UKH

Looking for a backpack/carrier for carrying an 18 month old around in the hills. Any recommendations welcome. Thanks 

Someone asked this last week

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/hill_talk/baby_carriers-729790?v=1#x9373131

Expensive / nice / comfy / = Osprey Poco Plus / (second hand on FB often 50% RRP)

Cheaper ones by Deuter / little life etc. also great.

Ive got a MacPac Vamoose v1 and its great.  Not tried the V2 - but the V1's are often available second hand for a good price.  Its really comfortable to carry, has good storage in the base and a removable bag for other stuff. good back adjustment ( for the rare occasions when the mrs carries it)  The kids loved being in it.

I didn’t get on with rucksack style carriers because they were too heavy, uncomfortable and dangerous because they altered my centre of gravity. I would recommend trying a soft style carrier like a Connecta to see which style of carrier you prefer.

I had an Osprey Poco Plus and was happy with that. I'd agree with the comment about the centre of gravity - I really only ventured out on some low level walks, although you do see people using them to carry kids up big mountains. The extra height was a bit of an issue at first and there were a couple of times where I came close to whacking my little one into a low branch, but maybe that's because I'm only 5'3" and generally don't have to take that sort of thing into account. As my lad got older I found the hardest part to be getting the pack on and off again, but if you can find something like a bench or handy rock this helps. He could probably have stayed in it for longer but I found the chest harness ended up too tight for him, and although it is partly elasticated it just wouldn't fit over anything more than a light top.

as above, we had a MacPac Vamoose. bought second hand, sold for about the same as we bought it for 2 years later.

Used to mix it up with that and a "frog snuggler" which was a generic term for a wraparound thing that let you strap the toddler to your chest but 18months is probably about the limit for those.

I have three children, now teenagers.  I carried them all into toddlerhood with varying degrees of success.

Eldest, I had a soft carrier on my chest until she outgrew it at six months, when I got a Kelty Kids framed backpack.  It was well-made and secure, but, as with one of the above posters, she soon got too heavy and awkward for me to lift onto my back on my own and I had to use props.  Then I got pregnant with no 2 so couldn’t fasten it round my waist. 

Whilst it was a sturdy pack, it weighed a lot, wasn’t particularly comfortable for me or my husband (we are at opposite ends of height range), and because child is held away from parents body, it’s easy for them to get cold without being noticed.

Child no 2, I was determined to be able to carry her for longer so entered into the world of baby-wearing.  Tried a few different slings and found for older babies/toddlers, either a wrap style sling (long length of fabric) or a mei-tai, similar to the Connecta mentioned above, worked well.  Both are very adjustable, to child and adult size, lightweight, can be tied in different ways to suit circumstances and carries the child close to the body, which is great for temperature regulation and centre of gravity.  I could also get them on and off without assistance which was a huge bonus.

They do have a steeper learning curve than the framed packs, especially the wraps but I found it worthwhile to learn new techniques and carried child no 2 until she was just over two years old and no 3 until she was about 18 months (she was an extremely independent person who wanted to walk everywhere).

Organic Big Pad. Either sitting on yer shoulders and leaning on the pad. 
 

Or stashed between the pad (also smaller pads work for this).

;)

Thank you all for the input and advice. Much appreciated