Top 4 Carrier Bags for Getting Out and About with Kids - Review

I have often been asked how our family are able to get out and about into the mountains with two small kids and although it is definitely more challenging than going without kids we have decided to instill a love for nature and the outdoors in our kids from a young age and that is why they go with us on most of our day hike adventures.

Backpacks:

The easiest way we have found to get out is with Child Carrier Backpacks and both me and my wife have got a backpack for each of the children. Bearing in mind is that it is still a child that you are carrying on your back so you have to be quite fit and used to backpacks to still enjoy the experience yourself. It is a great way for children to experience nature as they have got the same point of view as yourself and you can easily communicate with them. I have even used it for going to the supermarket or walking around in town. One of the benefits of the better child carriers is that they are very comfortable for the kids and we frequently find our kids taking a nap in the back while we are hiking.

Different brands:

There are numerous backpacks on the market to choose from which varies from entry level to premium, with pricing varying anything between R1599 and R5299. The big price differences can mainly be found in the added features and then also the type of harnesses the premium brands use on these packs.

We have had our packs for over four years now and both are still in very good condition even though one of them was bought second hand. The second hand one was the K-Way Papoose Baby Carrier and although a nice pack we can definitely feel the difference between this one and the one we bought later which was the Osprey Poco Plus which is an incredible pack. Since we have bought these there have been a few upgrades from the manufacturers.

Looking at what is currently on the market you mainly have a choice between the below options:

North-Ridge is a local manufacturer and is seen as the entry level unit in our market. It has got all the basics like a sunshade and extra pocket but lacks a bit of packing space and comfort. It currently retails for R1599 at Outdoor Warehouse and the North-Ridge website.

The K- Way Habibi Baby Carrier is exclusive to Cape Union Mart and currently costs R1999 on their website. It also comes with a sunshade and removable daypack.

Also exclusively to Cape Union Mart is the Deuter Kid Comfort II Baby Carrier which currently retails at R3899 from the Cape Union Mart website. This is a great pack with the extra comfort and packing space but the glaringly obvious shortcoming of this pack is that the sunshade must be bought extra.

Then lastly and this is the one I bought is the Osprey Poco Plus. It does come with a hefty price tag of R5299 and available mainly online and from independent outdoor stores. The technology and thoughtfulness put into this pack is great. The pack we had has got a small nappy changing foldout as well as a removable daypack as well as ample storage space for nappies and accessories.