12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Handy Small back pack Baby Carrier
Date of Review: Apr 23, 2007
The Bottom Line: Great hidden small child carrier built into a back pack. Very comfortable to wear even for long day hikes. Only drawbacks are no stirrups and low weight limit.
We bought the Deuter Kangakid Baby carrier (2007) for its small size and design. The carrier, when zipped up without baby in it, looks like a regular medium sized back pack. With one quick zip, the pack opens up to reveal a child carrier with harness. Our 10 month old sits comfortably in the carrier and is quite comfortable even on long day hikes. The storage area of the pack is 1850 cubic inches and is large enough to carry necessary baby gear for a day hike.
The pack with baby handles well. There is sufficient padding around the hips to handle the weight of the pack and a chest belt to balance the bag. The sunshade (must be purchased separately) does a good job of coverage but the included rain shield does not provide much protection from shoulders down for the child. But, the sunshade and rain shield stows away nicely into the largest compartment of the pack. It also comes with a small changing pad.
The only problems with the pack is that, due to its size, it can only hold a child up to 30 pounds. The initial adjustment to get the baby comfortable in a seat also took a while - putting him in, taking him out, making a few changes, then doing it all again. There are also no stirrups for the baby's feet. The pack only comes in only one color as well.
We have taken the pack on several day hikes with the baby and it is quite comfortable and we've had no complaints. The baby does sit right behind your head so there is a bit of shifting weight as he looks around you to see what's ahead. (but almost all baby carriers have this problem) We're planning on taking the pack with us to Disney World in a few months. The long lines will be the true test.
