How to carry your child when hiking ?

Your family has grown, but there's no way you're giving up enjoying outdoor activities. That’s for sure, but you will have to adapt what you do to the new recruit, and even when baby can walk, around 3-4 years, don’t count on him walking faster than 1 or 2 km/h. A carrying system is therefore essential if you want to continue walking at your own pace.

Physiological carrying systems

This is the preferred system for daily carrying and it can be used from day one, given that it respects the baby's physiology and ensures that the carrier is comfortable. The baby is in a sitting/crouched position, weight on the buttocks, knees bent at about navel height, head supported in line with the spine.

CARRYING SLING
As the name implies, the system consists of holding baby using a fabric specifically designed to be both stretchy and durable through different ways of knotting the fabric.The sling can be used from birth and has no age limit. It can be used to carry baby on the front or on the back and is extremely comfortable. That said, it does take some getting used to. Be careful, the sling retains heat, so it is therefore not the best for summer!

PRE-FORMED BABY CARRIERS
A good compromise between ergonomics and convenience. They are quite compact and generally look like "backpacks" equipped with belts, shoulder straps and buckles. The most recent models also have "light" or ventilated versions that are specially designed for travelling and hiking. Although the "loading" technique takes a bit of getting used to, the installation is quick and the adjustments are intuitive and rapid! Small detail: the "hood" is very practical for supporting the child's head when he or she is sleeping. Allow between 300 and 600 g depending on the style–and the possibility of storing it the backpack if baby is a great walker!

The rigid carrying system

Most family trekkers are equipped with them.Its main advantage: part-backpack, part-baby carrier, in general it offers a loading capacity of 10 to 25 L as well as storing pockets on the sides or on the belt and a sunroof to protect from the sun. Most of the models are fitted with a stand so that they can be placed on the ground for easy loading. Finally, unlike baby slings (pre-shaped or not), the back of the carrier and the baby are more "ventilated" because there is no contact between them. That said, the child is more exposed to bad weather.

There are some limitations to this kind of carrying device:
As soon as your child reaches the critical weight of 12-15 kg, added to the 3-3.5 kg unloaded weight of the bag, the weight feels quite uncomfortable.
In addition, it’s not suitable for children under 12 months because they cannot support their own heads and may sag inside the baby carrier.
Finally, it is also inadvisable to use it for long journeys because the child is resting on his or her groin and this type of carrying system is not ideally suited to the child's physiology. Stirrups and headrests purchased separately can significantly improve your child’s comfort.

Before any purchase, try out various types of carrying system and different models in order to find one that suits you! Keep in mind the following essential criteria: your comfort and that of your child.

Margaux

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