Simon Goodburn from Wild Earth shares his experience with the Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier while travelling with his family around Japan and Mexico.

I wanted to talk about the Osprey Poco Plus baby carrier. This is our second trip with the pack we're currently in Hokkaido, Japan on a family ski holiday. We just had a few hot laps on the hill with our one-year-old and he loved it which was such a joy. 

Previously we spent some time in Mexico, in the warmer weather, as well as doing a bunch of hiking and exploring.  

You can have the confidence in knowing that they can sit in there and it's not going to tip itself over. Another really practical aspect of this pack is it's got a built-in sunshade that easily stores and deploys for convenient UV protection. The top section rips out and then you can pull your sun shade straight out and over the top and then it's got two little tabs which kind of tuck in under the front and straight away a little ones out of the elements which is really handy.

It allows you to have control over how much of Mother Nature you want to embrace on your adventures. For example, we sometimes don’t use it when we’re out on the slopes so we can embrace all of the perks of being out in the snow, it’s really handy and it packs in and out really quickly which is great, particularly if they're on the edge of nap time or something like that and tolerance is a little bit low the front harness in here is really great to keep them nice and secure.

Another thing that we loved is the foot stirrup system, which features adjustable and removable stirrups. The reason that we loved that is we found our little one could kind of stand up or adjust himself a little bit which was helping with his overall comfort and also giving him you know a bit more of a sense of autonomy particularly when we were kind of coming down the hill he could help himself balance and stay comfy as well.

The child carrier pack obviously, has got some of your classic hiking backpack elements like a nice solid waist harness and shoulder straps and an adjustable sternum strap features a rescue whistle. These are adjustable at different levels as well and when you're in a warmer climate. It's really handy having this separation between the carrier bag and your back just to allow air flow, particularly when you're in those sweaty areas. The 3D-tensioned mesh comfortably wraps and conforms to the body and provides excellent ventilation. A continuous panel of lightweight mesh extends from the top of the back panel to the bottom of the back and the seamless structure contours automatically to the body, providing a great fit. You can kind of hike for a little bit longer without feeling like you're overheating and when you've got that extra weight kind of 15 to 20 kilos combined you know by the time you've got your little one your back plus some additional gear, it's handy to have that little extra breeze on your back.

When it comes to pack down, locking hinges and rotating side arms allow the frame to fold down for easy storage (which is perfect for travel too!). All in all this has been an absolute must for a young adventurous family we've loved it - it’s become a staple in our arsenal of Adventure equipment and we're really keen to share it.

Specifications

Load Range: 10.84 - 22 kg
Volume: 1587 IN3 / 26 L
Dimensions: 73H X 40W X 48D CM
Weight: 3.58 KG
Fabric: 210D Nylon Diamond

Features

• Built-in sunshade easily stores and deploys for convenient UV protection
• Removable and washable soft-to-the-touch drool pad
• Deluxe child cockpit with Double Halo child harness
• Cord loops and mesh pockets provide child access to toy and pacifier storage
• Adjustable and removable stirrups
• Lightweight folding aluminum frame
• Zipper slash pocket
• Dual grab handles
• External hydration sleeve (fits up to 1.5L reservoirs)
• Osprey AirSpeed suspension
• Adjustable torso
• Lower zippered compartment
• Zippered hipbelt pockets
• Poco Child Carrier and Carrying Case are cross-generation compatible
• Lower stretch mesh pockets
• Fit-on-the-fly hipbelt

Check out our full range of the best child carrier backpacks including Osprey Poco, Osprey Poco LT Child Carrier and Deuter Kid Comfort Active Child Carrier.

Still, have questions? Come in-store to chat with our experts or shoot us a message online and we’d love to help! Don’t forget to share your running adventures with us on Instagram at @wildearthaustralia and use the hashtag #MyWildEarth to be featured.

Note: This blog was transcribed from Simon's YouTube video review on the Osprey Poco Plus.

About the contributor:

Simon Goodburn is a Wild Earth Ambassador, technical expert in polar travel and kite-powered adventures and Founder & Head Jeweller at @ribsanddust. He partnered with Polar Explorer, Geoff Wilson, and set a record for the first Australian Team to cross Greenland South-North using kites and the fastest crossing altogether (2160km Unsupported, 18 Days.) Since then, he has developed a fascination and passion for all climbing disciplines, foil-boarding and other endurance challenges.... Follow his adventures on Instagram.