The question I always seem to be getting:
What hiking backpack
do you use?
As you know, in the warmer months, I'm usually hiking weekly. We spend much of our time in the mountains, and I knew once we had Ellie, we needed a good pack to bring her along on our adventures.
I did a lot of research on this. I don't have a great lower back, and I wanted to be sure to find something that wasn't going to be strenuous on my back while carrying our little Ellie. I also was willing to pay a little bit more for this, if I knew the quality was something that would last me through all my kids. After a lot of research, my husband and I decided to go with The Osprey Poco Plus Kid Carrier, and we've never looked back. I also have a bunch of my friends who have bought it ever since I've shown it to them, and all of them have loved it.
CLICK here TO FIND IT.
(and that's the best price I've found.)
Let me tell you the reasons why I love it so much.
1. I'm 5'5," my husband is 6'1", and this pack has adjusted great for both of us, never causing either one of us lower back pain. If you know how to adjust the straps just right, the weight is evenly distributed to your hips and lower body in a way that relieves your shoulders and back from taking too much of the weight. (That's what the AG stands for in the name: Anti-Gravity.)
2. I love that we've used this from when Ellie had the strength to hold her head up... and we can use it until she gets to be ~50 lbs!! (Hopefully by then, she'll be a good enough hiker to be OUT of the pack!)
3. The space this backpack provides is amazing. Not only do you have many pockets to choose from when you're on the go, but the main, back pocket fits more than you'll ever need for a daytime hike and has storage space of 1587 cu in.
4. I love how lightweight it is. With aluminum framing, this backpack only weighs 7.67 pounds. I know there are probably lots of lighter-weight ones out there for all you crazy, hard-core, backpacking hikers, but this one does the trick for me.
5. There's a removable and washable drool pad, as well as other features to make it easy for you. SCORE. Moms, you know how amazing this is. This pack has been designed to make your baby happy... and as we all know... A happy babe = happy parent.
6. Ellie LOVES this pack. If you've been on any of my MOMSTRONG hikes, you've likely seen her fast asleep in the back. Not only is her seat padded and comfortable, but it also has the mesh around it for ventilation. The addition of the sun shade is a MUST. I've never had to worry about her overheating or getting a sunburned scalp in this pack.
I made a quick video below to hopefully answer any of your other questions.
As I was looking through my pictures from last year, I realized I have probably close to 100 with this backpack in it. I've seriously used it everywhere... from the mountain, to when we've mowed the lawn and had her on our backs, to cleaning the house (it works wonders), to taking her on weekend trips. It has come with us everywhere!
Good luck in your search and I'm hoping to see more of you on the trail this year!!
