Break out the flame throwers

[mavs00]

I think my well hidden "inner mother" does panic. (OMG...a kid...out of ear-shot!...lost?!?... oh no!) I have been a bad adult!

I am going to my room now....

ADK

Not at all

You actually provided a great opportunity for the discussion to take place. Truth is we ALL make snap judgments from time to time. You're also right that there are a fair share of spoiled rotten little SOB's out there. Problem is, from such a short snapshot, you can almost never tell what you got in front of you. We just showed that there is another side too

That reminds me something related that I'll share (yup, It's likely to bore the crap out of you too). In my younger, less patient days, I used to get annoyed as all get out whenever I got stuck behind some old geezer in like the supermarket line or something. I'd be sitting there tapping my feet and muttering under my breath "come on, you old fart, I ain't got all day." or something as equally profound.

Then I saw that movie "Saving Private Ryan". I can't help look at any 80-something "old fart" and wonder just who he is, and what has he done during those 80 years. Silly I know, but it really makes me stop and wonder now and I find I'm much more tolerant and patient of old folks too.

Another perfect example, you might assume with my zillion posts that I actually know what I'm talking about here. Stick around, I soon prove otherwise

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I think my well hidden "inner mother" does panic. (OMG...a kid...out of ear-shot!...lost?!?... oh no!)

You just reminded me of the time when I was alone with two kids. One of them 'disappeared'. The other kid simply says, "Oh, we lost Jean-Pierre. Oh well." The thought of loosing his brother didn't seem to bother him too much.

 

[Umsaskis]

A lot of good stuff here. Maybe it should go in another thread, but I'd like to know what makes a good carrier. We are thinking of having kids, and we do want to take them out early, on the warmer days and shorter trails. I know Kelty makes good carriers, but what features specifically should we look for? I know a lot about packs, but not much about infants and toddlers (yet)!

 

[percious]

Before the age of 6 months you are best with the front-loading-kangaroo-style carrier. I have tried kelty's offering, and one other brand, the kelty was better.

After six months, the kid's back is better formed, and it is not painful for them to hold their head up for hours, and you can put them in a backpack. Personally I dislike the Kelty backpack line very much. They are over-built, put the child's weight way to far back, and are expensive considering they come with no storage whatsoever.

The carrier I DO like, was my tough traveler. www.toughtraveler.com Made in the USA (Scenectady, NY to be exact). Comfortable for up to 12 hours, and they come with storage, and are about 1/2 the weight of a comperable kelty. I was uneasy about spending another $150 on a carrier, but I just could not deal with the bruises left by my kelty. I have never regretted the purchase, only that I did not do it sooner.

FYI I dont work for TT and I am not affiliated with them in any way.

-percious

 

[Umsaskis]

Thanks Percious. I checked it out, and it looks good - I'm wondering how good the pouch underneath is for carrying gear, but I probably wouldn't take the kid on really long hikes in inclement weather, anyhow.

Interesting to note that a few other folks have expressed concern about giving up hiking, as have I. I bet it's a common thought that has run through all of our heads who have or will be having kids. I think it helps to hang around the right people, and to have these kinds of discussions. I have one side of my family that is extremely kid-oriented but are completely inside, coffee-clatching types, and that was all I saw of kids for quite a while. It really made me worry about having kids; I wondered if I would be able to force myself to change into a "good" mother who spent all her time playing with coloring books, toy cars and dolls, and didn't ever need get away into the woods. To get past that issue, I've worked on remembering other people I've known who did it differently, and I've had many a talk with my own mother who described all the things she did with my sister and I in a baby backpack. I think it does work out ok for us outdoorsy types, even if we're the moms.

Having said that, I'm sure that when I do have kids I'll probably shed a few tears of sadness for the mountains and for solitude, but I've shed those same tears because of other events in my life and I've always ended up back in the mountains. First I hiked alone, now I hike alone sometimes and with my husband sometimes, and in the future I'll hike alone sometimes, with my husband sometimes, and with a son or daughter sometimes. That's not so bad.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Emily and I are expecting our second boy (Marshall) in early April.

Marshall is my Dad's name. I never made the connection between him and the peak until just now, although Marshall the peak is a last name.

What are you going to do if you have more than 46 kids?

 

[MonadnockVol]

Raising the issue again

So summer will be here soon (or so it is rumored) which means that people will be climbing mountains with their kids strapped to their fronts or backs. I’m resurrecting this issue because of an experience that happened since I first raised it three years ago.

Last summer I was volunteering for the park rangers on Mt. Monadnock and received a radio call to assist Dave, the ranger on patrol, with a woman with a broken ankle. She had fallen just above the upper junction of the White Dot and White Cross trails. When I got there a crowd had gathered watching Dave put a splint and then a cast on the woman’s leg. Of course, being a weekend on Monadnock, there was a steady stream of people trying to get by, resulting in lots of congestion. Into this mess came a man carrying his young daughter on a back carrier. As he tried to negotiate the crowd, he brought his feet together and the lace hooks on one boot slipped over the laces on the other boot and just like that his feet were locked together. He went down as suddenly as a calf roped by a rodeo cowboy and the direction of his fall was backwards right on top of his daughter.

As I ran over to them the man was turtle-like on his back, still unable to separate his feet. The daughter was screaming bloody murder. I told her (and her father) what I was going to do and then hauled up on the carrier and lifted her out.

Amazingly it all turned out all right. The woman was evacuated by helicopter, and the little girl, although shaken and scared was otherwise unharmed. But it could have so easily been otherwise. Which brings me back to my original point: even the best climbers fall and freak accidents such as the one I just described can also happen. Kids can be hurt by the impact of the fall or even just the whiplash on little neck muscles. I admit that it is a low probability thing, but one that has huge consequences.

Honesty compels me to admit (as I did in my original message) that when my son was little I hiked with him everywhere. Most of the hiking was along reasonably level trails but, looking back, I did some trips that I now think were just stupid. Fortunately, things turned out all right. Now my son is 24 and in another few years he’ll be carrying me…

… I just hope he doesn’t fall.

- Monadnock Volunteer (aka Steve and probably still stupid)

P.S. Last fall I became a grandfather. I admit that I understand the appeal of introducing my grandaughter to the mountains. Maybe I'll settle for carrying her on flatter trails through the woods. They live in Seattle but the next time they come to NH I'll see if I'm as good as my words.

 

[jbrown]

It's been a while...

Well, I just logged on to this site for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long... I forgot all about this thread and my intention to ask questions about baby carriers.

My wife is about 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins: a boy and a girl. We got these for the baby shower. I tried them out unloaded because nobody in Babies (backwards) R Us would lend a kid to us. They had alot of adjustment options, could be used front and back, and were reasonably priced.

I'll probably need a more substantial frame pack type carrier for each of us, but my wife doesn't like the big bulky ones. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? We have plenty of time, the kids won't be here for another 2 1/2 weeks...

 

[MadRiver]

I will more than likely be red squared for this yet sometimes I feel that parents can be the dumbest creatures to walk the face of the earth. Aside from the baby carrier issue, my favorite is the dad on the riding lawn mower swilling a can of beer while his son sits on the hood of the mower. I’ve lost count how may times I seen this.

There seems to be a disconnect between the physical laws of the universe and what parents will allow their children to do. I would have to check the statistics, but I am willing to bet that parents are the number one killer of children in this country.

My brother in-law’s neighbor lost his 8 year old son because the parent allowed his son to operate a snowmobile unsupervised. The sled tipped over and killed him. When I asked my brother in-law what the hell was an 8 year old doing riding a snowmobile by himself, his answer was that was beside the point. No, that was exactly the *%^$#* point! I can never understand how a parent can be so cavalier with the life of their child. And I guess I never will. May I have my red square please.

 

[jbrown]

MadRiver, If we were in church on a Sunday, I'd be standing up, raising my hands and shouting "AMEN!"

I guess my previous post was a little off topic, and I've already weighed in on this one...last year. I'm amazed when I drive by a small car dealer nearby and he has these teeny-tiny four-wheelers and dirtbikes out front. I can't imagine putting my 3 year old on one of those things, let alone a snowmobile.

I look forward to rock climbing, hiking, kayaking and lots of other stuff with my twins, but I'll want to be in complete control of the situation and keep them well within the limits of what is appropriate activity for their age and physical ability. (I don't do motorsports. My neck isn't red enough for that...)

 

[David Metsky]

Folks, if you want to talk about parenting in America, please take it elsewhere. This is not the place for that discussion.

 

[dug]

Well, I just logged on to this site for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long... I forgot all about this thread and my intention to ask questions about baby carriers.

My wife is about 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins: a boy and a girl. We got these for the baby shower. I tried them out unloaded because nobody in Babies (backwards) R Us would lend a kid to us. They had alot of adjustment options, could be used front and back, and were reasonably priced.

I'll probably need a more substantial frame pack type carrier for each of us, but my wife doesn't like the big bulky ones. Any suggestions that won't break the bank? We have plenty of time, the kids won't be here for another 2 1/2 weeks...

Thos carriers work well for a while. However, as they get a bit heavier the weight in the front doesn't work too well. I think there is like a 20-25lb weight limit for them.

I used Kelty pack that I liked. My child is getting too big for it, and is too young for full hikes, so I'm kind of stuck this summer I think by just playing in the woods.

Remember, for every time someone falls in one of those and gets hurt, probably several thousands use them and don't.

 

[jbrown]

Dug, I don't know if you realize, but the carrier I referenced can be used front and back. It seems better suited to rear-carry, to me...good hip belt; wide, adjustable shoulder straps; and I think it might have a sternum strap too...


(all future references to parenting in america will be nixed. good to see Chicken Boy is still on the job. )

 

[dug]

I did miss that. However, I do think they are more of an infant carrier than a child carrier. So, for a while, it will probably work pretty well. I used mine a lot...and I know others did as well. Never in the back, though...strictly in the front.

What I like about the bigger, bulkier carriers is that they come with a stand. There is an external aluminum frame that when you take the pack off, you can rest it on the stand. It almost "folds" when you are walking so you don't really notice it. It makes getting it on and off a heckuva lot easier. Also, since your child may not be able to stand, makes putting them in and out as they get heavier easier as well.

Conversely, the bigger carriers are too big for your infant. We ended up using both over time. Started with the smaller one and graduated to the bulkier one.

Enjoy!

 

[1ADAM12]

Jbrown,

When your twins get to be old enough get one of those Kelty Kids backpack carriers. I had my daughter in ours until she was 3 then her legs just got to long and it was uncomfortable for her. I highly recommend these and you can get them pretty cheap off e-bay like i did.

Adam

 

[erugs]

I'm a new grandmother (GramE) and have wondered about taking Emily hiking with me sometime. I don't think her parents will allow it -- my nickname is "She Who Falls In The Woods."

I cringe when I remember that I took a short motorcycle ride 30 years ago, with baby daughter. I hope the young dad I saw mountain biking with his young infant a few years ago cringes when he remembers what he did. Not only the riding down a rough road part, but the breaking apart of a dog fight that ensued, with his baby still in the cloth carrier in front of him. Maybe I'm a worrier, but I even cringe when my 24 year old son calls and asks about his accident insurance and mentions thumb, ER and table saw in the same sentence.

Two things I keep in mind. No accidents are planned, but when thinking about what might happen, don't believe every thought you have.

 

[smitty77]

Dug, I don't know if you realize, but the carrier I referenced can be used front and back. It seems better suited to rear-carry, to me...good hip belt; wide, adjustable shoulder straps; and I think it might have a sternum strap too...

Dug is (almost) correct on the weight for that style of carrier - the link you provided lists the max weight at 32 lbs. I think the Kelty can go to 50, though from experience I can tell you 35 is enough for me. The Kelty rides like an external with the exception the load is a lot further behind you. There is a significant amount of space between the child's center of gravity and your back, and the pack always strained my shoulders more than any other pack I've carried. The fact the torso measurement was a tad short for me didn't help matters. The kids loved riding in it though, so I didn't mind too much.

Percious turned me on to Deuter packs. I recommended them to a friend, and they thought it was incredibly comfortable and chose it hands down over the Kelty. Those packs keep the child a lot closer to you, much like an internal frame pack.

The one downside to the front-loaders: My kids always turned into little sweatballs in them. The fabric on ours was lined with a fleece or jersey material that traps the heat. A nice mesh-style would have been ideal, but I never found one at a price I was willing to pay.

 

[jbrown]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll just have to see what fits my budget and needs. (Budget will be pretty much sho in the next couple of weeks...more than likely I'll be a daddy within the fortnight.)

 

[timmus]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

One more thing to add : Baby carriers are great. I did many hikes with my two daughters, first in the front one (0-6 months), and the back one (6 months-3 years).

I took the risk of falling and hurting my babies because I thought that was less dangerous for them than sitting at home and become a depressive mom (probably a major cause of child abuse).

Try the Tough Traveler , it worked awesome for me and my family/friends (6 kids so far, one more on the way).

OH- and congrats !!!

 

[Viewseeker]

safty

good luck with the babys jbrown....i agree with pete...we all worry to the point of what we do becomes boring. I look at in the sence that we as you people will learn faster than those who are shelterd...giving us a better chance at this world and what it throws at us. rock on and take chances.
im sure everyone has read that saying about sliding in kicking,screeming...damn what a ride