Superlight equipment to carry an almost 4y old pre-schooler during a hike

Question

I am planning a hike with the kids, but the youngest one (almost 4 years old) may become too tired at some point and may need to be carried for a while. It is unlikely that this will be needed, so we are looking for a superlight option, which might not be super comfortable for long stretches, but is good enough for a mountain trail. Moreover this hike is planned for only one day of a longer trip.

Usually we used a rucksack carrier, but is is way too bulky for this case. Are soft carriers comfortable enough for kids this age? Are there even lighter options, like dedicated superlight carriers or using a sling?

Note that we are not planning for our kid to sleep in the carrier.

Answer 1

Are you carrying some other backpack? You really ought to have a few supplies along on any non-trivial outing, and a framed child carrier is a decent place to carry those if you also expect to carry a kid at some point.

If the rest of the party is capable of carrying all the supplies I would consider an inward facing soft carrier for the back. I've used an ergo brand one pretty comfortably to about 50lbs which is about as heavy as I care to do with camping packs. If it is hot or hard work sweat is often significant and it has nowhere to go so can get my back and the kid's chest fairly wet, but if you are just planning on shorter stretches that shouldn't be as big an issue.

Also most kids seeing a carrier will expect to be carried at some point, which ought to be planned for. The soft carrier I use is about as bulky as I feel comfortable stuffing into a daypack. Wraps are a lighter alternative, but are a little less convenient to get into and out of. That might not be an issue if you aren't really expecting to use it, but I would practice once or twice because there is a learning curve. One kid was also bothered by being tied in even though he didn't have access to the fasteners of other packs anyway.

How much more work is this than they normally do? If they do even half the distance on around town outings I wouldn't bother with a carrier, and instead consider motivational techniques and extra breaks.

Depending on how strong you are carrying piggy-back or on a hip without any equipment can also work. I don't like carrying kids more than around 20lb on my shoulders for more than a few hundred yards because it bothers my neck and can bother their legs, but on a hip or piggy-back I can give a child a reasonable rest. And if you can pass the kid between a few people willing to carry them this can even work over long distances.

Answer 2

I have used a Tula for my 50-pound (~23 kg) son, and he's never complained about being uncomfortable. It's relatively compact when not being worn. I'm sure other similar carriers would work as well.

You might also consider something like the Piggyback Rider, although at ~4 years old your child may be a little too big for it.

EDIT: Google tells me that the average 4-year-old is around 40 lbs (~18kg), and the Piggyback Rider can accommodate children up to 50 lbs (~23kg), so it will probably work for you, unless your child is significantly heavier than the average.

Answer 3

Another option would be to use a cloth sling. A sling is most commonly used for carrying babies (up to about 8-10kg bodyweight), but it can also be used for larger children. The material will easily hold 50kg or more, so it's only a question of using a tying technique which is comfortable for the carrier and distributes the weight well.

For an older, heavier child it is best to carry it on your back, like a backpack (and not in front or on you hip). There are various online tutorials / videos for how to tie a sling. For example, German manufacturer Didymos has a page with video for tying a "rucksack".

I carried my daughter in a sling for a long time, until she weighed about 10-15 kg, and found it quite comfortable (for both of us). You will need to get used to the weight, and may have to vary your tying technique for maximum comfort, so try things in advance.

The big advantage of a cloth sling is that it can be folded and stowed away like a blanket (which it essentially is).