Sorry. My original question was about the free seven slings baby carrier, but the mamapedia staff answered that one for me... Now I want to know, what type of baby carrier would work best if I wanted to use it for hiking? I wouldn't be doing anything super-hard, but I do like to go in places that just aren't stroller-compatible. Front or back "loading" is fine, but I would prefer the front carrying type. She is 6 months right now, but I would be wanting to use it for at least the next year or so (at which time we will probably have to buy something to accommodate a toddler. lol) We finally moved from the city to an area that has some beautiful hiking trails close to our house, and I would love to be able to take her out with us!
I love my Beco Butterfly. It is good for Front or back carry up to 45 pounds, very comfortable, and (in my opinion) easier to use than an Ergo because it has an interior sling for increased support and safety. This is my favorite website to shop for carriers: http://www.frogmama.com/
I'd say a Beco or Ergo. You also wouldn't have to buy a bigger one later because they accomodate toddlers (my 3 and 5 year olds can still fit in my Beco).
I haven't tried it, my son is too old now for a carrier. But I went online and looked at the pictures, they seemed rather short to comfortably carry baby. Maybe they are adjustable and the pictures just don't show it? Or the fabric is really stretchy, who knows. When my son was smaller we tried several carriers, the one we liked best was the 5 foot piece of fabric that could be adjusted and wrapped several ways. I would wear him around for hours. There are several brands, or you could go to a fabric store and make your own. The fabric was very "easy" on the shoulders, as long as you remember to spread it out. A lot of the other, harder carriers that had hard plastic or thick straps around the neck or shoulders were very uncomfortable after about 5 minutes. Also, you just couldn't snuggle with baby! The mayan wrap was nice for around the home, but the other wrap seemed much more secure for hiking and shopping and hands-free activities. My sister even used it to discretely breastfeed, no one knew! She loved that one, she also had the Ergo when her children were a little older, loved it! I never tried the Ergo, though. Hope this helps!
M.
I do some hiking and We also go to car shows where some of the events are in places where we cant take strollers so I got the instep baby backpack stroller. I love it although when I was trying to find I link I think it may have been discontinued but I did find one on ebay. It goes from backpack carrier to stroller very easily.
http://cgi.ebay.com/InSTEP-Backpack-SB100AB-Standard-Stro...#
I would guess you should go with an ergo - but I've never used one so I can't say from experience, but they sure LOOK comfy. I used a moby wrap with my kids, and with practice you can very comfortably wrap them onto your front or back, facing in or out on the front. I loved my ring slings too (still use it periodically with my 2 1/2 yr old), and you can wear them on your front, hip or back easily, but I wouldn't reccommend a sling for hiking - too much strain on one shoulder.
I enjoyed my Ergo. It can be worn on the front, the back, or the hip.
A front loader is nice for little babies, one that you can nurse in hands free, w/o stopping to unload everytime the baby wants to nurse, plus hearing your heartbeat is very soothing to her. But as she grows older and heavier, a back carrier is best, and for serious hiking, one w a frame & a waist belt is best. My kids are grown now, so I haven't kept up with what all the brands are & which pros & cons each brand has. I started out with a Snugli, then added a NAPSAK (from LLL). I have often gone hiking or even bike riding, with the newest baby in the NAPSAK on my front while the toddler rode in the Snugli on my back. Snugli has changed its' style over the yrs & many more brands are available, sorry I can't give you more specific advice.
I would stay away from slings, that don't keep baby secure w/o you holding an arm around them, when hiking in the woods, you need to keep both hands free. Wraps are more secure, than slings, and you can wrap them in a number of ways to best suit your needs, but they are more cumbersome to get in & out of quickly. While my Snugli was the more durable, and the NAPSAK was the more versitile, they have both served me long & well, through all my 7 kids, and now being used for grandkids!
an ergo :) I still put my 3.5 year old on my back in when I walk the dogs.
Just keep in mind that if you are hiking uphill, it is easier for you to carry the weight on your back than on your front.
