We are soon travelling overseas with a 9 month old baby boy and want to get a backpack to carry him around in now that he has outgrown the pouch we had! Can anyone recommend a good one, or tell me what I need to look out for when choosing?

Thanks!

Hi, Good luck with the trip OS and bub! At 9 months bub may be a little small, but look at the range put out by 'Macpac'. They have a website and 3 styles available - plus where you can buy them. They're pretty expensive, but my friends who walk and hike swear by them! They also have good re-sale value.
Cheers,
Louise.

Hi, I recently travelled to Singapore with a 5mo in a Papoose backpack. I bought is second hand but I believe you can buy one at David Jones. It is very lightweight and has a detachable and lightweight zip-up pouch at the back. The shoulder and hip straps are wide and padded and I could carry it comfortably even though I have a little backache problem. The shoulder straps also have a chest strap. The seat has a 4-point harness for the baby. This is very important as I had a friend buying one without a harness and her baby almost fell over her shoulder.

I use a Bubba Moe Cuddleseat, which wraps around the waist and a sash harness over one shoulder. I like it as i have used the front position, on the hip and now lately, as DD is now 2yrs at the back. There is no weight on the shoulders, just around the waist. the website is www.bubbamoe.com.au. We have travelled alot using the cuddleseat.

We love our Katmandu backpack. Do you have Katmandu stores where you are? We got it at their 50% off sale a while back though. It was around $150 half price. They also have an attachment canopy which is helpful if your child hates hats like mine does! It goes over the top of the pack and gives them a little shelter from the elements. One person ( with practice) can get the pack on and off fairly easily. Happy travels

Hi,

We have a macpac possum backpack that is just fantastic. Macpac have been making tramping packs for years and the harness is of the same high quality as their tramping packs. It adjusts really well so both my husband and I can carry it comfortably. Probably the best feature is the amount of storage space it has - meaning that the person carrying the baby can also carry the clothing and food required and the partner is not too overloaded. The only disadvantage is its expense - around $400 NZD including a good sunshade and raincover. But they will last for years and on Trademe here they sell for really high prices even when they are 6-7 years old.

My advice would definitely be to start with small trips and work your way up - we had planned some major expeditions but on our practise trips realised that there ar other factors besides the comfort of the pack to take into account. How long will you baby sit still? Where will you change a nappy? What if it's raining? Even though many carriers come with sunshades, the arms are still exposed and we are now trying to stick to walks where we are under the shade of trees.

Good luck and have fun.