Happy New Year Parents and Offspring! The New Year is typically a time for new beginnings so we thought we'd share a review on the Poco Child Carrier from Osprey Packs so you can being the new year outside with your offspring in comfort and ease!
This beaut of a backpack/child carrier is probably our favorite item right now for getting outside with the baby (maybe a toddler now!?) and here's why...
1. It's easy! - we have an offroading stroller from UppaBaby and we do like it, BUT, it's bulky and it doesn't always fold up or down easily. We can do some pretty gnarly fire roads or trails with the stroller but with the backpack, we can do ANY trail/fireroad/ski. I feel like with the stroller it's mentally harder to load it in the truck and get to a place outside to use it. The backpack is just that, easy to throw in the car and get on the way.
Getting the offspring in and out of the backpack is pretty easy as well, I'm going to guess maybe a minute for loading him, and 12 seconds to get him back out.
2. Once baby/toddler/small human is in the pack, it feels and fits just like a regular backpacking pack. It has a hip belt and chest strap and once it's fit for you, you don't have to adjust it too much each time and bebe feels pretty light (even though he's gaining weight and over 20lbs now) on your back. If you're used to doing some backpacking, this pack will feel great.
3. Dual Grab Handles - What are these you ask? Well, there's a handle on the front AND back of the pack at the top. Why would I need that? You say. To load the pack on your back easily once you have the bebe inside without spilling them out! Seriously, this was a genius move by Osprey and it's intuitive the first time you pick up the pack with offspring inside. If you had a single handle, it would be easy to spill the baby into nature (the ground) and that is not the goal. With the two handles, you can easily pick them up and get them and pack onto your back without tipping them out.
4. Storage - Obviously, the main goal of the pack is to hold the bebe, but there's also enough storage for dad or mom. There's a few pockets on the hip belt that fit a phone, snacks, gloves, etc so you can easily access some things without taking the pack off. Then there's ample storage in a couple larger pockets behind offspring where we have plenty of room for bebe snacks, diapers, warm clothes, etc. If you were doing an overnighter, it would be hard to get everything you need into just this pack, but if you have a partner in crime, I think it'd be doable with this pack and a regular backpacking pack for the other person.
5. Built in Sun Shade for offspring - this integrates into a "pocket" in the pack and is easy to pull out and cover the bebe with in case you forget (that would never happen right?) a hat/sunscreen/sunglasses for them.
Things we don't like...
1. Cost. Honestly, we love this pack and feel like it makes it really easy to get outside for a variety of activities. The only drawback for us is the cost of a new one (right now $350). This is pretty steep given all the other things to spend money on with offspring. We recommend trying to find one used instead of buying new. This pack is well built and will last longer than kids fit in it, so check Facebook Marketplace, friends, family, etc and see if you can find one on the cheap!