• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Brownie Bites Blog
  • Home
  • Food
    • Recipes ->
      • Low Carb and Keto
      • Bars & Barks
      • Beverages
      • Cakes & Pies
      • Candy
      • Cookies & Cupcakes
      • Copycat & Pop Culture
      • Dog Treats
      • Entrees
      • Ice Cream & Frozen
      • Muffins & Breads
      • Starters & Sides
    • Restaurant Tours
    • Party Ideas
    • Tips and Tricks
  • Travel
    • View All
    • California
    • Camping & RV Life
    • Disney ->
      • Bahama Cruise
      • Disney World
      • East Caribbean Cruise
      • West Caribbean Cruise
    • Hawaii
    • Hiking
    • Hotel Tours
    • Japan
    • Seaside Florida
    • Smoky Mountains
    • Washington DC
  • Reviews & Unboxings
    • View All
    • Candy & Sweets
    • Nut Butters
    • Nutrition Bars
    • Snacks
    • Specialty Food
    • Subscription Boxes
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Reviews
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Tinkers » Product Reviews » Mom & Baby » How To Hike With A Toddler On Your Back

    How To Hike With A Toddler On Your Back

    Posted: 08/29/2017 | Last updated: 11/16/2022 by Erin 6 Comments
    Post may contain affiliate links via Amazon Associates or other programs. (Disclosure)

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Freeloader toddler carrier

    We live right next door to the Great Smoky Mountains, home to 850 miles of some of the best hiking trails in the country.  Before our kids were born we had a few years of being avid weekend hikers.  Snow, heat, storms, and wicked difficult trails couldn't keep us away from a hike. We stopped hiking when we started our family because we thought we would need to wait until our kids were old enough to be able to handle the distances and the terrain.

    But the mountains kept calling to us and so we went in search of a solution to get us back on the trails sooner than we had originally planned.

    freeloader-carrier

    Jasper, our almost 3 year-old son, can walk about a mile on flat, paved ground, but an uphill hike in the woods would be asking a bit much of his little legs.  Because most carriers are designed for babies, we needed something especially designed to carry a toddler.  We had an opportunity to try the Freeloader, a carrier designed specifically for toddlers, and we hoped it'd be the answer we needed to be able to hike with our kids.

    From www.myfreeloader.com, here are the features of this carrier:

    • Stirrups for foot support on every carrier
    • Ergonomic waist and shoulder straps to evenly distribute weight to the body's hips and core
    • Open back design helps maximize airflow to keep your back cool and dry
    • 5-point child safety harness
    • lead-free and phthalate-free nylon materials
    • Meets or exceeds all CPSC standards

    Can my child use a Freeloader?

    Here are the specs so you can determine if your toddler is the right size for this carrier:

    • Product weight: 5.8 lbs.
    • Carrying capacity: 25-80 lbs.
    • Minimum Age: 2 ½ years
    • Standing height: 33"-50" tall
     Jasper, at almost 3 years old, 40" tall, and 32lbs, was an ideal candidate for the Freeloader.  During a camping trip, we headed for the Porter's Creek Trailhead for our first attempt at a family hike.  With a length of 4 miles (round trip) and an elevation change of only 700ft, it seemed like it would be an easy enough trail for our little experiment.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Matt is able to load Jasper into the Freeloader by himself with no help from another person.  First he positioned the carrier seat between Jasper's legs, while trying to make him understand that he still needs to stand upright during this step, ha.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Next he fastened the harnesses over the shoulder and around each leg and made sure they were nice and snug.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Then he crouched down to get the shoulder straps on.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    And uppppp they go!  There are foot stirrups hanging from both sides, but we did not use them for this hike.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Jasper is wary of new situations and new experiences, so we had practiced a few times in our driveway at home to get him used to being in the carrier.  There were lots of tears during our test runs, but all eyes were dry on the day of our hike and he was a champ.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    But don't think that I was getting off easy - I had a passenger on my back as well!  Shelby is still small enough to be worn in a more traditional baby carrier.  She's teething and chewing on everything that gets near her mouth, and that happened to be the edge of the carrier that day.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Jasper and his crazy curly hair may look apprehensive here, but he was actually just frustrated that we hadn't started moving yet.  He wanted to MOVE!

    freeloader-toddler-carrier

    And off we go!  The sturdy seat and safety harnesses made Jasper feel comfortable and secure.  You can see the optional foot stirrups dangling at Matt's sides.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    The first part of the trail was relatively smooth and covered with gravel, making it easy to traverse.  It was a good way to ease ourselves into hiking with precious cargo on our backs. We usually wear a legionnaires hat when it's super hot during a hike.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    0.3 miles onto the trail we came to a fork where the trail branches off to Brushy Mountain, a trail we hiked many years ago.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    I'll own up to the fact that I did a fair amount of whining during the first half of the trail.  My body is out of hike-shape and I was feeling it, especially going uphill with 16lbs of baby pulling on my back.  I go on neighborhood walks every day at home, but it's just not the same.  My inappropriate footwear didn't help either.  My hiking boots bit the dust many years ago and I haven't prioritized replacing them since we haven't been hiking.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    It was a beautiful and scenic trail that followed a roaring creek for much of the trek.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Selfie-cam!  Jasper was extremely comfortable in the Freeloader.  We noticed him trying a few different positions with his hands.  Sometimes he kept his hands on Matt's shoulders.  Other times, he held onto the top frame of the Freeloader itself.  Other times he let his arms dangle freely at his side while he laid his cheek against the carrier.

    The pack you see on Matt's chest is not part of the Freeloader - that was just an extra bag he wanted to carry with us.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    There was a beautiful bridge crossing a rocky creek.  We stopped for a moment to double check the harness and all connections on the Freeloader and the carrier that Shelby was in to make sure everyone was nice and secure before continuing.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    We got many comments from other hikers about the fact that we each had a human on our backs.

    "Wow, you're getting a workout today!"

    "You've got the whole gang here!"

    "Oh, you have TWO of them!"  Said after passing both of us and looking back, since Shelby isn't always visible from the front view.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    The trail composition differed from gravel or dirt to trickier terrain like systems of exposed tree roots or large, loose rocks.  We kept our eyes on our feet and slowed down when needed.  We've both stumbled and fallen on trails before, but with our kids in tow we took extra caution to prevent such falls.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    Two miles into the trail we saw a small rocky creek crossing the trail.  Looking up our left we saw the 60-foot Fern Branch Falls towering above the trail.  Though climbing the hill to get a little closer to the falls would have been easy if we were alone, we did not want to risk stumbling or falling with the kids on our backs, so we stuck to the trail and took photos from below.

    Freeloader toddler carrier review

    You can see from the front view that the Freeloader has a chest strap and a thicker, padded waist strap for Matt to help distribute Jasper's weight evenly.  On both sides of the waist strap are small zippered compartments large enough for small items such as your phone, keys, a couple of protein bars, or a small bag of trail mix.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    Miss Shelby was mostly asleep at this point, and she snoozed most of the hike back to the car!

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    This is looking across the small creek.  If we had continued along the trail for an additional 1.7 miles, we would have reached Backcountry Campsite 31, but we both agreed that for our first family hike we'd stop at the falls and then start our return trip.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    The falls in motion.  Apparently I don't know how to hold a camera steady when taking a video clip.

    Porter's Creek falls hiking trail

    Overall, we think the Freeloader is an amazing product and is a game changer as far as allowing us to hike with our kids.  While using the carrier, Matt said that he'd prefer it if the front portion of the waist strap was wider and had more padding.  In order to get the correct weight distribution and prevent the strap from slipping it needs to be worn snugly, which caused a bit of discomfort at Matt's waist.  However, that was the only drawback that we could find.  Our toddler was extremely comfortable throughout the hike.  The open back design of the child's harness as well as the lightweight panel between the child and the adult was very helpful in letting air flow freely, preventing both from getting covered in sweat.  The various straps and connections are easy to reach for making quick adjustments.  The ability to fold the seat up when the child is not in it is a nice feature for when the little one decides they want to walk on their own two feet for a bit.

    If you want to try a Freeloader for yourself, you can save 10% by entering the code "freeloaderfun" when you purchase online at http://www.myfreeloader.com

    We were provided with a Freeloader carrier for the purpose of this review.  We do not accept compensation or free product in return for a fully positive review.  Remember our motto: if it sucks, we'll tell you!

    Related posts:

    1. Hike to Rainbow Falls
    2. Smoky Mountains Hike to Charlie's Bunion | Take Two!
    3. Saving Money | 10% Off Freeloader Toddler Carrier
    4. Hiking the Lumber Ridge Trail
    « Whipped Lemon Ricotta Pancake Topping
    We Tried Home Chef And Here's What We Really Think »

    About Erin

    Erin is a mom of two human babies and two fur-covered babies. She loves comfy clothes, eats too much peanut butter, and watches excessive amounts of Netflix. Make her day and toss her a like on Facebook or follow her on Instagram. Post may contain affiliate links including those via the Amazon Associates program

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lindsey

      January 03, 2019 at 5:41 am

      What I can see this carrier isn't look comfy for your boy because of lack of foot stirrups. I can not imagine hanging with my legs on a longer trip. But thats my opinion. You can check my list of baby carriers for hikinh which I reviewed: https://www.babygeartested.com/best-baby-carrier-for-hiking/

      Cheers! Lindsey

      Reply
      • Erin

        January 03, 2019 at 9:15 am

        Hey Lindsey! This carrier actually does have foot stirrups, my little boy just preferred to let his feet hang straight. 🙂

        Reply
        • Lindsey

          January 03, 2019 at 9:29 am

          Oh! My little one also likes to take them out, but after a dozen minutes he puts it back. Cheers! 🙂

          Reply
    2. Christine Lindstrom

      December 11, 2018 at 9:15 pm

      Thanks for the review and the rebate code! We just ordered one for Christmas and the code still works! Our youngest is 5 years younger than our next youngest, so even though he's over 2 and can do a lot of hiking himself, we don't want to limit our older kids in where we can go and how far. We've carried him in a wrap this far, but it's getting harder to use that as he gets bigger. We travel a lot, so we wanted to avoid a big backpack carrier, and also didn't want to invest in an expensive carrier that he would outgrow in the next year. This is absolutely a perfect solution and we can't wait to try it out! Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Erin

        December 11, 2018 at 9:53 pm

        I didn't know the code still worked, that's awesome! We have used this carrier for several hikes, and sometimes my husband wears it on his back folded up when we're going to be out exploring a new area or something. It's great to have as a back up if our youngest gets too tired walking and we don't want to fuss with a stroller.

        Reply
    3. Cathy Kendrick

      August 29, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      Love this post !!! What an awesome carrier

      Reply

    Say Something About This Post: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar


    Hi, I'm Erin! I love food and I bet you do, too! I cook for my family and share the recipes that we love. We also like to camp, so there will be a fair bit about that around here, too.

    Let's Be Friends

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Recent Recipes

    Disney Trip Reports

    More Disney Posts

    Footer

    ? back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure & Terms
    • Sweepstakes Terms

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up to be notified of new posts

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme