summer time hiking with babe

[jessaroo]

I am eager to hit the hiking trails with my babe.
What is the general age range for using a hiking back pack??

[pixiepunk]

they generally need to be able to sit unassisted - so there's a range of ages there. but somewhere like 4-6 months probably?

i have a frame pack but actually prefer a SSC for hiking - i feel like it doesn't mess with my center of gravity nearly as much to have baby on me and lower down. the back packs have baby high up and away from the body and when they move it always throws me off balance, even when i'm just walking on a flat surface. is there someplace you can try one out to make sure you like it before you buy?

[annethcz]

I tried to make frame backpacks work for me and my babes, but after much experimentation, I decided that soft carriers worked best for me. The ergo was my favorite, and worked especially well with toddlers who wanted to alternately walk and be carried. We hike and camp frequently.

[lifeguard]

I tried ours about 6 weeks ago & he wasn't quite ready for it. I think with how big he is getting it will be nice soon for longer hikes 'cause having that much weight on my back just seems more natural for me (I haven't mastered back carries yet).

[sapphire_chan]

Well, I found the wrap with a regular backpack to be excruciating after 4 miles or so (and we hiked 5). Next trip, we're loading dh down more and I'm carrying only Lina and maybe some belt pouches.

Either Lina or the backpack would've been fine, but the combination meant that nothing sat right on my shoulders. I thought I'd be fine since I'd done 3 mile strolls to the library like that, but the pack wasn't nearly as loaded.

[mckittre]

My babe will be going on a multi-day trip with us early this summer when he's 3-4 months old. He likes the moby wrap now (at 5 weeks) and we have a fancy frame backpack too, but maybe he won't be ready for that yet? Anyone done backpacking with baby in a wrap?

[pixiepunk]

a wrap, especially one the length of a Moby, seems like it'd be really in the way. not to mention hot. and they also tend to sag after a while, and i think it'd be kind of annoying to have to stop and re-tie. then again i'm not a wrap girl. but i think if i had to take a wrap on a hike, i'd want it to be a woven.

would a mei tai be a possibility? or a buckle-tai? i think a baby that size is probably too small for a SSC or a frame pack. well, i guess i should amend that to say a baby that age of average size. my babies were all gigantic and fit just fine in a SSC by that age, but they were generally the size of a 9 month old at minimum, my son was already in 12 month clothes at that age LOL so if you have one of those kind of babies, a SSC would probably work. though i'd be surprised if a baby that age had the upper body stability to sit well for any length of time in a frame pack.

[Hobie]

In general, a baby that age is too small to be carried in a frame backpack. You may want to consider an Ergo, because it has packs that can attach to it.

[mama516/419]

Originally Posted by jessaroo

I am eager to hit the hiking trails with my babe.
What is the general age range for using a hiking back pack??

The frame pack is heavier and awkward but ours had a stand and a day pack under it so sometimes we perfer it - or I should say dH perfers it - A SSC is awesome tho if u have $
Any back carry I recomend a sitter

[jocelyndale]

When DS was quite wee, we went on easier hikes and used a ring sling or pouch in a front carry. When he was a bit bigger (4-6mo, starting), we used the Ergo in a front carry and eventually moved to a back carry.

I still use the Ergo in a back carry quite often, but it's very warm. I now have a Deuter Kid Comfort III for hiking. In fact, I should order a hydration bladder soon. The deuter has a bladder pocket, tres cool. I have pics of the ring sling, pouch, and ergo, but not of the deuter. I should remedy that.

I highly recommend trekking poles when hiking with an older, squirmier babe/toddler in a front *or* back carry, especially with uneven footing. I didn't need them when kiddo was in the ring sling, because he was so tiny that we only went on short, fairly level hikes.

[sapphire_chan]

Do you wear a pack as well as a baby? I'm still trying to figure out how to sort out everything on my shoulders.

Or waist pouch ideas?

[mckittre]

OK, I'm an idiot. What's a SSC?

It seems like the Moby wrap won't be a great option, but he'll be too small/young for the backpack at 3-4 months (he's about average size, slightly small).

I'm not terribly worried about a carrier being too hot (I'm in Alaska), but I am worried about rain and durability. I am wondering if I could maybe make something myself (my husband, actually - he's our seamstress) out of a non-absorbent hiking-type fabric? Like the cordura often used as the material for backpacks? (I'll try to keep rain off baby, obviously, but if parts of the fabric get wet, I want it quick drying).

Could I make a mei-tai or wrap out of that kind of stuff? Where might I find a pattern if so?
Which one would a baby prefer to sit in for a long time? (seems like the mei tai has less fabric, but requires baby to face in - I wonder if he'll get annoyed by that).

[lifeguard]

mckittre - is there a local person there (inuit) who makes amautis? They usually have to be custom made from my understanding but they can be made out of a waterproof material. I think traditionally they are heavier for winter use but I'm sure they could be made for cooler (but not cold) weather use as well.

[pixiepunk]

i wouldn't try to make a carrier out of that kind of material - i think a natural material next to baby would be better since it will be so close. but Suse's Kinder makes a babywearing rain poncho and i think that would be perfect. it's so nice and roomy you could even fit a pack in there (if you had baby on front and were wearing a pack on back). or really you could probably quite easily retrofit a regular rain poncho to do the job, just cut a slit for baby on front and back and then maybe add some velcro or a button or snap to keep the slit closed when baby was on the other side?

there are good DIY instructions for making carriers at sleepingbaby.net and mamatoto.org - there's also a great DIY forum at thebabywearer.com - you can also usually pick up gently used mei tai's for around $35-$45ppd over at thebabywearer.com - sometimes for that price it's easier to just buy a carrier than to buy the fabric and notions and spend the time sewing.

oh, and SSC = soft structured carrier. carriers like the Ergo, Patapum, Angelpack, etc. that have a structured waist band and buckled waist, and adjustable straps on the shoulders rather than long straps that you tie (like a mei tai).

regarding facing out - you can do it in a MT or a wrap. but frankly it's not that comfortable for the person doing the wearing IME. plus if baby falls asleep you have to turn him around or his head will flop forward dangerously (could cause asphyxia if airway becomes blocked). i'd suggest instead a high back carry with your MT or wrap - then baby can see over your shoulder and has a place to rest his head when he gets tired. it's a lot more comfortable ergonomically to have baby on your back anyway.

re: carrying a pack... when we only had one kid, DH wore the gear and i wore the baby. once we added a #2, we each wore a kid and had to carry some gear if we were going to be out very long. he preferred our frame pack, which had an attachable pack for underneath and a pretty nice sized storage space on the outside of the body of the carrier. and i carried a messenger bag. i believe Ergo makes a back pack and a waist pack to go with their carriers, so that might be something to consider.

[jocelyndale]

I've carried a variety of different backpacks and bags while wearing kiddo. For the first few months with an ergo, I slung a messenger bag (with clips for the straps, so I could remove it easily if necessary) across the opposite shoulder. I found that this put too much pressure on my neck/nerves and led to worse problems. I was able to wear a small backpack with the ring sling and sometimes did that.

I also did the messenger bag thing with the ergo. And I have the Ergo backpack. I wore it on my back with kiddo in the front carry for a long time, but eventually started using it clipped to the Ergo for an all back carry. Unfortunately, I stuffed the pack too full one day a bit over a year ago. I ended up doing something weird to my shoulders and collarbone and had to wait til I was home (another week) to see my doc and get adjusted. And then it was six weeks of no babywearing.

I now just carry a bag in my hands. Pain in the tush, but I'm not willing to go through that collarbone/neck/back pain again. I imagine it would be just fine if you're not stuffing it full of 30lbs of food, water, toys, and diapers, then strapping it on behind a 20lb toddler. When I go to the zoo now, I take an umbrella stroller. Kiddo goes on my back or front, stroller gets the cooler bag and backpack/diaper bag, and camera bag. If kiddo wants to walk or ride, we can swing that, too.

We got the Deuter so that hikes could involve a bit more gear. It has pockets, a small built-in pack, and the hydration bladder pocket. Plus clips, loops, and straps for stowing/tying on more stuff. We won't be doing any overnight trips, but this could certainly do it if you packed ultralight and had a partner to carry more food/water and some gear.

With a small baby (3-4mo), I'm not sure how I'd swing a multiday hike. They really are too small for frame packs. You might be able to handle it with a wrap or front-carry in the Ergo with a separate daypack on back. Actually, that's exactly what I'd do--front carry Ergo with babe. Day pack with dehydrated food, ultralight camp stove, diapers, wipes, and maybe a small bladder pack (water is heavy). I'd carry the camera, too. Your partner will probably have to carry the bulk of the clothing, bags, pads, and tent/poles.

Don't forget trekking poles. and extra straps for lashing them on your pack or your partner's pack.

[mckittre]

I see a bunch of people have suggested the Ergo as something I could use in a front carry for a 3-4 month old baby... What are the pros/cons of that one? Would a young baby be comfortable in it for an extended time? I've never seen any of these carriers in person, and don't live anywhere where I could do so before ordering.

I'm pretty sure we'll be OK on the gear end. We're good at making things light and my husband will be with me, so we can give whoever doesn't have baby the bulk of the stuff.