Would you believe that we are still carrying our 4 year old in the same pack we have been carrying him in since he was 5 months old? That’s one heck of a pack.
I am quite sentimental about it. West is about to burst out of the seams of the pack and he really is too heavy to carry very far anymore, but we still push the limit on some combo of carrying him in the pack and hiking to go just a little bit further.
That pack of course is the Osprey Poco. We love it.
The Gear That Made Adventure Possible
I researched and researched ways to carry a kid in the wilderness at all ages when I was pregnant. The child carrier felt like the only tool needed to unlock my dreams of maintaining our outdoor adventures. And it really has been.
I thought it would be useful to outline all the ways we have carried a little human thousands of miles in the great outdoors since he was born until now.
I would have found it useful when I was pregnant and worried about how we keep up our adventure pace.
Full disclosure, we didn’t test different carriers at each age, but we did put many miles on all of them. The ones below are the ones we used from the get go and they served us well.
0–3 Weeks: Wrapped Up and Ready (Sollybaby Wrap)
We used the Sollybaby Wrap for a very short period right when West was born. I remember feeling triumphant getting out for a short hike in those first few weeks, while I know I probably should have been resting, but I needed the outdoors to orient me to our new world. While the Sollybaby Wrap isn’t intended for hiking, it does the job when the human is little and you feel like you need them close.
3 Weeks–6 Months: Finding Versatility (Lillebaby Complete)
The great thing about the Lillebaby is you can adjust it as your baby grows and this version has a mesh panel for when it is hot, which can be zipped up when it’s cold. I like versatility and adaptability in my outdoor kid products.
Carrying your baby on the front is wildly inconvenient when you are hiking, because you can’t see your feet and it pitches you forward, but that is the safety measure required until they can sit up and have good head and neck control.
6 Months–4 Years: Our Ride-or-Die Pack (Osprey Poco)
This pack is a workhorse. Such a magnificent piece of outdoor gear. So magnificent, as I have mentioned, that we still carry West in it today, but we are nearing its outer limit on weight load. We actually cheated and started carrying West in at five months, but I believe you are supposed to wait until 6 months. (Read our review of the PocoPlus)
Long story short is the pack has lots of pockets for gear, a critical sunshade, and adjusts as your kid grows. Plus, it’s durable. Osprey has expanded on their Poco line, since we were in the market and now has a version with more storage and one that is lighter and folds flat for travel.
More Than Just Gear
Looking back, these carriers weren’t just pieces of gear… they were the bridge between our love of the outdoors and the new reality of raising a little human. Each one carried us through a specific chapter: those fragile first weeks when I just needed to keep West close, the wobbly baby months when we were figuring out our rhythm, and the long, adventurous stretch when the Osprey Poco became part of our family’s identity.
Now, as West’s legs get stronger and his independence grows, we know our carrying days are numbered. But I’ll always be grateful for the way these packs helped us keep chasing trails, summits, and sunsets.
If you’re a new parent wondering how you’ll hold on to adventure, know this: the right carrier doesn’t just help you bring your child along, it helps them grow up seeing the world from the best seat in the house… right on your back.
