So the inevitable happened, the kid came along and as a result all our best laid plans of heading walking crashed and burned. The last couple of months, however, have seen a bit of a rennaisance due to one tidy piece of kit, the Macpac Vamoose. The Vamoose has had us strolling the beaches of the Isle of Wight, the South Downs and the fields of Kent in places where you would not be able to get a buggy and has had led to some seriously happy parents.

A couple of things have really impressed me about it’s design, firstly the hip belt. As you can imagine with Sprog and all his attachments in tow, he weighs a ton, so comfort in carrying something so heavy was the top order of the day. The hip belt feels like I have been cuddled by a bear, e.g. soft and strong and so it take a lot of the weight. The shoulder and back system are to Macpacs usual high quality - all in all it is a very comfortable ride.

It also has a fair few features that also get the thumbs up. Firstly a zip off day pack which is awesome for carrying all his bits and bobs. You can then simply take off the backpack if you need to go and chenge his nappy anywhere or if you want your partner to spread the load. Secondly, the sun shade and rain cover are fantastic and keep the worst of the weather from your child. We had a trek through snow whilst in Kent and all the while he was gurgling away happy as larry on my back. Finally there is so much space in the bottom of the pack along with the zip off day sack that we end up just taking the Vamoose when we head out.

Things you may not be as happy about are that it is quite heavy due to all the attachments and there are definitely cheaper ones out there. From our perspective however we love it and are looking forward to some happy tramping over the next year or two. One final word as with any kiddy carrier though is to introduce your kids nice and early. The later you leave it, the less happy they are getting in to one we have found in our experience with friends kids!

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