What carrier is great for hiking?

[batsister]

This thread is kind of a spin-off from the "back injury/front carry in mei tai" thread... what carrier would those of you with experience recommend for hiking (aside from frame packs/packs designed for backpacking and carrying baby + other gear in the same contraption)?

Do mei tais work well for some? Woven wraps?
Of these three, which would work best: Pikkolo, Ergo, Beco?

I am also interested in hearing about what carriers are generally good for carrying the baby for extended periods of time, whether city-walking or hiking. (My son is 10-weeks old and I currently have a ring sling, and about to have a homemade mei tai. We live in a city (lots of walking) and are also eager to go hiking again soon).

Thanks!

[Quirky]

With your ds being 10 weeks old, you're really not going to be able to use a soft structured carrier in a back carry yet. You could certainly try a high back carry in a mei tai (my choice) or a woven wrap.

With the beco you can do a back carry at a younger age than either the Pikkolo or the Ergo, because of the support that the safety harness gives to baby's trunk, and because the straddle isn't wide. I was able to get my then-3-month old dd up on my back in the Butterfly when it first came out. OTOH, the Butterfly is going to be a bit warmer hiking with the additional layer of fabric, plus it's an additional step to get baby in. The Beco is a taller-bodied carrier, so it will give better upper body support to a bigger child, but your younger baby won't be able to see out as well until he grows taller.

With the Pikkolo or Ergo, it would be more like 5-6 months before you could really start doing back carries for hiking. As between the two, the Ergo would certainly be less expensive, as with the Pikkolo you'd really want the babywearing support belt to get that weight transfer to your hips.

All three could work, and they're all great carriers, but there's definitely tradeoffs between them. So you kinda have to pay your money and take your choice!

[KJoy]

I liked a woven wrap or gauze wrap (depending on season) for hiking when dd was an infant. It was easy to loosen when she wanted to nurse, and I could wear a backpack if needed. She was ready for a back carry in an Ergo before she got too heavy for me to front carry her, so for a time I rotated between front and back carries.

Now that she's 2yo and needs to be on my back, I use the Ergo for dayhikes. I haven't tried the Pikkolo or Beco, so can't compare.

For out and about around town I liked:
young infant: long wrap front carry
older infant/toddler: shorter wrap in rebozo, other hip carry or back carry; Ergo

Have fun figuring out what works for you!

[batsister]

Thank you both for your replies. Considering his age, I would probably carry my son on my front for hikes/outings in the near future. He is big for his age, though (almost 15 lbs & 24 inches long).

I will probably end up buying either a Pikkolo or an Ergo... I have been eying the Pikkolo for a while now (online, though I did see my first one in person last weekend (from a distance)... I got all excited, but I think my husband thought I was crazy )... anyway....), but I read a review of/comment about it that said most of the weight is on the shoulders, so it isn't great for long-duration use. But maybe with the babywearing belt, this is not an issue? Overall the Pikkolo sounds great to me, but I also know tons of people love the Ergo, so I am not sure which one to get.

[lifeguard]

I love my ergo & around here it seems the ergo is the carrier of choice. I saw my first pikkolo yesterday & it looked really nice but I did notice the hip belt didn't look as padded which too me would be less comfortable (but I'm heavy & I think that often impacts how comfortable things are 'cause they tend to dig in more if they're not padded enough).

[Adasmommy]

I just wanted to vote wrap

Awesome back carries, great distribution of weight. Mei tais are pretty awesome too, but nothing beats the spread width of the wrap across your torso for comfort and versatility

[crayon]

I love SSC for hiking. I like ones that have padded hip belts v's just webbing or a MT. I find that a SSC stays more snug than a MT when doing hiking.

[To-Fu]

Excluding my Sherpani frame carrier, I'd have to go with my Beco or a nice snug wrap. Probably a front carry, depending on the size of the babe.

[possum]

I think wrap is the answer to almost any BW question. If you are doing lots of walking, you will appreciate the support of a good woven wrap more and more as your child grows. They are so versatile; you can do so many different carries with just one.
My husband uses a made-by-me SSC, but he doesn't really wear my 37lb. 2.5 year old nearly as much as I do.
Melinda

[mckittre]

I agree with the wrap idea. My baby is 7 months now. We've taken him on a few 3 or 4 day backpack trips, as well as innumerable day-long hikes - always in a wrap.
For as long as you can get away with it, front carry is nice, because you can wear a backpack at the same time. My husband still comfortably carries him that way (baby's average size), but I've switched to using a back carry. Comfortable for many hours!

[batsister]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

Possum, you mentioned that you made an SSC... what pattern did you use? Is it one to which you can share a link?

[gillibean]

I have found wraps to be the most comfortable carrier I've used so that it definietly what I'd choose for a hike. They're wonderfully versatile too.

[possum]

Originally Posted by batsister

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

Possum, you mentioned that you made an SSC... what pattern did you use? Is it one to which you can share a link?

It was a franken-sewing endeavor. I used the waist belt from an Ergo and the body of my own home-made mei tai as patterns. I did straight straps and used cotton batting to pad them (6 layers) and the waist(2 layers). I used pieces cut from a yoga mat inside the batting layers in the waist. It took about a day to make. Since my pattern was partially made from someone else's design, I can't share it.

The Baby Wearer has some links to SSC tutorials that lots of people seem to like.
Melinda

[mama516/419]

We are big hikers and I noticed that ties like on a MT get loose on trails with lots of stomping as oppsed to nice paved side walks.
Wraps work better then MTs but they get dirty easily if you reposition cuz the tails drag and stuff
I love our Ergo for everything , but I once hiked with a Cylax byMBD and fell in love - cant wait to get my own !

[Beauchamp]

Originally Posted by batsister

I will probably end up buying either a Pikkolo or an Ergo...but I read a review of/comment about it that said most of the weight is on the shoulders, so it isn't great for long-duration use. But maybe with the babywearing belt, this is not an issue?

I have both a Pikkolo and an Ergo Sport. Right now DD is 15 lbs and I use the Ergo every day around the house. So I'd say it's more comfy than the Pikkolo without the waist belt, which I don't own, but have been thinking about getting, so I can start using the Pikkolo more. We used it for a vacation where we spent a lot of time in airports when DD was 6 weeks old, and then it was awesome. It's also useful because it can do a FFO carry, which the Ergo cannot. I got the Ergo Sport for comfort, for it's sporty look for DH, and because it seems like a workhorse carrier useful for years. The Pikkolo is definitely prettier (I have the "Cloud" with chocolate straps...ordered it from Quirky Baby) and does FFI/FFO. Possibly with the waist belt it would be comfier.

I think one big difference for me in back/neck stress is that the Pikkolo makes an "X" on the back, while the straps are more backpack-like with the Ergo. (Maybe you can wear the Pikkolo straps like this too, I don't know.)

HTH

p.s. I know a lot of people feel the wrap-love. I have a Moby, and I am glad to see it washed, rolled up, and stored for a future newborn. I just don't like it for past 8 weeks or so. Albeit, it's not a woven wrap, but the Ergo/Pikkolo-type carrier with buckles are just so much easier, and I found I was reaching for them way more than my Moby. If you hike with a wrap, I'd def get a woven wrap made of breathable fabric.