bushwalking with the hiking pram

[igor]

Hi there,
My wife and I are thinking of buying a Chariot CX1 hiking pram. Since the baby was born 3 months ago we haven't done any bushwalks and only walking on a smooth surfaces where pram can go. A CX1 pram with the hiking kit allows someone using special harness hiking on the rough terrain. This is in theory according to the company website. This thing is pretty costly and I was wondering if anyone have had a real experience with taking a few months old baby in the pram on a real bushwalk with the rough terrain, etc. Specifically how long the baby can spend in the harness without being bored? Is say 6 hrs trip realistic? The pram itself is very secure with the cockpit completely closed throughout and baby in the sling harness. So I am not worrying about safety. My question is about some shared experience of taking babies in a pram or even possibly a sling, as the CX1 pram has an add-on sling attachment for a small baby, to multi hours bushwalks.

[Strider]

Can't offer any experience but, out of interest, what sort of price-point are we talking for one of these? We have a baby due in 4 weeks...

[jackhinde]

bugger the pram. i carried both my little ones all over the place in a babybjorn front pack when little and then kathmandu back pack one once they were over a year old. my boy did the grand high tops in the warrumbungles and was fine over 6 hours when about 8months old and just did a 17km nattai bash at nearly 4.

[igor]

this is their website:
http://www.chariotcarriers.com.au/

I've had a look at the live thing in Bondi Junction bike shop and it looks very solid.
With the hiking and biking attachments and the baby sling the price is going to be around 1.5K
We are not intending to take her to biking trips until probably 6 months old, as the speed is much higher, but hiking should be OK.
It's just we've been very active before the birth going to biking or hiking trips pretty much every weekend, so I hope this pram would allow us to exercise the same kind of activity.
We've intend to use MTB tracks as I recon if the bike can go the pram can go as well. I am not just sure how long small babies can spend in sling or hammocks without the need to stop and entertain them

[igor]

bugger the pram. i carried both my little ones all over the place in a babybjorn front pack when little and then kathmandu back pack one once they were over a year old. my boy did the grand high tops in the warrumbungles and was fine over 6 hours when about 8months old and just did a 17km nattai bash at nearly 4.

Yes we have the babybjorn sling, and I've try to walk around the streets just to test how long she can spend in it. The thing is at 3 months she must be put face to my chest and she can't see much in this position and becomes pretty bored and start crying after about an hour walking. The sling in the pram however would keep her in the semi reclined position facing forward and there are transparent side and front walls. That is why we are considering it. So what was the earliest age you took your babies for a bushwalk?

[Strider]

I am not just sure how long small babies can spend in sling or hammocks without the need to stop and entertain them

You're probably more limited by their physical limitations. Obviously before they can support their head it won't be an option at all.

A rule of thumb might be the max 2 hours recommended for capsule type car seats.

[igor]

I am not just sure how long small babies can spend in sling or hammocks without the need to stop and entertain them

You're probably more limited by their physical limitations. Obviously before they can support their head it won't be an option at all.

A rule of thumb might be the max 2 hours recommended for capsule type car seats.

but she doesn't need to support her head as she is lying in the hammock type sling at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. For instance in the pram a baby can sleep for 2-3 hrs before waking up for feeding. And a pram has almost no visibility that is why I think she starts cruying if not asleep - a baby just get bored.

[Strider]

I am not just sure how long small babies can spend in sling or hammocks without the need to stop and entertain them

You're probably more limited by their physical limitations. Obviously before they can support their head it won't be an option at all.

A rule of thumb might be the max 2 hours recommended for capsule type car seats.

but she doesn't need to support her head as she is lying in the hammock type sling at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. For instance in the pram a baby can sleep for 2-3 hrs before waking up for feeding. And a pram has almost no visibility that is why I think she starts cruying if not asleep - a baby just get bored.

What does the manufacturer recommend in regards to age?

[maddog]

Best be careful Igor. I'm sure if you go bushwalking with that pram, there will be lots of 'girly-men' who will want to chat with you. This might slow you down.

[Strider]

Best be careful Igor. I'm sure if you go bushwalking with that pram, there will be lots of 'girly-men' who will want to chat with you. This might slow you down.

What is girly about wanting to go bushwalking with your kids?

[maddog]

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Last edited by maddog on Fri 26 Oct, 2012 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[forest]

No experience with a hiking pram but we now have a 7 week old and other than wanting a feed every 3-4 hours shes quite content in a baby bjorn while we walk. My guess would be if your bub is unsettled in the carrier now after an hour the same might be for your flash hiking pram.
Id just be patient and what till your little on is big enough for a proper baby carrier pack.

IMO the pram might be more of a restriction on where you can go. At least with a pack you can follow you proper tracks with steps, rocks etc.

I've already got a macpac possum for xmas and flights to NZ booked in April 2013.
Queen Charlotte Track here we come !!

[jackhinde]

Best be careful Igor. I'm sure if you go bushwalking with that pram, there will be lots of 'girly-men' who will want to chat with you. This might slow you down.

i wracked my brains as to how to incorporate that in my post. nice.

[eaglehawk]

Google baby wearing.

At 3 months old bub need to feel safe and secure ie. be held close to Mum or Dad rather than needing to see where he/she's going.

There are better options then baby bjorn in regards to comfort and safety.

[Strider]

There are better options then baby bjorn in regards to comfort and safety.

And usage. Baby Bjorn are front-carry only

[nq111]

Baby Born are great but baby soon gets too heavy and the forward lean puts strain on the back.

My kids transitioned to baby backpacks as soon soon as they could kinda hold their heads up and did a lot of time up there. Osprey, macpac make good versions - Deuter makes a good baby carrier though they skimp with cheap buckles.

[Strider]

Baby Born are great but baby soon gets too heavy and the forward lean puts strain on the back.

My kids transitioned to baby backpacks as soon soon as they could kinda hold their heads up and did a lot of time up there. Osprey, macpac make good versions - Deuter makes a good baby carrier though they skimp with cheap buckles.

That Osprey option looks good.

I don't think Macpac are making/selling child carriers any longer. They were on clearance a few weeks ago, and now have disappeared from their website entirely.

[Tex]

The macpac carriers can quite often be found second hand on sites like gum tree.

[Moondog55]

Took all 3 of ours on short overnites using the older style Karrimor Papoose, The backpack is my preferred option but face up to the fact that until the kids have grown up and left home your major overnite walking trips are gone if and when you have a second baby.
The logistics of walking with a toddler and a baby are just incredible even when they reach double figures it isn't easy to do more than 5 or 10 k walks.
Just the extra weight of all those wet, poopy nappies over a week-end will ad more than many kilos to the pack weight and you have to pack them out.
Toddlers don't walk, they toddle and run from place to place, run 10 steps, squat and play in the dirt, toddle 20 steps stop toddle 4 steps and STOP, run to next tree STOP etc
Walking 5 klicks with a toddler is HARD work, my eldest was 8YO before I could confidently take her on an overnite into the bush as it took her that many years to be able to dress appropriately using her own knowledge and small motor skills and carry the rucksack with her own storm clothing in it.
Next really big problem is that while young kids need mum & dad around they get bored with adult company and prefer to have the company of the "Special" friends so anything more than a short overnite isn't easy.
Family camping at campgrounds is much easier.

[eaglehawk]

Agree with moondog that until they're out of nappies it ain't much fun.

However it's not necessarily all over for the next decade, we started as soon as nappies weren't an issue and adjusted our expectations and kept it fun.

We can now do 10km a day, 3 days in a row, with a 4yo and a 6yo.

Our young kids seem to whinge less and get more enjoyment out of bushwalking than some of the older kids we see out there with their parents.

Sorry not really helping out with the pram decision... we have a cruiser pram/bike trailer and I would never consider taking it bushwalking.

[Moondog55]

I'll modify my statement.
Until the YOUNGEST is out of nappies, if you stop at 2 then it only takes 3 years or so. My kids enjoyed the walks to varying degrees but now none of them walk, bushwalk or ski-tour.

[igor]

I'll modify my statement.
Until the YOUNGEST is out of nappies, if you stop at 2 then it only takes 3 years or so. My kids enjoyed the walks to varying degrees but now none of them walk, bushwalk or ski-tour.

so the earliest age is around one year then?
That is precisely why we want to try the hiking pram Also in a few months we'd be able to hook it up to a bike and go on a biking trip. We just don't want to wait another 9 months
We've tried the bjorn sling this weekend in fact walking along the coast track. So we went for about 3 hours one way and slightly longer return stopping along the way for feeding etc.
Well several problem with the sling as I can see it. In a hot day as it was this weekend with the baby facing backwards I sweat in this sling and baby cheek is constantly rubbing against my chest. My T-short is pretty wet as there is a little air circulation and I don't think it is OK for the baby skin. Second problem is that while walking I can't see my feet, I think it's easy to stumble and fall on steps, especially walking down.
Yes definitely she is more curious in the sling compare to the closed pram as she is able to look around when not asleep. So going to a long hike the backpack is possibly better than a sling, but baby has to be able to sit for several hours. Which means 9 months at least. And we want to start walking now.
So from the comments above looks like no-one has used the hiking pram.
It's OK. I think I've convinced myself that this hiking pram will do the job. We are going to hike along the MTB tracks in the Blue Mountains area. I recon if a bike can pass there the pram can pass as well.
The manufacture supplies baby bivvy and the sling - with these they say you can start hiking when the baby a few weeks old.

[forest]

Sounds like you have already made up your mind either way. I think it will work for the MTB tracks. If your dead keen on dropping $1500 on something with limited use im very interested in how it goes.

Just be patient with your little bundle and enjoy it for what it is.

[Strider]

Just be patient with your little bundle and enjoy it for what it is.

I thought exactly the same thing. Some aspects of this thread have come across as very selfish.

[Moondog55]

The pram doesn't take babies real needs ( contact and feeling the parents heartbeat ) into account.
Babies really do need that constant physical contact and warmth, some more than others, they need it less as they grow up and by the time they can be in a backpack they are more able to enjoy the scenery so be a little patient. $1500- buys a lot of cappuccinos

[eaglehawk]

I don't have any MTB track experience but I can't imagine it would be nice to be a mountain biker heading down hill at full throttle only to find myself sharing a track with a pram....seeing as prams contain babies! Is this safe?

[Strider]

I don't have any MTB track experience but I can't imagine it would be nice to be a mountain biker heading down hill at full throttle only to find myself sharing a track with a pram....seeing as prams contain babies! Is this safe?

This is a very good point - at least with a backpack/carrier you can quickly step aside.

Though the most valid point was that putting a baby in a pram just so YOU can continue to go bushwalking isn't fair to the child. With having children come life changes and compromises, and not always ones we want to make but thats just part of the deal. We have our first child due in 4 weeks and I am not expecting to be able to do anything I want to do for at least a few months after the birth. In my opinion our child's needs should come first, and my wants (including bushwalking) should come second.

[igor]

I don't have any MTB track experience but I can't imagine it would be nice to be a mountain biker heading down hill at full throttle only to find myself sharing a track with a pram....seeing as prams contain babies! Is this safe?

On a straight line yes, I think so as you can see a few hundred meters ahead. On bends we'd normally walk in file, so one stays behind the pram.
It's not like there is a constant traffic of MTB bikers on those tracks. Maybe once every 20-30 minutes someone passes through. Another thing is the tram has a pole attached with little flag, which increases visibility. I hope the delivery happens during the week so on Saturday or Sunday we'll give it a test.
The plan to take the bjorn sling as well as a back up if the baby starts crying.
My main objection against long walks with the sling while baby facing mum or dad is sweating. Plus we still want to have a bike baby trailer anyway. The trailer has 20 inch (like BMX bike) wheels so I intend to install very wide tyres to further increase the smoothness of the baby ride.
The price is high I agree, but some people spend 200 buck in restaurant outings once a week and do not consider it excessive. We spend money on various sport gear instead.

[igor]

Though the most valid point was that putting a baby in a pram just so YOU can continue to go bushwalking isn't fair to the child. With having children come life changes and compromises, and not always ones we want to make but thats just part of the deal. We have our first child due in 4 weeks and I am not expecting to be able to do anything I want to do for at least a few months after the birth. In my opinion our child's needs should come first, and my wants (including bushwalking) should come second.

well I disagree. What is the alternative and how it is better for the baby?
We live in Sydney in the suburb with lots of traffic. Do we walk the baby for an hour or so on the path walk alongside with the never stopping cars? We've tried to go for a walk in parks but there is very limited route and still you are in the city with all its pollution and traffic. Several times we went to northern beaches and eastern suburbs to walk along the ocean, but again it is very limited. And a few times we came across some paths that is very difficult to negotiate with the normal pram, so you are again forced to walk along the streets with the cars and tracks passing you.
And the sling is only OK for some short walks maybe an hour or so. Do people feel OK wearing the sling and don't you sweat? Its very hot inside even when the outside temperature in mid 20s.
So waiting for a year until the baby can sit in the back pack is a very strange suggestion.

[Moondog55]

Well I never found a sling too hot or too uncomfortable, I do know that my own kidlings were happier in a sling than in a pram or pusher.
I actually do understand what you are saying about traffic and pollution. I had the same feeling when my kids were small and I well remember the big family fight when my wife and I banned smoking in our house ( wifes parents were VERY heavy smokers ) how-ever my point was that the babies needs are for cuddling and contact, that initial close contact has been proved to be important for the future well-being and confidence of the adult the baby becomes.
The purchase cost of the article you link too does not look to be money well spent but that is only my opinion