This backpack, to my surprise, was requested by my husband when our daughter was 7 months ancient. He was on an airplane when he saw another father carrying his baby “in a backpack, but it looked like the baby was carrying the backpack.” That’s how we came to this Kelty backpack.

We like it. Our daughter is all smiles and laughter when he buckles her in and puts it on, I reckon because she likes the high perch. She probably feels like a huge girl, being able to look down at everyone and everything. My husband likes the backpack because it’s comfortable and, I guess, seems manly.

It did take a lot of adjusting to get our daughter strapped in correctly; lots of putting her in and taking her out to get it just right, but it was worth it. My husband did read through the instructions in order to know all the functions and make sure he was using them correctly (and he doesn’t usually do that).

Our daughter is now 9 months ancient and 20 lbs and 30 inches long. She fits in it well and I reckon we will be able to use it with her for awhile longer. The backpack itself seems sturdy and is roomy. The sunshade comes in really handy and is simple to place on. We’ve not taken it in her for long hikes yet, only walks around the parks and mall (after all, we live in the desert now) but are looking forward to using it back home in the Pacific Northwest.

But that’s the excellent news– after a few miles it’s still just as comfortable as the first mile. Very well designed.

The reason I did not rate it a “5″ is for two reasons: The sun shade is plain awkward to use, as you can either have it on or off– there’s no way to just let it hang there, ready to place up. A better design would involve some way to fold it back.

The second reason is the cargo space just isn’t adequate for anything but a day hike. We went backpacking, just an overnighter, and had distress fitting everything we needed in this pack and one other full-sized pack.

The reason I rated it a “4″ instead of a “3″ is because my daughter likes to sit in it! As soon as she sees it she insists on a ride, if only just around the house. I’ve mowed the lawn several times with my daughter on my back and it works fantastic. She has even fallen asleep in it, it is so comfy.

The cons I can see so far:

1. Sunshade only encourages our baby to crane his neck to the side in order to see what’s going on up front. Therefore, very small use to keep him out of the sun, arms tend to go out to the sides as well. A hat or some sort of clamp-on umbrella (will be looking for one soon) would be better.

2. Diaper bag is a small too small to be useful for more than 1 diaper and a small bottle, couple snacks. Not large enough for a full day of activity.

3. Inside bag is large but not enough pockets/compartments to keep extra bottles, etc organized…it’s just a huge empty space.

4. When child falls asleep there is nowhere for him to rest his head. It’s fantastic that it is comfortable enough to sleep in, but the kid’s head just goes limp to the side and looks terrible for their neck…if any suggestions for keeping their head propped up, please let me know.

In spite of these cons, I give it four stars for being something that frees up my hands, enables us to go on hikes with our baby and is comfortable enough for him to fall asleep in if he gets tired.

Pros:

My son has been travelling in it since he can sit up at 3 months. We have been to hiking, groceries, city walks and even small bike rides (although strongly discouraged by Kelty). The adjustment with the torso and child seat is a must if you are really serious about using a child carrier (which is not a/v in the TC 1.x versions). It fits my son very securely and so comfortably he is always pleased to be straped inside it. When I expect my son would get tired in long walks I would place him in a lower seat level so when he falls asleep his head won’t be left with much dangling.

I have no regrets getting his 2008 model although the new 2010 TC3.0 model is out already. The new 2010 model with its foot piece may help in loading the child when an extra hand is needed for a small child without much control of his legs. But my son (and me) now gets so much used to the bag they seldom get caught. The huge plus with this 2008 model is the satellite pack, with an extra 300 cubic inches of volume to its 2010 counterpart. This space really make the difference when you’re expecting a lunch outdoors. What’s more, the satellite pack serves as the child’s own pack so whenever he wishes to walk by himself, I’d make him share the responsibility of carrying his own diaper load. No wonder this $30 cheaper 2008 model is going quick!

Cons:

My only negative comment is the cord holding the child mirror can get caught quite easily. I had the mirror slipped out a few times in the first week of use and eventually I broke my mirror while hurrying to get my child down for a diaper change. So I’ll recommend tie a superdouper secure knot to prevent it from slipping free, or better still, use a elastic sling instead of the provided cord so the mirror doesn’t easily get caught while mounting your child up and down.