Gear Review: Deuter Kid Comfort III Child Carrier

It’s not easy to combine young children with an active outdoor lifestyle. Being able to ‘just get up and go’ isn’t really an option. Overnight trips are limited to having your partner stay home with the little one, or something like car camping and staying somewhat near civilization. I had my son a little over a year ago, and the most useful ‘baby item’ we have is his child carrier. The Deuter Kid Comfort III which we got as a gift from my parents. We’ve been able to take our son snowshoeing and on short hikes. He never complains in his carrier, and almost always sleeps.

In terms of what to look for in a child carriers as a whole, here is a nice article from REI. In terms of the Kid Comfort III, here’s a breakdown:

The Deuter Kid Comfort is highly adjustable. The child seat height and shoulder belts adjust, and the adult waste, shoulder, and backpack levels all adjust. No matter what size you or your child are, I’m sure you can find a comfortable combination. The carrier itself is designed to hold children from the time they are able to support their own heads up to 22kg.

There is a great sun/ rain cover for the child, and lots of pocket/ compartment space for diapers, wet wipes, bottles, snacks, blankets, etc, etc. Also handy, something I didn’t discover until I used the pack about 10 times, is a little mirror that slips into the waste strap. This is useful when you’re out by yourself and want to see how the little one is doing behind you. Also very useful is the kickstand, which stabalizes the backpack while you put the child in/out or are grabbing something from the pockets. Overall, I would really recommend this carrier.

The specs:

• Main pack fabric is a 600-denier polyester with 420-denier polyester accents.
• Integrated sun roof is made of 420-denier ripstop nylon.
• Frame padding protects child’s knees.
• Removable and washable chin pad.
• Large zippered pocket under the seat.
• ….. See the full specs here.

Luckily, my son loves getting outside. Recently I have been bringing him up the Grouse Grind in the carrier. If he’s cranky, tired and fussy at home, as soon as he gets out into the carrier he calms down. He almost always falls asleep in the carrier and has a nice nap, waking up refreshed and happy (as you can see below). It’s still tough getting out, and you are limited on the hikes you can do (have to keep in mind the ‘what if’ factor of hiking is a lot riskier with a baby) but the carrier has been wonderful. I’ve actually been able to get out and start to get into shape again. Its also a great way to introduce the little ones to the outdoors, beyond what you can accomplish in a stroller. I hope the outdoors is a strong bond I can share with my son, and this is a start!