Kelty TC 3.0 Child Carrier, Black

My wife and I are still in the process of trying out the Kelty TC 3.0, but first impressions are always good too... and some of this is critical information until Amazon updates their product description.

In addition to having a great new color scheme, the 2010 Kelty TC 3.0 (The previous model was apparently the Kelty KIDS Transit Carrier 3.0) has one major improvement over the previous model: A foot-step to use to hold the carrier in place when placing/removing the child into/from the carrier. If you take a look at the photos, you'll see a cut-out in the front of the backpack, and that's what it is for. I took a long hike with our little one last night to try this out, and it was very comfortable to wear. Our little-one loved being able to look around, and even though this was her first time in it, was happy and alert. Getting the carrier on and off takes a little bit of practice, or a shelf that's waist or hip high. Kelty recommends lifting the pack to your...Read more

A friend of ours had a bag similar to this one and we absolutely loved it and quickly came home to order it. The Kelty TC 3.0 is the newest version of this bag. We were looking for the older model because of the zip off diaper bag. We searched and searched and found the zip off version on Amazon.com well when we got the bag it was not the zip off version as pictured. With disappointment from that feature we still enjoy the bag. The step hole is nice I guess, but it makes it hard to get stuff in the bottom of the bag because of this. Overall slightly disappointed, but not worth returning the product. We still use and love this purchase as a baby backpack. The other features just would have been nice.

So pleased with this baby backpack! I went back and forth so many times comparing this pack to the larger ones with the big metal kickstands and I'm so very glad we chose this one. I'm writing a long review to help anyone else in a similar scenario:
Things we love: (1) Love the sun shade - it's a must-have to keep baby out of the sun on multi-hour hikes/walks. It also serves dual purpose making sure any branches don't brush against him and protects against rain & wind. Would be even better if it was retractable, but hey we won't push our luck. It's easy to get on & off and looks pretty snazzy. (2) 11 month old baby (~23 lbs) loved it and was comfortable for a good 2 hours riding in it. There are several different adjustments (around legs, at groin, over shoulders, and around chest) so you can get a very custom fit, as snug or lose as desired with plenty of room to grow. The material is also very soft and baby can rest his chin on the back. It also stands up on its own and has a...Read more