The day that your child is finally big enough to fit in a baby backpack is a truly exciting day. No more lugging your baby around on your front in one of those trendy, but often back numbing baby carriers; now you can strap a cumbersome, oversized pack to your back and ferry your baby around like a real hero.

The baby backpack opens up a whole new world of outdoor adventures and is a fantastic bit of kit. With so many great packs to choose from, offering a huge range of supportive carrying options (I personally love the Osprey Poco), you and your child can travel in relative comfort for much greater distances and – multi hour adventures are now back on the menu!

However, before you and your micro-adventurer set off on your first baby backpack inspired travels, take heed of some of the all too common first time baby backpack mistakes.

Avoiding the baby tangle-tantrum

With all those different straps, adjustable seating options, clips and tiny leg holes, wedging your – often kicking and screaming – child into the backpack can be a bit of a mission. Don’t be a fool, you want things to get off to a good start, so ask your partner for help to ensure a smooth baby-backpack transition that would make a YouTube instructional video presenter proud.

Disappearing baby

The first time I plonked my daughter in her backpack, she disappeared – engulfed inside the pack, with only the tuft of the top of her hair showing above the chin rest. I had completely failed to adjust the seat to the right height and, you guessed it, tantrum time ensued.

Most backpacks have a seat that you can raise when mini you is tiny and then gradually lower as they grow, so take note and alter accordingly – before you put them in.

Too many clothes…..not enough clothes…..

When it the sun is shining and you are toiling uphill, losing half your body weight in sweat as you carry your deceptively bulky little ‘un, it can be tempting to strip them off to only a few layers of light clothes. Your’e boiling, so they must be too right? But remember that they aren’t working like you are, so air on the side of caution and keep an extra layer on if in doubt. They will let you know if you have got things wrong!

Note: the same goes for colder weather – most baby backpacks surround the baby in lots of padding, so keep in mind that this often acts as an extra layer of insulation.

What – no snacks?!

Hopefully you will have learnt by now that rice cakes/carrot sticks/crackers are your new best friend when it comes to distracting an unhappy, weaned baby. NEVER forget the baby snacks when your out on a hike with baby on your back. They are SO much closer to your ears when they are carried on your back that it makes the screaming that much more painful to bear.

Keep a pot of snacks in your bag’s side pocket or in your trousers so that you can reach round and wave tempting treats under your snotty ones nose, without having to stop and cause any disruption.

Mangled back

In the excitement to hit the trails and get outdoors it can be tempting to overlook setting up your pack properly to suit your height/walking style. However, taking a few minutes to do so can avoid a lot of unnecessary pain.

Remember to try and take most of the baby/bag’s weight on your hips and not your shoulders, just as you would with a normal heavy load on a hiking trip. Try loosening off the load lifter straps to help with this – the back may lean a little away from your back, but it can help alleviate pain in your shoulders and back.

MIND THAT BRANCH!

It is too easy, with the sun shining and your child merrily gurgling (…….!) to get lost in the moment and forget that your child’s head will often be slightly elevated above yours in their pack. As a 6ft 4″ dad, I lost count of how many times my poor child got boshed in the face by a low level piece of hedge before I finally remembered to dip my knees or move around any low lying vegetation. Keep your child happy – mind the branch.