Kelty Child Carrier
One of our readers here at Nature For Kids, Kris from Utah, did a nice write up about his new Kelty FC 3.0 child carrier. He graciously let me use the review as a post today. Take a look…
I skipped out of work early a few weeks ago to take Rosie out on her inaugural hike in our brand new Kelty FC 3.0.
We only hiked for a few miles, but Rosie was entertained the entire time by the two travel toys I hooked onto the backpack’s toy loops. The included sun shade (which is optional on other Kelty FC models) kept the bright sun off her little head, and we lubed her up with plenty of baby sunblock to protect her exposed skin. 
Despite the warmish weather we opted to put her in a sweat shirt to keep the sun off her arms. In the future I’ll buy a lighter weight cotton jacket for her to wear.
I was impressed by the backpack, it was easy to get Rosie strapped down and secure. The waist strap is very padded, and the sliding back panel ensures that both my wife, Lissa, and I get a perfect fit despite our different torso lengths. Since we were going on such a short hike I didn’t load much gear into the pack (just the baby and a few diapers), but it seems like it will have plenty of cargo space, and I think I’ll be able to tie a sleeping bag and sleeping pad onto the frame kickstand for overnight hikes. The child carrier is also adjustable, so when Rosie gets bigger I’ll be able to lower the seat so that she still fits into the pack. The only drawback is that the mesh bottle holders are behind the seat area, which makes them impossible to reach without taking off the pack.
The carrier came with a mirror that tucks away into the right shoulder strap, perfect for checking on Rosie when she’s uncharacteristically quiet or noisy.
Photos taken by Lissa.
Thanks Kris and Lissa! I know you’ll probably have more to say about your pack after using it throughout the summer, so we’ll check in with you then. Your daughter is well on her way to becoming a Nature Kid.
Check out Kris and Lissa’s other great adventure pictures .
Send in snapshots of your Nature Kid to shawna@natureforkids.net and we’ll post them on the Your Adventure Page! Or if you have a review to share about kids outdoor equipment send them in and we’ll get them posted.
3 Responses to “Kelty Child Carrier”
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The biggest drawback to the Kelty FC 3.0 is the lack of sleeve for a hydration bladder. On a friend’s recommendation I picked up a CamelBak Unbottle which straps to the side of the pack. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it keeps water accessible without needing to taking off the pack.
I’ve noticed that the load lifter straps on my pack are uneven, which leads to excess pressure on my right shoulder. I’m not sure if I have the pack adjusted wrong, or if there’s a problem with the pack construction. Regardless of the cause, it makes hikes longer than an hour or two pretty uncomfortable.
Oh man that’s unfortunate. That type of little stuff adds up, taking away from the outdoor experience a bit. Would you still recommend the pack?
It turns out it was just an adjustment problem - someone in the factory didn’t thread the load lifter strap through a retention ring properly, so over the course of the hike the strap would slip. I simply threaded the strap properly, and everything seems to be holding well. I’ll be taking the pack out again tonight or tomorrow for another trial.