Hi our sun is now 5 months old so we're starting to look at rucksacks to carry little one in.

There don't appear to be any decent reviews anywhere so what do people recommend, or is it just a case of trying and seeing which one fits the best for you?

Are these ones that stand up with a frame really helpful, or just a gimmick?

We have tried Deuter's and Bush babies so far, and think we hav discounted the Deuters as the shoulder straps are too far apart for my wife and I as we both have quite narrow shoulders.

Any advice welcome. Ta

We used a little life explorer, and it was fab (until junior outgrew it). I ended up preferring it to a pram for shopping etc.

Solid and well-made, still looks in good shape now, after 2 years use. Doesn't stand up on it's own though and I'm not sure I'd want to wander off too far with a toddler just propped up, anyway…

Funnily enough we looked into getting one of these at the weekend for our 5 month old, after much deliberation we decided against one as we would hardly use it by the time she out grew it, however if you do a lot of walking then it might be for you, stay clear of the make 'Tomy' they get pretty ropey reviews.

MacPack Vamoose (i think thats how its spelt). We used ours from 5 mths to 2.5 years. Really good storage space but also very comfortable.

Highly recommend, my mates got mine with a view to possibly buying it off me, I will find out if he still wants it, if not I will send you a mail

We got a Little Life Cross Country from E-Bay – great condition for about £30. I can recommend it – sturdy, loads of adjustment, easy to carry and the little one loves it.

better spine protection if you come off the bike than a camelback…. i'd say go for it 😉

+1 for little life cross country.

Now got our third kid being carried around in it and still looks like new.

Loads of storage space, no fancy gadgets, really comfy to wear. Honestly can't fault it.

Deuter kid comfort II over here. Two years of use hiking in both the Alps and Pyrenees and it has served it's purpose very well. Just don't buy into the idea that your wife will be carrying your little bundle of joy next summer because when he hits 20lbs thats the equivalent of a sack of spuds on your back for the day!

We have the biggest MacPac one, its not cheap but it is very adjustable for size, comfortable to carry, and the sunshade and rain cover work really well. Stand-up frames seem a bit gimmicky, I don't know how much use they'd be on uneven ground etc.

+1 again for Littlelife this time the Traveller model, it had more than enough space for a couple of hours walk.

Frequently said it was the best baby related product we bought, very well made and a brilliant design.

Sold it on ebay when we had finished with it and only lost £10.

Macpac here – now in use with No 3. Parasol thing to kep sun/midges off, decent rain cover, rear view mirror in hip belt – all well thought out. The standing up thing is useful when you get back to the car, or you want to get something out of the storage at the back. No-one would leave them stood up and wander off though, would they……….

You just have to try as many on as you can with some weight in the back, I tried pretty much all of them, it is even harder if it has to fit 2 different adults.

We went with a Macpac vamoose pretty old of Ebay (about £35) but couldn't afford the new macpac which are a delight to wear. Our daughter will happily sit / sleep in it for a couple of hours but thats about her limit, more boredom than uncomfortable.

They are great and free up the world again rather than sticking to buggy friendly places.

I've been given Chicco Caddy but not used it yet – looks good though.

is it just a case of trying and seeing which one fits the best for you?

yes

Are these ones that stand up with a frame really helpful

yes

Buy the best you can afford. Fit and comfort are the priorities and often good frames, straps and adjust-ability come at a price.

Deuter Kid Comfort 2 here. Had a basic Karrimor one that was several years old. After a day or so hiking in Austria – with both me and the little one not exactly comfortable – I splashed out. Great purchase.

Macpac are good, we had one for a while, then got given a VauDe one… it is superb… make the investment to get one that has a good back support, well worth the extra ££.

The main difference between the MacPac one and the VauDe is the Vaude has a metal fold out base that supports the rucksac when it is standing on the floor, it does this a little better than the Mac Pac IMO…

both are good tho, and it allows you to get out over rough ground…

I have got this for sale
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-rothan-islabike-and-littlelife-babychild-carrier

Rich

We got a Vaude one http://www.vaude.com/epages/Vaude-de.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Vaude/Products/17516/SubProducts/175163310 for the first mini Jeff, still going strong 6 years later. Dead comfy, fully adjustable for both the wearer and occupant also has sun and rain covers for the little one plus a changing mat. Useful having it free standing as it's then a 1 person job to put them in. Also has a fairly big storage are, useful for loading up with baby paraphernalia.

We got a Macpac one, because I really liked the back system – fit me very well.

Otherwise well, it's a rucksack you put your baby in 🙂 Macpac have a nice line in accessories ie headrest for the babe, sunshade, rain cover, mozzy net and.. well that's all of them 🙂

She seems to ride a little lower in it than my mate's kid does in his Vaude. Her head is only just above mine at 82cm tall.

We have the mothercare premium back carrier, we looked at a lot of the expensive ones and really couldn't justify the spend.

The stand is really handy for loading the litte one into and out of the carrier, and I have used it as a seat to feed her when out on a longer walk.

The Mothercare one does all the jobs we need, heigh adjustable seat, adjustable straps for parent, padded at the front for when TBjnr falls asleep on a walk, plenty of storage, and comfortable.

i think ours is the macpac one too. very good

Macpac carrier.

EDIT: Christ I'm fat!

Little life explorer for us.
Gave all the adjustability we needed. Was still carrying our eldest in it when she was 5. Younger one still no problem, she's 4 and a half now.
Very little wear. We've not been climbing mountains every weekend but for me this the little life was a great compromise in terms of cost when compared to the MacPac and VauDe offerings.

Again… Macpac one here. We found there wasn't enough adjustability in the Little life one so my mrs and I could both use it (I'm 6'2" and she is 5'3") It's still going strong and its only kiddy size limit is how heavy you are prepared to carry! This we have found useful at times when our eldest starts getting grumpy and the youngest could still fit in the sling-type carrier.
Come to think of it, we now no longer need it and were going to stick it on e-bay or the like so if you fancy it pm me… Comes with sombrero sun shade, rain-proof cover and neck cushion/brace thingy 😉

Thanks for all the advice.

We have ended up getting a Little Life Freedom. We couldnt justify spending so much money on MacPacs, there wasn't much between bushbaby's and little life, but we thought the Littlelife was more stable on the ground.