Kelty has been making backpack style child carriers for a long time. We bought one back in 2004 and are finally getting around to finding a new home for it. You just don‘t look for some products until you need them and that was the case for us. We didn‘t even know child carriers like these were available, and I‘m not sure how we found ours. This child carrier was a great purchase for us. It worked great, was comfortable, and provided a lot of fun for our family.
We bought the Kelty Back Country model and chose to get an optional bug net for it. This particular backpack and its accessories aren‘t even available now, so I won‘t go into too much detail about the specifics of this pack. Our kids really enjoyed riding in the pack and seemed to be quite comfortable even for an hour or two at a time. Our child carrier looks pretty much like new even after we loaned it to others a while.
For those of you that haven‘t looked at backpack style child carriers, the concept is pretty simple. Take a child car seat, lighten it up and add a backpack suspension system, add the necessary safety features to protect your precious cargo, throw in a few amenities to make the rig more comfortable for everyone and voilé , we have it!
Kelty Pathfinder 3.0Kelty offers a variety of child carriers that range in price from $139.95 to $299.95, each one having its own set of comfort features. Safety features include five point harnesses, sun hoods, no-pinch hinges, and gadgets like an auto deploy kick stand or other ways to provide a stable base on which to load the pack.
Weights of the child carriers as well as load capacities vary. Many packs have a minimum weight limit for the child as well as a maximum. The minimum child weight on the models that I have checked is 16 pounds. The maximum weight of the child varies, but 30 to 40 pounds seems to be the norm. Total maximum weight of the load is also specified on some models.
Adjustable torso length, and the normal adjustable hip belt and shoulder straps, hydration bladders, camera pockets, water bottle pockets and storage for all that necessary baby gear is also provided. Again, features vary product to product.
Our Kelty Kids child carrier held up well for both of our kids and more. We had great times with it hiking, at festivals, walking around the mall and sometimes just strolling in the yard. I recommend them for families who want to get outdoors with their little tikes and do so in comfort and safety.
Check out all of the Kelty Kids Child Carriers here.
– Mark
Very nice article Mark. I will be passing this along to my friends with little ones.
Thanks! We enjoyed ours.