A day on the trail with the family

I really enjoy the outdoors and the Kelty Pathfinder allows me to bring my granddaughter, 7 months, out on the trails.

Alyssa, my granddaughter, and I did a few laps around the neighborhood for about a week to see if any problems would arise; so far we’ve had no problems. I learn quickly that it takes two adults to get the pathfinder on safely when she is in the pack. I’m a Marine and I’m used to heavy packs where I have to sit down in order to put the pack on. I tried this with the pathfinder and as I was standing up Alyssa was being jolted around. I’ve found its much easier and safer to have another person assist me with putting the pack on.

Speaking of safety, I like the shoulder straps the pathfinder has for the baby. I feel confident that if I were to fall down that Alyssa would remain inside the pack. The Pathfinder can be adjusted so you can find the “right fit” as your baby grows up.

The Pathfinder has a kickstand which made it easy for me to put Alyssa into the carrier by myself. I would not recommend stepping away from the pack at this point because it’s top-heavy and will fall over easily.

Test Day. My wife, daughter, granddaughter and I went on a small hike this past weekend; 4th of July Canyon near Albuquerque, NM. It’s a 4.5 mile trail, and according to the women mostly uphill but Alyssa was having a great time. We spent about 2 hours on the trail and the Pathfinder felt great on my back, no hot spots and nothing digging into shoulders or back. Alyssa was having a blast and after the hike she didn’t have any sore areas from the seat or the shoulder straps.

The Pathfinder comes with a sun cover which is very easy to put on. We had ours on the whole hike to keep the sun off her. Also, there are lots of pockets on the pack, which was good for my wife and daughter but not good for me. So who ever is going to be caring the pack watch out for family and friends adding extra weight to the pack :) The total weight the Pathfinder can tackle is 50lbs, and to clarify that includes the pack itself, the baby, and anything else you put in there.

The Pathfinder is a perfect for day hikes or strolls around your neighborhood.