Best Baby Carriers for Hiking with a Baby

As parents who started hiking with a baby when our first was only 6-8 weeks old, we can say with confidence that getting out in nature with your baby makes for wonderful experiences. Not only do you get the benefits of being out in the fresh air and in nature, but there are so many more reasons why you should be out hiking with your baby.

As a new mom, staying home all day is not the best option. Getting out gives you confidence in your ability to do more things with your baby. Plus, it’s just so good for your mental well-being.

Hiking with a newborn is a great time to start, since newborns are most happy when they are cuddled up on you. They are quick to sleep while you are doing your hike. You’ll also get your little one used to being in a carrier, which you can reap benefits from well into those toddlers years.

Putting all that aside, what’s the best way to get out hiking with an infant or baby? It’s having a good hiking carrier for baby (and for you).

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How do you Choose the Best Baby Carrier for Hiking?

The best hiking baby carrier will be the one that is most comfortable for you and your baby.

The baby carrier you choose for hiking will also be dependent on climate. We used our original Ergobaby carrier with an infant insert when we first started hiking with a newborn. But in a warm climate, the insert was quite hot.

In warm climates, a baby carrier with some airflow and mesh is the best option.

Also, depending on the age of your baby, you’ll want to consider a baby carrier that gives you multiple ways of wearing it. Once your baby is old enough, back carrying baby during a hike is easier since you can see where you are stepping.

By choosing the right carrier, you’ll get plenty of use out of it not only hiking with a baby but hiking with toddlers too. Just make sure you practice using your carrier around the house and in your neighborhood before heading out on your first adventure!

If you are hiking with a toddler too, make sure to check out all our favorite toddler hiking gear.

What about Hiking Backpack Baby Carriers?

We’ve owned two Deuter Kid Comfort backpack carriers and are huge proponents of these types of hiking carriers for babies.

Some people will claim that a soft structured baby carrier is all you need for hiking, but while we like having that option, a hiking backpack baby carrier has many added benefits. If you plan on hiking often and doing longer hikes, we recommend going with one of these hiking backpack carriers for babies.

Benefits of a Baby Backpack Carrier

• Rain cover – a good rain cover will help keep your baby warm and dry if you get caught hiking in the rain with a baby. They pack small enough so you can just leave it in your backpack carrier for when you need it.
  
  
• Sun protection – if you’re going to be out hiking for hours, ensuring your baby has good sun protection is key. Having a canopy is a great way to keep your baby out of the sun.
  
  
• Added storage – if you are front carrying your baby while hiking, then it’s easy enough to carry extra baby hiking essentials on your back. If you happen to be hiking on your own and you have your baby on your back then you are left to figure out how to carry your baby’s diapers, wipes, etc. Backpack carriers will often have a storage compartment that’s perfect for carrying an extra layer and other essentials.
  
  
• Room for a water bladder – in addition to the storage compartment, often you’ll find a spot for a water bladder. This is a much better alternative to carrying water bottles since your water is much more accessible.
  
  
• Adjustable fit for both parents – while you can adjust most carriers to fit both parents, a well constructed framed backpack carrier will have more ways to adjust to get the perfect fit for both parents.
  
  
• Less heat and sweat transfer – not having your baby right against you while you are sweating climbing up a mountain is a huge benefit. It also keeps your baby from getting your sweat transfer then getting chilly in damp clothes. In colder climates, just remember to dress your baby extra warm since she’s not moving in the carrier or getting your body heat.
  
  
• Visibility for baby – some babies just love to see the world go by. Depending on your baby, you might get to enjoy more time hiking if your baby is content for longer watching as you hike.
  
  
• Pillow for sleeping – most good backpack carriers will have a pillow for your baby to rest her head on when she falls asleep.
  
  
• Travel with a baby backpack carrier – while we didn’t purchase our backpack carrier specifically for travel, we found it to be a must-have baby and toddler travel product for us. We even used it to travel with a baby in cities where the cobblestone was difficult to maneuver with a stroller.

Best Baby Carriers for Hiking

From our many years of hiking with newborns, babies, toddlers and preschoolers, plus experience using several different carriers over the years, these are our recommended baby carriers for hiking.

1

Baby K'tan Original Baby Wrap Carrier

The Baby K’tan is an all around great first carrier for newborns. It’s comfortable for both mom and baby plus it keeps your infant snuggled in close. It’s design gets you all the benefits of a wrap but without the added complication. It’s made of machine washable 100% cotton, for the perfect cozy fit around baby.

We often used a Baby K’tan for hiking with an infant, especially when our Ergo Baby Carrier with an infant insert was too warm.

The only downside to this carrier is that it’s size specific, so you may not be able to share it with your husband unless you are similar sizes.

If you are looking for a wrap that you can both use while hiking during that newborn stage, the Boba Wrap is very highly rated one size fits all wrap.

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2

Ergobaby Carrier, Original 3-Position Baby Carrier

The original 3-position Ergo Baby Carrier is the one we used most often for hiking with babies. Using the insert, we were able to use this carrier hiking with an infant.

This carrier is easily adjustable for both parents and comfortable. While it doesn’t have all the different seating options of the other Ergo carriers, the front and back carry were the ones we preferred to use the most often.

If forward facing is important to you, then we recommend looking into the Ergo 360 carrier (for babies 4 months or older). If you prefer one with all positions that you can use from the newborn stage without the insert, then the Ergo Omni 360 will be your best option. You can also get both of these with a Cool Air Mesh.

We even used this carrier when hiking with toddlers. It was easy to pack away in our backpack when our toddler was walking then take out as needed.

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3

LÍLLÉbaby Complete All Seasons Baby Carrier

The LILLEBaby Complete All Seasons has all the features in a great baby carrier for hiking. It has 6 positions for carrying and a zip down front to help control your baby’s temperature. It has a headrest plus a sleeping hood that also works for sun protection.

For parents, it has lumbar support to help with any back issues and padded shoulder straps.

It can be used for hiking with an infant (starting at 7lbs) without an insert all the way to hiking with a toddler. However, if you plan to carry your toddler a lot, we highly recommend using either a backpack carrier or a Lillebaby CarryOn Toddler as they have a much better fit for toddlers.

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4

Baby Tula Explore Baby Carrier

If you ask any group of moms about which baby carrier is the best, included in that list you’ll get Ergo, LILLEBaby and the Tula. The Baby Tula Explore Baby Carrier will give you all the same benefits of the Ergo Omni 360 and Lillebaby Complete. It can be used from 7-45lbs, has all the carrying positions. Comes with a detachable sleep cover that can offer sun protection.

For parents, you’ll have padded shoulder straps for comfort and it can be adjusted to fit all parents.

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5

Deuter Kid Comfort Backpack Carriers

Deuter now makes 3 options for backpack carriers: Deuter Kid Comfort, Deuter Kid Comfort Pro and Deuter Kid Comfort Active.

While a hiking backpack carrier for babies should only be used for babies who are sitting independently (around 6-8 months), they can offer additional benefits as we mentioned earlier. The Deuter has a plush chin pad, plus adjustable seat height and footrests to keep your little one as comfortable as possible. The maximum load (including child and carrier) is 22kg or 48.5 lbs. For safety it has a 5 point safety harness.

The Deuter Kid Comfort Active is the lightest of the packs at less than 6lbs. It also comes in the SL version which is made for a better fit for women. Two downsides of this pack is that it does not have an integrated canopy or a spot for a water bladder. So if weight is the most important aspect or you are having an issue with fit, then this is a good option. Otherwise, we recommend one of the other two Deuter Options.

The Deuter Kid Comfort is the new version of the Deuter Kid Comfort 2. It does not have an integrated sun canopy. It weighs one pound less than the Pro version and does not have a detachable daypack.

The Deuter Kid Comfort Pro is the new version of the Deuter Kid Comfort 3 which is the carrier we’ve been using for years. It now comes with a detachable daypack.

The Deuter Kid Comfort and Deuter Kid Comfort Pro both have the same back length adjustment system and hip belts to help distribute the load. It can be adjusted between parents easily.

While the Deuter Kid Comfort is not as expensive as the Pro version, you’ll eat up almost all of that price difference by the time you purchase the sun canopy.

If you plan to use it often, the Deuter Kid Comfort Pro will be well worth the money. These packs also tend to have good resale value, so keep that in mind if you are worried about the price.

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6

Osprey Poco Child Carriers

The Osprey Poco and Osprey Poco Plus are equally good options to the Deuter packs. You’ll find them similar in many aspects, including price and features.

They are adjustable for the parents, have an external hydration sleeve and have plenty of gear storage. The Poco Plus has additional hip adjustments that can be made to fit a wider range of bodies.

For your baby, there are adjustable stirrups, adjustable seat, padded drool pad and a built-in sun shade.

The main difference between the Poco and Poco Plus is the amount of storage. The Poco Plus has more storage at the bottom and in the hip and side pockets. If storage isn't a concern, you can save some money and weight by going with the Osprey Poco, but in our experience we always used up the storage we had.

These two brands (Deuter and Osprey) are the best options for hiking backpack carriers. If you’d like to consider more options, read our post on Best Backpack Carriers for Babies & Toddlers (coming soon).

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Making a Final Decision on the Best Baby Hiking Carrier?

How do you know which baby carrier to choose? Choosing the best baby carrier comes down the right fit for you and your baby.

You need to try them on.

You can find all the ones mentioned in this Best Baby Carriers for Hiking Amazon Shopping List. We recommend you either purchase several and return the ones that you don’t like or find a local babywearing lending library where you can try on different options.

Other Baby Hiking Gear

Here are just a few of the accessories to bring when hiking with a baby:

• For soft structured carriers, this Ergo Fleece Lined Cover is great for when the weather gets chilly. We also like the rain cover options for both Ergo carriers and LILLEBaby carriers.
• A wide brimmed baby sun hat is a must, even in the backpack carrier that doesn’t always have perfect sun protection.
• Further protect your baby from the sun with sun screen.
• For hiking with a newborn, don’t forget the infant insert if your baby carrier requires it for infants.

For all our Baby Hiking Gear Recommendations see our convenient shopping list on Amazon or in our Hiking with a Baby post.

Where to Get Out Hiking with a Baby

If you love the idea of hiking with a baby, but don’t want to do it solo, talk to fellow moms in your new mom group or look into a local chapter of Hike It Baby to find a community of hikers!

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