Best baby carrier and high quality shoe holder: Set yourself up for success by taking steps to be sure you’re physically, mentally and logistically prepared for your trip. To get ready for backpacking, follow these tips: Get physically ready: You’re not training for a marathon, but even a short trip can be physically demanding. At a minimum do plenty of day hikes and be able to comfortably handle trails with a similar distance and elevation gain as your planned trip. Do at least a few pre-trip hikes of similar difficulty wearing a backpack loaded with 30-plus pounds. You can also read our article on Backpacking Training Tips and Exercises for workout ideas, though you don’t need anything this comprehensive for your first trip. See even more info at cleat holder for backpack.
The weight range doesn’t go up nearly as high (7-33 pounds), and it requires an infant insert that you have to purchase separately (if your baby is under 12 pounds), and it doesn’t have the “bucket” adjustments to accommodate both infants and toddlers thighs. So you end up with the four positions and need to purchase the infant insert to make that 5. We also thought it needed a small storage pouch to carry a paci, keys, phone, etc, and that the Velcro around the waist was great but also quite loud to use. So those are the reasons we chose the LILLEBaby as #1, though honestly, it was a close call. The Ergobaby is just so comfortable for parents and babies, and it is less bulky and can adjust down to suit relatively petite parents, so it was a difficult decision. A truly excellent baby carrier with just some small shortcomings. Usually about $150 and available in a ton of colors and patterns. Note also that the new and pricier Ergobaby Omni 360 is now available and is more similar to the LILLEBaby in versatility, supporting babies and toddlers from 7 to 45 pounds, and offering 6 different carry positions.
Reducing backpack weight tip : Ultralight gaiters. Get some of these. They are like those elastic book sock covers from school. Great to keep out any debris from your shoes and much lighter than other gaiter options. Leave your puffy jacket (if it’s not too cold). Even in freezing temperatures on the Appalachian Trail, I was always shedding layers and still sweating buckets while hiking. You can always bundle with your sleeping bag on breaks and at camp. See ultralight down jackets. Wool socks. Wool naturally fights odors and still insulates when wet, unlike cotton. Discover additional details at https://ilouxnei.com/.
Make sure you eat regularly and keep your fuel stores up. You’ll make better decisions. When hungry, the hormone ghrelin is produced in the stomach, and ghrelin has a negative effect on both decision making and impulse control, report scientists. This is a no-brainer. Bring more food than you think you’ll need. Plan on eating and keeping your fuel stores topped up during a hike, even if you aren’t hungry. But if you do get in a survival situation, don’t stress. In general, a human can go about 3 weeks without any food. You won’t feel great, but it isn’t life-threatening. Focus on bringing dense foods with you. Things like nuts and nut bars are great because they pack a lot of calories into a small package.