Gear Review: Baby Bjorn One Outdoors Baby Carrier

Hiking with Baby Bjorn One Outdoors Carrier
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

My new leap into motherhood has brought a whole new level of hiking-gear obsession.  As most middle-class mothers have done, prior to the birth of my son, I agonized over which type of baby carrier to invest in.  For those of you who don't know - these things aren't cheap - the average (quality) soft carrier ranges from $50-$300 and each one comes with advantages and limitations.  In the end, thanks to generous friends I ended up with three top-notch carriers.  Unfortunately, it turned out that while they all were great at something...none were great for what I needed...hiking

Other carriers didn't cut it for summer hiking.
From left:No hip support, too stretchy/not enough support,
 too hot/can't wear a pack.

I originally tried a popular soft carrier that my baby's legs could dangle down in. I loved it's simplicity and baby Lucien loved how comfortable it was.  Unfortunately, about the time when he was able to face outward in it, it became uncomfortable carrying him.  With no hip belt and little shoulder padding, it was too painful for a multi-hour hike.

Next I tried a wrap system.  Although this is my favorite for around the house, it didn't work for hiking either.  The stretchable jersey sagged after long walks.  Not to mention - with baby pressed up against me, we both turned into sweat machines in minutes after increased exercise.

Finally I though I had it made when I got a drop-in carrier with a massive hip belt.  Sure, my shoulders didn't hurt anymore, but the giant shoulder pads made it so I couldn't carry Lucien AND a backpack.  Where would I store water, diapers, and snacks? This carrier also placed baby against me directly which made us hot on summer hiking days.

I felt like I was in some momma-hiking version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"....I needed to find a carrier that was "just right".  Right when I was about to give up on treks with my boy, I found out that Baby Bjorn was coming out with a new carrier - a hiking specific soft carrier!  They agreed to let me gear test it.  Here is what I found...

Item:  Baby Carrier One Outdoors by Baby Bjorn (in turquoise)

Hiking in Acadia with One Outdoors.
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

The Basics: According to Baby Bjorn's website, this carrier is specifically designed as the "perfect hiking baby carrier".  It works for age newborn to 3 years, is considered a 'hip-healthy' carrier for baby, and has options for 4-way front and back carrying.  The material is a mesh-hybrid which is designed to let air flow (preventing the sweaty problems), and comes with a travel bag and hip belt pouch - perfect for a smart phone.  Color choices are turquoise and black.

Test Adventures:

My initial test of the Baby Carrier One Outdoors was a 4 day trip to Acadia National Park with my girlfriends. I averaged 5-10 miles of hiking a day plus in-town travel.  Lucien probably spent a total of 30+ hours in this pack over the course of the trip.  I took him on easy to challenging trails (See post about trip HERE).

Lucien was 2.5 months at the time of the initial gear test, but he was really long for his age - over 25 inches.  The pack had two options for where he sat in the carrier and he was just too tall for the infant position.  I was easily able to zip him into the larger 'pocket'.  I tested it as a front carrier in both the inward and outward facing options.  **Note - the manufacture recommends you don't try outward facing until 5 months but Lucien was fine holding his neck for short periods of time in it.  At this time, my baby is too small for back carrying so I haven't been able to test that (yet).

Acadia with Baby Bjorn One Outdoors.
Photo by Leanne De Craene

My priorities going into the test was to look for a few things that I wasn't getting in my other carriers.  Here were my questions:

- Carrier Comfort - Can I wear it for 4-6 hours without pain?  Does it distribute weight onto hips and shoulders?  Does it adjust to different body types?

- Baby Comfort - Does my baby sit well in it?  Is it comfortable for him?

- Breathability - Are my baby and I going to be instantly covered in my sweat when I start climbing a mountain?

- Difficulty Using - Can I get it on and baby in by myself?  Can I quickly take it on and off when I need to diaper change, nurse, get in-and-out of the car?

- Storage/Pack - Can I wear a backpack AND the carrier?  Does it provide storage for items for a short walk?

After 4 days and 30+ hours of hiking I found my answers...

Advantages:

Trying the face out option.

Carrier Comfort - I had HIGH expectations for this carrier that claims to be "the perfect hiking baby carrier" and after my initial test, I agree that it is the best soft carrier on the market for hiking.  The weight of my baby was distributed between my hips and shoulders.  I was incredibly comfortable hiking multiple hikes a day for many days with this pack.  I'm 6'1" so I was nervous about it being long enough for me, but I didn't have any issues.  I wore the "hip" belt more like a waist belt so I'm sure on a shorter torsoed mommy it would sit more on the hips, but it could obviously work for 6 ft dads too.  I also love that the hip and waist belt are not too thick so I didn't get sweaty AND the shoulder straps (although padded) were thin enough that I could wear a backpack and the carrier at the same time.

Baby Comfort - I was able to adjust the pack to Lucien's length so he fit well.  I liked these options and can see that I'd get my moneys worth from this pack since he will grow into it and the pack will be adjustable.  He slept in the carrier through pretty much every hike.

Breathable barrier between mom and baby.
I am wearing a backpack over the carrier straps.

Breathability - This is the real genius of this pack.  There is a mesh barrier between you and your baby.  As I climbed up mountains and was dripping sweat in 90 degree humid weather, my baby stayed dry!  It prevented us both turning into sweat machines.  The mesh also helped prevent excessive sweat along the strap lines.  I LOVE this part of the pack.  If you are going summer hiking, the other options are just too hot for you and baby.

Difficulty - While this pack is not as easy to use as the Bjorn Original, it's still pretty simple - especially considering that it works for newborn to 3 years.  It took less than a minute to get Lucien in and out.

Storage - The only storage available on the pack is the cell-phone sized pocket on the waist band.  Honestly, I didn't use this at all.  I keep my phone in my pocket and carried a backpack with me that sat comfortably over the shoulder straps of the baby carrier.



Limitations:

As far as a soft hiking carrier goes, this is (in my opinion) the best choice out there.  It was

Hiking in New Hampshire with One Outdoors.
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

comfortable for me and my baby, we didn't get sweaty, it was easy to use, and I was able to wear a backpack with it.  Still, there are some limitations to this pack since it is built as a hiking specific carrier.

Mentioned earlier, this pack is a little more complicated than the original.  As a result, it takes some user knowledge and fiddling with straps.  It's not as easy to get baby in and out of.   Although this could easily be an everyday carrier, I prefer it strictly for hiking since I have the wrap for in-home use which is a little softer and great for cooler weather.

Some mothers might find it frustrating that they cannot breastfeed while wearing the carrier.  When I needed to breastfeed, I needed to remove baby and the carrier.  This was slightly cumbersome but not a deal-breaker.

It's last limitation is storage - I didn't find the cell phone pocket on the hip band particularly helpful.  I would have preferred a larger pouch in the front or larger hip belt pouch.  This turned out to not be a problem on large hikes, however, since I was able to carry a backpack.

Conclusions:

Climbing challenging trails with One Outdoors.
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

The Baby Bjorn One Outdoors Carrier turned out to be everything it promised.  It is the perfect option for parents looking to hike with their child.  With a steep price tag (retailing around $250), it's an investment.  However, for me, it is totally worth it if you are planning regular hiking with your baby.  What's more, because of its versatility, the user can use this carrier for up to 3 years of the child's life - a promise not offered by other packs.  I look forward to using my Baby Bjorn One Outdoors Baby Carrier on all my adventures this summer as well as years to come!  Keep up with my adventures with baby Lucien here at FreelanceAdventurer.com and on Facebook at @TheFreelanceAdventurer and Instagram @FreelanceAdventurer.

Happy Baby after a day of hiking!
Photo by Leanne De Craene.

You might enjoy the following posts about hiking with a baby...

- 3 Family Friendly Nights in Acadia National Park

- White Ledge Trail - Solitude and Views Near North Conway

- Mt. Kearsarge North - 360 Views in the Heart of North Conway

Gear Review: HomeStar Pocket - Personal GPS

HomeStar Pocket GPS helps find way in
snow covered trail.

Every outdoor adventurer is a little gear obsessed.  Here is my latest review of the HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS system.

Item:

Personal Handheld GPS

HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS

DHT Ventures

$110

HomeStarGPS.com

With the increasing number of backcountry navigation devices available, it's often difficult to choose what precious items will make it into your pack.  Fortunately, this little key fob weighs almost nothing and can bring you peace of mind and an extra orientation backup system.  Over the past months, I tried out the HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS to see if this little piece of gear was worth the addition to the pack.

HomeStar GPS guides through fog on
Mt. Katahdin, Maine

The Basics... 

The HomeStar is easy to learn and use.  The device works by letting you easily set three waypoints along your adventure.  When you are ready to return, simply click the button for the way point you want to return to and a circle of flashing lights will guide you back to your site.  

Test Adventures... 

I gear tested the GPS on three adventures - a mountain climb in September, a cross country ski in December, and a snow shoe hike in January.  In all three adventures, the HomeStar GPS worked well and did what it promised.  I was able to set way points and return to the site with its guidance.  

Advantages...

The HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS is a good tool to use as a backup safety orientation device.  Its super-small design adds literally no weight to your pack, and gives you extra piece of mind if you lose your way.  It is easy to use and comes with a user manuel and youtube video that shows how to use it.  Although it's no substitute for a good map and compass, it can save a lost hiker who has lost his/her way from a trail and needs to return to a way point.  

HomeStar helps us find our trail.

On Mt. Katahdin in Maine, I set way points at the car, an important junction, and the summit.  The night before our hike, we learned that three hikers had been lost in the fog and had to be rescued.  I realized that if I was in a similar situation, the HomeStar GPS could have led me back to a way point spot.  These hikers were not so fortunate, and rescuers finally found them far from the trail in a ravine.  They had wandered far - thinking they were returning to the trail.  

I found the device useful as a winter hiking companion.  I used it on two occasions after fresh snow fall - once while cross country skiing in Maine and once on a snowshoeing adventure in southern New Hampshire.  After the snow, the trail is often not packed and visible.  It is unsafe to rely on your tracks to lead you back, since at any time, new snow can fill the pockets, or you could easily get led astray by other tracks.  My companions and I used the HomeStar GPS as a safety back-up tool in case we lost our way from the trail.  We set a way point at the parking lot, an important junction and the turn-around-spot.  That way, if we had lost our way, we could have easily found an recognizable spot.  I tested the GPS and it was able to guide us back to these way points.  

Limitations...

HomeStar is limited to finding way-points - not new locations.

With small size, comes some limitations.  Although it's great as a safety backup in fowl weather or for a lost hiker, this device does not work well as a navigation and orienteering device.  While it can direct you toward a set way point, the HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS does not indicate the compass direction you are going (N, S, E, W).  Since you mark way points as you pass them, it cannot guide you to a place you have not been - only help you return to a place you once were.  

The other limitation of the small size of HomeStar is that it does not provide distances to way points.  Although as you get closer to your destination, the lights flash faster, you do not know how far you are from your destination.  

Set the HomeStar GPS at important way-points

Conclusions...

In conclusion, I found that the HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS was exactly what it promised - a super small, simple to use, way point storing GPS that will guide you through snow, dark, or fog to your destination.  I recommend it be carried as a back up safety feature by backcountry users.  Set the three waypoints at spaced-out places along your journey, so if lost, you can easily return to a site.  

Please leave comments or questions below...

HomeStar Pocket Personal GPS