Baby on their backs

[TrishandAlex]

Early Bird and Trish, do you have recommendations for the types of front carriers that work the best on hikes (like Baby Bjorn vs. sling, etc.)? I know everyone is different, but I am just doing some research (baby due in a few months), and I would love to hear your opinions on that--or anyone else's opinions on the board.

I didn't use a Baby Bjorn because they provide no support to a baby's legs...I always preferred my kids to have their legs curled and supported, especially in their younger months. Again -- this is MY opinion for my OWN kids -- not trying to declare what anyone else should or should not do with theirs.

I had three types of slings I used on a regular basis. Two of them were standard, run-of-the-mill slings (one was a Doctor Sears, the other was a Kangaroo Kid). I just learned different ways to place them in there hang them from me (alsmot always front and/or side) and tighten the strap so that everything felt right.

I also used a mesh sling -- can't remember the name of it now, nor can I find it! It was made for sunny days. The fabric has some kind of sun-guard material in it, and it could also get wet without being weighed down (I also use this sling when wading in a lake or pool).

The one backpack I used was a hand-me-down and nothing special. Only used it in the Italian Alps. It was a back carrier -- I MUCH preferred using a sling, since the carrier put the child away from my body a bit and therefore my entire balance felt a bit off. Had to work harder to hike than I did when using a sling.

That pack ended up being torn apart by wild horses (without Alex in it), so I didn't use it for long. But that's another story.

 

[rocket21]

Tame trail is one thing, but I can understand your hesitation, Wolfgang, in seeing this on the Caps Ridge Trail.

We had this issue a few times a year back when I was in the ski industry. We had a strict policy about it, too - absolutely no riding up the chairlift. It was one thing to walk around the base area of the ski area with a baby on board, but to ski any of the trails, out of the question. The owner had, in his many decades of running ski areas, seen a few occasions in which great skiers had lost their balance (going slowly), with terrible results.

As is the case with winter hiking, one has to look at the potential misfortunes. Just like walking across the Crawford Path between Mt. Washington and Lakes when there's no foot bed and a big ice slope leading downhill, what happens if someone is trying to get down one of the scrambles on Caps Ridge and falls? Surely, a parent would do everything they could to prevent harm to their kid during a fall like that, but things happen in a matter of seconds and the results (sliding down a rock slab) would be terrible.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Jeremy, I would take a baby on the Caps Ridge trail without hesitation. I'd also go with another person, and find all kinds of ways to maneuver to get down that trail safely, with a baby in tow, with the help of another adult. There are a few ways of bypassing the steepest parts, there are choices on which way you can put your feet to descend. I've done trails that are much more difficult than that, with a baby slung to my chest, with no problems or worries. I, personally, would be confident with that, no problems. Others might not be -- but then they can choose not to go on it.

I think this is one of those things that is really, truly, an individual call -- left up to the responsible and experienced parent.

Ski resorts, well, they have insurance issues and all that, so of course they're free to put rules in place.

Personally? I wish more were concerned about letting their kid watch television and play Wii for hours on end. Where's the outrage over hours wasted staring at American Idol? Where are the worries over the impact skinny magazine models with unnaturally giant boobs have on our growing girls? That everyday kind of crap is FAR more hazardous to my kids' physical and mental health than the Caps Ridge trail.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Just to clarify, I'm not sayin' that EVERY parent with a child out there is hiking in a safe or reasonable way. Just like not every hiker withOUT a kid is hiking in a safe or reasonable way.

Just sayin' -- generally speaking -- that it's possible to hike with a baby/toddler on some pretty gnarly trails and do so in a safe manner.

 

[rocket21]

I guess we have to agree to disagree...I've hiked Caps Ridge 4 times in the past 2 years and have tripped or fallen twice (I don't trip or fall that often). I'd probably wait until my (hypothetical at this point!) child was older (than needing to be carried) before hiking Caps Ridge - Mt. Jefferson will always be there!

 

[TrishandAlex]

Jeremy, I'm not saying you should take a baby on it. If you personally are not comfortable taking a baby on it, then you shouldn't.

However, I would ask that you (and others) not try to decide that NO ONE ELSE should do that trail with a baby.

Because really and truly, it is up to no one but the parent.

(PS -- I hope you know that I say that respectfully and with a smile)

 

[starbug2000]

Thanks for the sling info, Trish.

On the topic at hand, I tend to be a faller (I can admit this to myself at this point), so I would personally be very careful about the trails I took while carrying a baby. My husband, on the other hand, is definitely not a faller, so we would probably use a bit more latitude if he was the one to be carrying her. I think some honest self-assessment, as well as knowledge of a particular trail we might hike, will probably stand me in good stead.

 

[wardsgirl]

Like Trish, I always carried my son, Ethan, in a sling when he was an infant. I could carry a full backpack and him in the sling in front with no problem. I only fell once as I recall, and it was not an issue because I put my hands out to break my fall, thus not breaking his head.

When he got too big for the sling I carried him in a Tough Traveler Kid Carrier, which was the state of the art kid pack when he was young. (He'll be 14 next month.) On the numerous times that I wiped out with him in the carrier, he was so well strapped into the harness system that he never got hurt. Of course as he got older, he resorted to making fun of me for falling, so I would make him get out and hike by himself.

I think the harness systems on today's packs are even more beefy than what I had. If a kiddo is strapped in correctly, it shouldn't be a problem if and when the adult takes a fall.

 

[jniehof]

One (two?) pieces of information to keep in mind: under about one year of age, children are at a fairly high risk of head and neck injury because their skulls haven't full calcified and their neck muscles haven't developed. Trish's slings are probably much more supportive of the head/neck than a back carrier and I'd be more conservative with a 6 month old than an 18 month old. (The topic of helmets for infants has come up on the cycling instructor list, and consensus is don't take the kids out until 1 year.)

 

[ColdRiverRun]

This would all be so much easier if parents would just flip their kids over and read the warning labels.

 

[rocket21]

However, I would ask that you (and others) not try to decide that NO ONE ELSE should do that trail with a baby.

Because really and truly, it is up to no one but the parent.

(PS -- I hope you know that I say that respectfully and with a smile)

I was hesitant to say anything along those lines in my first post, but I might as well make it clear - I am for less government regulation, not more.

That said, again if I were in the situation, I'd simply wait a few years. There's no need to rush up Jefferson on a rough trail, putting baby on back at risk, just because it's on a list. Though it would be interesting to see someone attempt the NEHH with baby on back

 

[TrishandAlex]

One (two?) pieces of information to keep in mind: under about one year of age, children are at a fairly high risk of head and neck injury because their skulls haven't full calcified and their neck muscles haven't developed. Trish's slings are probably much more supportive of the head/neck than a back carrier and I'd be more conservative with a 6 month old than an 18 month old. (The topic of helmets for infants has come up on the cycling instructor list, and consensus is don't take the kids out until 1 year.)

This is a really good point.

One of the many, many reasons I used a sling instead of a carrier is that I could wrap the baby so snugly that it felt like they were back in the womb (just outside my body instead of in). Every part of their body was fully supported without the use of my hands. There was no way they were going to fall out, even if I had done a cartwheel (though I didn't actually test that theory).

Also, the wrapping made both of them more apt to sleep/feel content and much less likely to fuss or wiggle.

As they got older (over a year old), carrying style switched to less tight wrapping and more hip placement. Also, the use of one hand became necessary as they grew into toddlerhood. So in many ways, for me, hiking was easier and safer when they were infants as opposed to when they became wiggly, larger toddlers. At that point I started putting them down a lot to walk on their own for as long as they wanted.

 

[Trainwreck]

I took Hannah into Tuckerman to sit on lunch rocks and watch the skiers when she was 4 months old. My husband wore her on his chest while I carried our food/water. When Molly came along one year later, I strapped her into a front carrier, then to a backpack as both kids grew. We did, however, tone down the hikes. We stayed below treeline to avoid the weird unpredictable weather. Having fallen both up and down the Caps Ridge, I myself would not carry a baby up there. But that is ME. I do applaud anyone who gets their kids out into the forest, but to each his/her own re: the difficulty of the trails they choose.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

I agree with what Trish has said on this thread.

Starbug, we didn't start hiking with Norah until she was ~ 5 months old. Although I used a basic sling for walks, we used an Ergo carrier while hiking (my husband carries her 99% of the time). We still use it (she's ~ 21 months now). As for frame carriers, I've read good things about the Sherpani products, but haven't tried one (Steve did try a Kelty frame carrier that somebody had given us a few weekends ago, but didn't like it, so it's the Ergo for as long as Norah is happy in it). If/when we have a second and depending what time of the year he/she is born, I will be checking out some slings.

We have a fantastic locally owned baby store that carries all sorts of slings, wraps, and carriers. I would recommend trying to find a place near you that you can try them out and have somebody help you put them on the first time.

 

[giggy]

this is nuts and ridiculous now- its such an personal choice what and who does what with their kids as far as hiking -

those that have kids an replied, we'll - they probably have the best advice to give...

until somebody shows me some hard data about all these "possible" falls that "may" hurt the kids... then let parents do what they feel is right...

Like i said - I might not take a baby up caps ridge in a carrier, but at the same time, I have no problem with anyone that does...and do not think that they are taking a crazy risk -

there is risk in everything...

I am hoping there are more comments from those w/o kids with advice on how to hike - so i can take notes....and apply that to my wilderness parenting skills....

 

[brianW]

I have hiked with a child on my back for many years. I have a 13,11,7 and 2 year old. I had all on my back for many miles and have never been worried about the trail. The only time I felt nervous about saftey was when the weather changed faster than I expected.


As mentioned earlier it is the parents choice. I am all in favor for parents rights. To be honest i have a feeling that a persons home is way more dangerous to a child than the trail.

 

[mookie]

maybee parents shouldnt leave the house with their children in vehicles. that is dangerous. maybee parents shouldnt leave their children at a day care, kind of dangerous. maybee parents shouldnt let their children outside to play, that can get dangerous........
or we can stop being concerned about what parents do with their own children.
i have no children so i cant really say if i would or would not take them hiking it a carrier type thing but it would be my decision and certainly nothing that any other person could/should be concerned with.

 

[MadRiver]

Since I haven’t had a red square in a while, so I’m not feeling the love, I have a quick question. Hypothetically, if Trish were taken over by a malevolent alien organism and decided to place Alex on the back of the Owl’s Head moose for a great photo-op, should DaveBear and I have said something? Discuss.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Yes, MadRiver, I do think you should have said something had I suddenly lost my mind and thrown Alex onto the back of the moose. I think we can all agree that trying to ride a moose is a violation of hiker ethics, yes? But you're right -- that would have been a great photo op though...hmm...maybe next time.

 

[mookie]

decided to place Alex on the back of the Owl’s Head moose for a great photo-op, should DaveBear and I have said something? Discuss.

whats wrong with that? that moose was cute!