How to choose the right child carrier for Hong Kong family hikes
When it comes to hiking with your children, safety comes first, then comfort. The latest child carriers offer plenty of both. Parents offer their tips on what to buy and the factors to consider
Before I had my daughter, I ran almost every day on Hong Kong’s trails. During pregnancy I hardly let up either, trail running until the evening before my water bag broke. When she finally arrived in June 2014, I knew my life had changed forever, but I also knew I wanted to keep active in the mountains.
Initially I’d bundle her into the stroller and push her along paved mountain roads that had little or no traffic. From home in Happy Valley, there are routes up to Victoria Peak and Mount Parker, and around the Tai Tam and Aberdeen Country Parks. These were fun, but I missed dirt trails.
In August last year I bought a child-carrying backpack designed specifically for outdoor activities and it has allowed me to return to my old stomping grounds – and enjoy them with my daughter.
Perched on my back in the Deuter Kid Comfort III pack, she’s been – among many other places – up Needle Hill and around Shing Mun Reservoir; done loops of Peng Chau, Cheung Chau and Lamma Islands; scaled Hong Kong’s second highest summit Lantau Peak; and makes regular trips up Jardine’s Lookout and Violet Hill – and sometimes on to Stanley.
I’m pretty sure she loves our hikes together. She eagerly climbs into the seat, and she naps for an hour or two while in the carrier during every walk.
Hiking with the baby makes for a fantastic workout. At the moment, my daughter weighs just over 10 kg, the backpack itself (empty) is 3.5kg, and our food, water and gear weighs at least 1.5kg. That’s a good 15kg or so to haul up and down the trails.
Interestingly, a recent Men’s Health magazine article named “rucking” the top fitness trend of 2015. The activity, which gets its name from “rucksack”, involves marching or walking while wearing a loaded backpack. Compared to walking without carrying a load, rucking is said to burn nearly three times the calories.
“For the average guy, a 30-minute walk burns about 125 calories, according to the Compendium of Physical Activities. But throw a weighted backpack on and take that exact same walk, and you burn about 325 calories,” the magazine article states.
There are quite a few carrier options. The Deuter Kid Comfort III scores for being fully adjustable and having ergonomic features like shaped shoulder straps and hip belt. There’s also lots of storage compartments and a built-in sunshade that accordions into a pocket. The child seat itself is extremely plush and roomy. A kickstand helps keep the pack stable when on the ground. My only gripe is the pack weighs a hefty 3.5kg.
I spoke to a few other parents who hike with their children and here are their recommendations.
Esther Au Yong, mother of two boys (15 months and 4 years)
Review: The carrier is light, washable and comes in lots of patterns. However, it’s not waterproof and lacks storage (only one small pocket for a phone and some cash). Some people may also find it expensive. I’ve been using it for my children since they were three months old. We’ve done walks of 2.5km to 7km, over relatively flat terrain in Singapore and moderate hills in New Zealand.
Tips: Get a carrier that’s light and ergonomic – it will help your child and you, especially since hikes can be long and you’re already having to carry the weight of your child. Better yet, get one that is waterproof.
Anna Champion, mother of two (3 and 5 years)
Review: It’s light, has lots of great features and plenty of storage space, is able to stand up alone (our kids went to sleep in it and sometimes we would stop and put the bag down), has a great sun shade and is adaptable so it fitted both my husband and myself. But after a while I did start to feel uncomfortable carrying it – which is natural from carrying a child in a carrier. We tried a few other carrier brands but the Osprey was of far better quality.
We bought it while we were living in Norway and there, hiking is a way of life regardless of the weather. We took our kids out in rain, sunshine and snow, for a couple hours, sometimes more, but would often give them time out of the carrier to run around.
Sean Moran, father of one son (15 months)
Review: It’s pretty comfortable, has a fair amount of storage room, lots of room for the kid, and it’s easy to get the kid in and out with the side latch. The fittings are very easy to change, so if you’re swapping between a husband and wife carrying the pack it’s about 10 seconds to make the changes. Overall we’re pretty happy with it; our kid falls asleep in it all the time so it’s presumably pretty comfortable for him. We tried one of the Osprey packs; there was a lot less room for our kid in there and the fittings were a lot more fiddly.
We’ve used it all over the US, generally in warm weather (20 to 40 degrees Celsius) while hiking. Most of the hikes were around 10km or less. The terrain was pretty varied: we hiked up 250m-high sand dunes, climbed up and down ladders on cliffs, crossed the Rio Grande, did caving and lots of general hiking on well marked trails.
Simon Chan, father of one boy (2 years 8 months old)
Review: It’s lighter (2.7kg) than the other Deuter child carriers, but has fewer compartments. The bag only has basic features – no built-in sunroof. We bought the pack when my son was about one year old. He is excited and eager to ride in the carrier. It’s generally very easy for him to fall asleep during the hike. We usually go on easy paths in the country parks of less than 10km. My favourite route is up High West, as it’s highly accessible with good views.