack style baby carrier? At present I've got a sling and am carrying the little one on my front, but want a rucksack style carrier for when he gets a bit bigger. It needs to be comfy enough for me/OH to carry him for a full day on the hill.

I've heard good things about the BushBaby but someone has now recommended Macpac. Any thoughts? Any advice very gratefully received!

Thanks
Nim

In reply to Nim: The Macpac one's are really good. You can generally get them to fit anyone.

The Little Life ones are also quite good and a little cheaper. Although they don't have as good a back system on them.

Definately try them on first though and see which feels best for you and baby.

In reply to Nim:

If you want to carry a child for a full day in the hill then I recommend the MacPac vamoose. It is the Rolls Royce of backpacks.
- great harness
- great frame
- sunshade
- transparent waterproof cover
- lots of luggage capacity including the bottom pocket and a rear zip off pack

currently available with 20% off at field and trek.

I've had mine for almost three years and it looks like new, its not for sale though as I expect to be able to carry my child in it until almost five years of age. (18Kg) The only caveat I would add is that my partner is of average fitness but was never able to carry our child for extended periods.

In reply to Nim:

Nim,

I live in Hathersage and have a BushBaby backpack whatsit that you can have for nowt.

No strings at all.

Just email me...

lsn

In reply to lowersharpnose:

Ah, the old gift horse - very generous, nice one.

For free, take the BushBaby - several friends have them and are quite happy.

Basically, UK models are so crap that they make you want to cry - and not just in pain. BushBaby are good; MacPac are better - had mine for almost five years now, and baby no.2 is in it. Apart from general dirtiness and rubbing wear, which are testament to the amount of use, it's as solid as the day I bought it. The only thing missing is the mirror - and that's because the terrier ate it. Couldn't praise it highly enough, and the resale values aren't too bad either.

But the BushBaby's free - and you get to go to Stanage for the day!

In reply to lowersharpnose: That's fantastic! Thanks so much. I'll email you now....

Everyone else - thanks for the recommendations.

In reply to Nim:

You are welcome.

Another poster has contacted me about it too.

Luckily we have two, so you both get one.

lsn

In reply to Jack00: Me n Vlad used a LitleLife Voyager. NOT cheap, but the only on we found that would accomodate both of us, AND Joe.
It has THE widest range of adjustments I have ever met, on ANY rucksack... Quite an amazing bit of kit.
It's been sold to a guy in south Wales, now, via Vlad's work.

Seeing as Joe will not sit in it any more, he just wants to walk everywhere!

In reply to Nim:
So much easier to carry with walking poles..They balance things out so you don't 'hunch'

In reply to Anyone:

In general, what age can you start using one?
We're expecting in a month and I'm curious about how this summer will fair with a new born in tow.

Cheers,
Rob

In reply to silverback:

not for a while in a carrier really six months maybe, get a babybjorn or similar, can stick em in that almost straight away, then turn em round to face out once can hold head up. You do get hot in decent weather though as they are clamped to your chest, they get warm too. The extra weight of a decent baby carrier that will hold them for a few years means a sling/babybjorn is better for a while even when they will go in one. The good thing about eg the vamoose is you can fit loads of crap in there, and you'll need it! I take my daughter (nearly 2) away for the weekend with her in the carrier and all our luggage in it too.
good luck
chiz

In reply to Nim:

Talk to the people at http://www.littletrekkers.co.uk
They sell loads of them and give good advice, depending on what you really need.

In reply to Nim:

I picked up the Deuter Kid Comfort in Boston just before christmas and I have not used the pram since. I can highly recommend getting a back carrier not just for getting out and about but also around the town, etc.

http://www.completeoutdoors.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=2693

I would say this carrier I have would suit an age range approx 9 - 18mnths.

I would also suggest that you should not expect the little one to appreciate a "full day on the hill" in a carrier. To be fair a 2hr stint is probably the limit, in my opinion anything more would be bordering on cruel on both you and the baby. My sprog is just about to turn 1 year old, and is heavy enough but the added wriggling makes things slightly more of an effort than just carrying a static load.

In reply to Nim:

We have the VauDe butterfly comfort. It works pretty well.

It is comfortable enough for the boy to sleep in it and I hope I'll be able to cary him until he is about 3, but given I'm not that big or strong it might be less than that .

The full rain cover costs extra, but you get to walk around like you have a baby in an NBC suit when you put it on.

We still use our sling for local trips as it is much harder to see what is going on when there is just the one of you with the backpack.

In reply to chiz:

lovely job, cheers

In reply to silverback: I would agree with the advice above. Our little one has just turned 4 months and is currently in a Moby sling (one of the long-bits-of-fabric ones). I've only just started facing him outwards and, even now, only for short periods as his head control isn't strong enough for extended periods. Until now he's been facing inwards. I've now got one of the BushBaby carriers (thanks to Lowersharpnose) and we're hoping to use it from about 6 months.

Thanks again for the advice and recommendations, and many thanks to Lowersharpnose for his generosity. Once we've finished with the carrier, I'll pass it on to someone else in need - keep up the good karma

Nim

In reply to Nim:

You are welcome & thanks for the wine.

We also have a Britax Renaissance car seat. Here is the latest model :

http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/reviews/product.asp?id=109

Ours is a little different to the one pictured.

If anyone wants it, they can have it gratis.

It can be picked up from my house or in Sheffield/Hathersage/at a crag (I am not going to wrap it up and mail it anywhere).

lsn

In reply to silverback:

To be a bit more vague than the answers you have had:
You can use a back-pack carrier from the time the little 'un can sit unaided, this will vary from child to child.
We found that a childs "travel cushion" like this one:
http://www.babysecurity.co.uk/p/384838/jagabon-softeeze-cushion-neck-suppor...

Was helpful

In reply to Nim: We have a sling made by a German company called Didymos. This has a variety of ways to tie including several rucksack carries for carry children your back. It is extremely comfortable and obviously more portable than a fixed carrier. Our son loves it. Check out this link

http://didymos.de/english/index.php

In reply to keith1973: You can carry them on your back using the lengths over your shoulders as a support for their head when they are younger.