good baby carrier for short hikes

I bought the Cross Country baby carrier for my 17 month old daughter who likes the outdoors very much. When I was first deciding which model carrier to get, I considered the Kelty KIDS carriers, but I didn't like their kick stand designs which won't stay open unless the carrier is sitting on the ground and all tension has been released from the shoulder straps. The Cross Country carrier from Evenflo has a kickstand that you can open while still wearing the shoulder straps. This allows me to sit down on the ground and take the carrier off when it's safely sitting on the ground with my daughter in it. I have used the carrier a few times on walks 1-2 hours on paved paths around two local lakes and the carrier works well for carry my daughter, her diapers, tissues, wash cloths, water, and baby portions of food.

Adjustability of the Cross Country's waist belt is limited. There are only three positions available set by snaps. Supposedly this is enough to fit the majority of torso lengths, but with a 16" torso, I had the snaps in the middle position. So, I would strongly recommend going to a store to check to see if the carrier can be adjusted to a comfortable fit with your baby riding on board before buying the carrier. Buying it mail order without first trying it on would be a mistake. Also, you should make sure your baby likes sitting in this carrier and that it's adjustability is enough for your baby. I started by adjusting the baby seat as high as it will go since my daughter isn't very tall. It turns out that was the perfect height for her and she likes it. The carrier's seat might be too low for smaller babies even at it's highest setting.

The construction of the carrier seems to be pretty good. The majority of the seams are taped and are single stitched. At least they appear to be single stitched, since they are taped I can't tell if they are double stitched. The shoulder straps appear to be attached well. The carrier's general construction doesn't seem to be cheap but it's not like a mountaineering pack either. There is a zippered pouch on the bottom of the pack to carry diapers and stuff for the baby, while on the back of the carrier is a mesh pocket for other things readily needed such as water bottles, sunblock, and small toys for the baby.

Ventilation isn't so good with this carrier. After reading the marketing literature about this carrier, I thought it would be a lot cooler to wear than my backpack full of camping gear. I was wrong. There's little ventilation and you can expect the back of your shirt to become sweat soaked within 15 minutes of starting a brisk walk.