Wow, I have my hiking life back and my young child can join!

My wife and I really took a hit to our active lifestyle outdoors after child #1, now seven years old.

She's old enough to enjoy hiking now, but we also have a new baby, now 8 months old.

I wanted to find something that would let us have longer family hikes (i.e., up to 2 miles), in a way that's enjoyable for everyone.

We have a Baby Bjorn, but it really isn't designed for long-haul comfort. It pulls the wearer's shoulders forward.

We tried on the Kelty child carrier packs, and it was a world of difference in comfort for us, the parents.

The entry-level Tour model (though still better than most other carriers on the market) lacked some of the padding that the Journey offers. The Pathfinder is essentially a Journey with a sunshade. And the Adventurer is a serious rig designed for all day excursions.

The Journey seemed like best value for our 1-3 hour hikes. We got it at PeppyParents.com.

Because both my wife and I wear it, we really appreciate the ease of the TORSO SIZE adjustment... once you know which setting is right for you, it takes all of 5 seconds to pull a tab, slide the adjuster, and then lock the tab. That's an ingenious little design.

The HIP BELT is very well padded.

The SHOULDER STRAPS are not as padded, but still okay. When adjusted correctly, the shoulders bear very little weight, since nearly all the weight is directed to the hip belt-- really helps with center of gravity too.

The STERNUM STRAP can slide up and down to the proper location.

Our baby loved being in it from the start. In the store, he was giving shrieks of excitement as he was hoisted high in his seat and bounced around while we walked. We've gone on two hikes so far, each one more than 1 hours, and he never got cranky sitting up in his throne.

There are a number of adjustments for the child's comfort and safety. The leg straps (wrap around the thigh) adjust down to be snug-fitting. The seat (really like a padded sling) can be adjusted higher and lower within the frame. The child's shoulder straps can be adjusted for tightness, and the shoulder strap harness itself can be raised and lowered to snugly fit.

Additionally, there's a nice little backpack on the carrier. It can be unzipped and removed from the carrier, if desired. It's large enough to carry a bottle, diaper stuff, burp cloth, and baby's jacket. Another storage place is a small zip pocket on the hip belt-- perfect for keys.

Once adjusted well, neither my wife nor I experienced much fatigue using this pack. Our 8-month old baby is a big guy - tipping the scales at 21 pounds. The pack itself weighs around 7 pounds. Even though we were hauling 28 pounds on our back, the carrier distributed it very well. We were all able to enjoy the hike.

I couldn't really tell when my baby was leaning one way or the other, but my wife said she felt herself compensating for it a little bit. I'm 6'2", and she's 5'7".

Even though the instructions are very clear on use, it may be worthwhile to buy it from a outdoors store to get tips on proper adjustment. If not properly adjusted to your body, it may put too much weight on your shoulders or not hit the right spot on your hips. Proper adjustment is key to really enjoying this pack, and what's nice is that nearly everything on this pack is adjustable!

Finally, the kickstand is very handy for putting child in or taking child out. When taking the pack off, the kickstand needs a little encouragement with my foot to extend completely. It's not a big deal, but it's certainly not "auto-deployed" as billed.

This pack is a great solution to the family that wants to enjoy the outdoors!