Baby Bjorn
When we had Jenna, a wonderful friend that I worked with loaned me her baby Bjorn carrier. The first time I put Jenna in it, I was convinced a strap would randomly break sending my newborn baby crashing to the floor. She was just over a month old when we first tried it out, and it looked a bit like this...
I'm not quite sure what she was thinking, but she made that face the entire time she was in the pack.
When Jenna was almost two months old, we took her on her very first hike. She was such a sweetheart... She slept through the whole thing! (I found out this would become a common occurrence on our hikes)
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| Multnomah Falls |
We used this pack A LOT, and I finally overcame my fear of having to hold her in case the straps broke! Here are a few of my pros, cons, and thoughts on this particular pack:
PROS: It's small and lightweight, so it doesn't take up much room in the car or packing it to go on trips. You can carry very tiny babies in it. (I think we stopped carrying her in it at about a year old). Simple to use (no confusing strap systems). Baby can face towards you or away from you.
CONS: Lacks any form of back support, so as the baby gets bigger, it is a big strain on your back. Not a very long lasting pack (in terms of baby age) for the price you pay. There is no barrier between you and the baby, so if you get sweaty while hiking, the baby gets soaked. Ew.
Thoughts: While the Baby Bjorn brand packs seem to be popular, I personally would never buy one. I did enjoy the one we had, but you can get an off-brand pack for a much lower price and (most likely) similar quality. The style of pack did seem quite comfortable to Jenna, and she loved when she was carried outward facing so she could see the world.
Kelty Pinnacle Child Carrier
The second pack we have used with Jenna, we picked up from a garage sale. It had only been used once and was in excellent condition for a ridiculously low price. This pack has a metal frame and while we couldn't use it until she grew into it a bit (about 7 months old), it was much better for supporting her weight, especially on long hikes.
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| Hiking the tops of the plateaus in Central Oregon |
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| Sleeping Baby |
CONS: The shoulder straps for baby are easy to slip out of (I sewed on an extra chest clip so she couldn't slip out). It's rather large and bulky, making it less than ideal for use while travelling. When baby falls asleep, there is no place to rest their head. (As you can see in the picture above, Jenna's head did rest against the elastic/mesh part of the sunshade, but it would periodically slip out and wake her up)
Thoughts: This backpack has been a must-have for us. We have been able to go on longer, more adventurous hikes with this pack. It is quite comfortable for the person carrying the baby (considering you are packing around 30lbs on your back) and Jenna seemed to find it comfortable as well. She liked being up high so she could see what was going on around her. One of the biggest issues was when she would shift her weight. She would like to lean out to the sides for a better view and it would throw the weight around making it a pain (literally) at times.
Ergo Baby Carrier
We were planning a trip to Hawaii and I really wanted to do some hiking this time (I was pregnant the time before). I knew that our Kelty pack was just too huge to take with us, but I wasn't even sure there were packs designed for bigger kids (Jenna was 20 months old - and very tall). After doing some extensive research and enlisting the advice of several friends who owned the packs, I started dreaming of owning an Ergo. I was dreaming because we had a tight budget for our vacation, and these packs aren't cheap - even used. Thankfully, God answers prayers, and I happened to find a gently used one for half the price other used ones were going for. Hooray!
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| Hawaiian Jungle |
I LOVE THIS PACK! I never imagined carrying a 30lb baby up a muddy, rocky, jungle trail to a waterfall could be so comfortable. When I put Jenna in the pack, she instantly snuggles up against me and gives me big hugs.
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| Sleeping baby - again. (We really do give her normal naps in comfy beds!) |
PROS: Lightweight durable fabric carrier. Compact, so it's easy to travel with. Extremely comfortable and easy to use. Waste strap alleviates back strain. Has a sleep hood you can pull up and snap to keep child's head from bobbing around. Can carry child on your front, back, and several other ways. Able to carry infants (need a special insert) up to toddlers.
CONS: When carrying the child on your front, the buckle can be tricky to get closed on your back sometimes. Child is carried against your body, so there is not much ventilation (the sweaty problem again). The child is not able to face away from you while carrying them on your front.
Thoughts: I would highly recommend this pack to anyone and everyone. I may sound a bit over the top, but I was astonished at how comfortable it was to carry Jenna in it. She was cuddled in safe and secure, so there was no need to support her with my hands, which left me free to make sure I kept my balance on tricky parts in the trail. She loves exploring with us in her pack, and I love having her close and getting to cuddle her the whole time!
Now we just need to find a pack to carry her with our hiking packs!
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| Backpacking Eagle Cap Mountain (Jenna stayed home for this one!) |
**Just a reminder that these opinions are all mine... but I wish I was reimbursed for them! ha ha ha!
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