Good distance hiking packs for baby?

[Madilyn68]

My husband and I want to work on planning a multi-day hike on the Pacific Crest Trail with our daughter, hopefully the tail end of next summer, and are searching for a good pack. Does anyone have experiences, good or bad, with certain packs? We're looking for something we could use now and for hopefully a couple of years (she is 7 months now). What is comfortable? Maybe has some storage space?

 

[jessmke]

We have a Vaude Jolly Comfort I pack. It was a gift, and while I probably wouldn't have chosen it myself (I'm partial to Osprey packs), it is very comfortable to wear, my daughter is comfortable in it, and it has a fairly large storage compartment. The sun and rain shade it comes with is crap and broke after only a few uses, but she has a full rain suit that provide better protection from the rain anyways, and a hat protects her just as well from the sun. It has a removable chin pad that allows her to rest her head and nap comfortably on longer hikes. We use the pack daily for the 5km hike we do with the dog in the mornings, and for longer 4-5 hr hikes about once or twice a week so we get a lot of use out of it.

 

[MindUtopia]

You likely won't get anything that is safe and ergonomic for a 7 month old that also has decent storage space. I would use a separate treking backpack to carry all your gear and then a carrier like an Ergobaby or similar ergonomic carrier for baby. We did use a Little Life carrier when our daughter was older, maybe from about 15 months, which has a small amount of storage space underneath, but they aren't really for little babies, more for toddlers because they have less hip and knee support than a baby needs. We used our Ergo though until our daughter was about 2.5.

 

[jessmke]

We've been using out hiking backpack since our daughter was 4 months old, it is designed and safe to be used once baby has full head control. It is adjustable so the head support moves up and down and the seat keeps the baby's hips in the same position that the Ergo does. There are straps that provide support so the baby easily remains upright and is not expected to support herself in a seated position. I live in the Rocky mountains where people do a great deal of hiking, and everyone I know has used their hiking backpacks usually by the time baby is about 6 months old, if you get a good quality one the are designed to be used with little babies. I suppose it depends on the climate, but there is no way I could hike with my LO in the Ergo, we would both overheat within 10 minutes with our bodies pressed against each other in the summer heat and the exertion from going up a mountain.

I agree that one person will need the carry the vast majority of your camping gear while the other one mostly just carriers the baby and your daily stuff like water and snacks. When I take my LO for a full day hike I can easily fit our gear for the day in the compartment of our hiking pack but not too much more. I usually carry my rain jacket, a sweater and change of socks for me, change of clothes/rain gear/jacket/hat for baby, some diapers and wipes, sunscreen and bug repellant, lunch/snacks/water for me and baby, water and snacks for the dog. I wouldn't be able to fit overnight essentials like a sleeping bag or cooking gear.