KELTY Carrier - Journey model ?

[WhiteMTHike]

Greetings,

I have a question for anyone on this board who uses a Kelty Carrier or something similar when bringing their child on a hiking trail. My son will be three in August; he weighs about 40 lbs. and loves to be on the trails. He enjoys riding in the Kelty Carrier but he seems to like it a little too much. I think after his 3rd birthday that it might be time to break him of it. I think he's got too much of a comfort zone with it and might be getting a little lazy. The problem is I don't want to turn him off to hiking.

Let me ask any of you how old your kid(s) were when you took them out of the carriers and placed them on the trails? How did it work out for you? I appreciate any advice on this one.

Thanks

 

[deb]

Kelty carrier

It depends on the hike, but I usually still bring the carrier for my 4 year old ( she is only 27 lbs so there is a weight difference) Depending on the length of the trail and the mood she is in she may walk some or all of the hike, but I find it worth it, just in case. For my other kids, I did not bring it after they turned 5.

 

[brianW]

Last summer I started wi/ taking the pack and having my little one (3 @ the time) doing the hiking. She did not use it that often. Toward the end of the summer she was doing the hikes (about 4 miles max) by herself and I was not carrying the pack. There were a few hikes that I did carry her though in my arms.

 

[snowshoe]

I wish my daughetr would use the packs more. She rather walk and she is going to be 2 this July. She can do 2 miles of rolling terrain by herself. I wish she did not mind the carrier. Then I could get moremiles in. From day one she refused to sit in a carrier. Guess in the long run it is a good thing.