When your Little One still has very little legs and isn't walking very far (if at all), how can you still get your mountain fix?
The answer? Stick them on your back and get back into the hills/fells/mountains! Think of it as training...
At heart, we are a mountain couple. Everything we did pre-Little Chaps was geared around getting out in the mountains - and the higher the better. If we were "forced" into a road bike ride (which we do love, honest!), we just called it aerobic training to build our hill fitness.
Pic. Deuter Kid Comfort II, so good we bought two!
NOTE: Deuter have recently re-labelled their packs the Kid Comfort Active, the Kid Comfort and the Kid Comfort Pro. The Kid Comfort II appears to now be the Kid Comfort, retaining many of the same great features. You'll still find the Kid Comfort II on second hand sites!
As such, once we learned that Little Chap #1 would be coming along to join us on our adventures. our first thoughts were not for cots, baby clothes, high chairs etc, we went straight to an outdoor shop to look at baby-carrying rucksacks. This really was the first item of baby paraphernalia that we bought - we didn't think about any other stuff for another 6 months!
I think there were 3 options to choose from that particular day that we went to look - one from LittleLife, one from Osprey and one from Deuter. The Deuter Kid Comfort II was our choice and I'll try to outline why we believed, and still believe, that this is the best pack you can get for transporting your Little One into the hills.
Appearance: We all know that style over substance is dangerous. However, the Deuter bag is a good looking bit of kit. It just looks that part, plenty of features that actually help and no extra sticking out bits etc. I've always been a fan of Deuter kit for Alpine adventures and this bag has the same, relatively, clean lines that I look for in a rucksack. The material feels rugged without being extra heavy and it feels like a quality piece of equipment.
Fit:
There are loads of features to help you make this carrier comfortable and secure on your back.
The hip-belt is substantial - necessary for the weight it will be taking.
The back system adjusts to your back length and, importantly, this is really quick and simple to adjust - great for us when we wanted to share the load.
The breathable mesh on the back and on the shoulder straps helps with breathability when the hills are steep (the load is always heavy!!)
I have happily carried this bag all day, up and down Munros and Lakeland Fells. We have even taken Little Chap #1 up Jack's Rake and a few other low grade scrambles because the bag and child are so secure when the bag is properly adjusted.
Pics L-R: on Jack's Rake, Turning the lights off for a nap, costing us a fortune in bite-valves whilst testing the hydration system.
Child comfort:
Of course, the child's comfort is important. In our criteria, this was probably of equal importance to the adult fit because we intended to use it for long days out which wouldn't be possible with an unhappy child (well, it would, it just wouldn't be peaceful, or enjoyable for them!). The Kid Comfort II stacks up well in this department too.
Firstly, it is really easy to get in and out of. A side entrance makes it easy to move the Little Chaps in and out. In time, they could get themselves in and out, once it was placed securely on the floor (not in transit!).
The arm straps and chest harness keeps them seated and secure. As they grew it did become hard to clip the clip that goes between their legs but by this point it wasn't really necessary.
The sides are well padded which really helps for napping and the seat height can be lowered to keep the head at the right height for this - also useful so that they can hunker down in more marginal weather conditions.
Of course, there is no inherent warmth in these carriers beyond their ability to block wind and rain in sub-optimal weather conditions. I have explored our tactics for keeping the Little Chaps warm elsewhere - our record was at least 7 or 8 layers!
Storage:
There is one massive storage pocket under the child's seat. We could get all the baby related items in here plus my waterproof which is pretty impressive.
Hydration is taken care of with a bladder pouch. Warning - although incredibly good to have water on tap for the adult, the child can take the hose and use it. Great for their hydration BUT this will cost you a fortune in bite valves around teething time!
There is also a small pocket on the hip belt for little bits and pieces (I never use these pockets!).
There are also 2 great webbing pockets near the top. Sunhats, gloves etc all stow in here for quick access and they are really handy. The webbing seems quite strong and we haven't added any extra holes despite all the use the bag has had.
Features:
Sunshade - this was brilliant for our trips to the Continent in the summer holidays. It is pretty substantial and easy to fit. However, it is one of those take it / don't take it items as there is not a great way to carry it if not attached. We nearly always took it.
Rain cover. This is stored in a small pocket in the sun shade. Really easy to fit and it fills in the sides. We used this a lot with Little Chap #2 who really didn't (and still doesn't ) like the the wind, even a slight breeze, in his face at all. This was tested in quite damp conditions up various Munros with Little Chap #1 and kept him as dry as could be expected.
Stand. The kickstand is one of the main reasons we chose this bag over others. It folds in to make the bag quite flat when not in use so can be stored in cupboards, car boots etc quite easily. More importantly, it is really stable. With the base of the bag and the stand being independent of each other, it is easy to put the bag down safely on rocky and uneven terrain.
Grab handles. These are super substantial and great for assistance to put the bag on as it get heavier as your load grows.
Pics: A really well-used bit of kit for our family, plenty of adventures all together
Main benefits that led us to Deuter over the other options:
1) Fit. This should be your number 1 criteria and the Deuter bag is just so adjustable with really comfy straps and padding in all the right places.
2) The kickstand. Many bags have a huge base that does not fold in. This makes it hard to pack in a holiday-laden car boot and, worse, hard to put down securely on rocky terrain. This does give those bags a bit more storage space, but, trust me, your bag will be heavy enough. The key is working out what you don't need!
3) the Kid Comfort III (now Kid Comfort Pro) comes with a much higher headrest for the child. This just gets caught on things on rest days (eg in National Trust properties or similar) and is a real pain. On the hills, it is just something to catch the wind. The Kid Comfort II is just a little better thought out.
4) resale value - there is a really healthy resale market. Our second carrier was purchased second hand and sold on for exactly the same amount a couple of years later.
So, in summary, an awesome piece of equipment. A really great fit for both adult and child and you can't ask for much more than that. It enabled Mummy and Daddy to get quickly back into the hills and to share our love for the mountains with the Little Chaps. Both of them soon wanted to walk on the hills themselves and getting them out early has really paid off (it is NEVER to late to start introducing your Little, or not-so-Little, Ones to the outdoors). If you are at the start of your own amazing journey, get a Kid Comfort II (now Kid Comfort if you are buying new) and see where it takes you all...
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