Customer Reviews

Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier, Blue

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been looking for child carriers that appeared suitable for true in-the-woods hiking and which could carry supplies as well as a toddler. I'm using this pack to carry a 20lb 15 month old in Arizona and I'm impressed so far. There are multiple adjustments for different torso sizes that allows you to make sure you're carrying most of the weight on your hips. The padding is substantial and similar to what you'd see on a higher end internal frame backpack. You don't experience any pressure points if you've adjusted it correctly. Your passenger has multiple seating adjustments so you can position her high or low depending on size and to make sure her arms are free. The shoulder straps and leg straps are also very adjustable and easy to access. The kickstand pops out automatically which is very nice and has a pinch resistant rubber hinge insert to keep fingers out of the way. They did a great job in trying to cram as much storage into the pack as possible without throwing off your center of balance. There is storage under the seat suitable for lunch, water, and a first aid kit. And storage in the form of a small daypack that zips behind the seat. This is big enough for kid supplies, diapers, lunch, change of clothes. You could use this for a long day hike but there is no way you'd consider trying to carry anything more, i.e. a sleeping bag. The rain/sunhood is also a requirement in my opinion for Arizona and is easy to attach. My daughter hasn't squirmed or complained in it yet and actually tries to climb in it when she sees it in the living room. Pre-kid I've done a lot of backpacking with a variety of frame styles and now I've carried my daughter with slings, wraps, baby bjorn's and on my shoulders. In my opinion this carrier is very well designed by somebody who has done a lot of both.

This review entails my experience with three packs. The Kelty FC3, the current FC 3.0 and the Deuter II. I originally owned the older Kelty FC3. Over the course of a year of heavy use, it began wearing out (material was tearing, and ripping, foam was coming off the internal stays). To be honest I probably put over 200 miles on this pack in all kinds of weather. Kelty agreed to replace the pack with the FC 3.0, the current model. But only after sending them pics of my old pack with the shoulder straps cut from the pack. A big mistake on my part...

The Kelty FC3 was probably the premier backpack out there when it came out. It probably still is. It fit well, the kids loved it. Getting them in and out was a little cumbersome but not too bad. Lots of little extras. The pocket on the back came off to be a separate backpack, the small mirror to see what junior was up to, the reflective piping all over the pack, the diaper pad, cupholders on the back, the all weather type hood, and the kickstand. Lots of niceties. Safety wise it was the best, with the rollbar type cockpit, that probably actually saved my son once when I took a bad fall. Any other pack and he may have been crushed.

The FC 3.0 keeps the rollbar type construction and the kickstand, but the similarities pretty well stop there.

a. The new harness assembly upper belts are not attached to the back of the pack passenger compartment but rather float on two straps in the back of the compartment. (the older model had some serious velcro here)
b. The back/sides of the passenger compartment padding are no longer attached with velcro due to the mesh sides panels. This can make them collapse while trying to insert the child.
c. The base of the open area where the childs legs hang now has mesh at the bottom, which if the childs legs are inside the mesh when he is inserted can make it next to impossible to raise his legs to get them out. Before he could just move them out if he desired. Now, you have to once again lift the child out and try to guide both legs to the outside of the mesh as you lower him( more of an issue as you child get larger).
d. The sunshield. Previously this was more of an all weather hood. Given that I am outside in all kinds of weather this was a real sell point for me. In addition to the material itself, my concerns are as follows: (this might be repetitive). The shield seems to sit about two inches lower, even with me lowering my son to a lower seat height, the shield sits on his head. If I put him any lower the sides of the pack would probably not allow him to lower his arms. The top cross piece is now manually inserted vs being sewn in. The bottom elastic of the side netting runs across my sons face. He looks like an dog in one of those airline under the seat pet carriers stuffed in there.
e. Passenger material. Initially I thought the softer material was an improvement. Now I'm not so sure. My son spends a lot of time back there eating, drinking, drooling, whatever. This stuff is lighter in color and will show stains more than the older black nylon material, and looks like it could be a real pain to clean. Only the front pad is removable for cleaning, but the entire compartment has this stuff on it.
f Lack of small details. THe old pack had the reflective piping which I was happy about as a lot of my walks end up finishing as the sun goes down, and I'm walking home. The web cup holders on the outside of the pack were very useful. The mirror was great for knowing if my son was sleeping, done drinking from his water bottle or had made a mess of the last piece of food I gave him.

Anyway,I no longer have the FC 3.0. I picked up a Deuter II to replace it. Initially I liked the Deuter. I really like the sunshield, rainhood combo which is about thirty bucks extra but well worth it. The main issues with this pack are:
a. I don't know why but the shoulder tightening straps on mine seem too short. When I take my son off I have to release the straps all the way, and even then its a challenge to get my arms out of those straps. Then when putting the pack on with the straps full released, its hard to grab them to pull tight, as I only have about an inch to do so. It's very awkward/uncomfortable.
b. The kick stand is awkward too. You need someone to push it back in or to pull it out unless your very flexible. I keep forgetting it's out there and go into places knocking over everything, when I realize it's the kickstand.
c. The frame. I love the fact that it has the side entry. However I really miss the safety of the Kelty rollbar.
d. For some reason my son hates this thing. Perhaps he spent too much time in the Kelty.

Anyway, the Deuter is gone. I managed to find a new Kelty FC2, which is the same as the FC3 on a closeout site for $99.99. It's the same as the FC3 only without the mirror, diaper pad, or all weather hood, all of which I still have anyway. My next choice was going to be Ebay for a good used FC3.

Be careful in reading the reviews for the FC 3.0. A lot of those reviews are really for the older FC3. Many 09 reviews and all the earlier reviews are for the FC3. The two packs are radically different, although similiar in appearance. I sent Kelty a lot of photos and info and they said they are looking at redesigning it again in the future. I still think they're a great company. Looks like they just tried to really cut costs on this new pack. If safety is a big concern, I still think Kelty is the way to go.

We wanted to get a nice backpack carrier to carry our 21-month old daughter for our upcoming trip to Montana. We were doing lots of hiking around Glacier National Park, but we also wanted it for walks around the neighborhood. We narrowed it down to the Sherpani Rumba and the Kelty FC 3.0, and bought both so we could try them out (then return the one we didn't like). I really wanted to like the Sherpani, but it was just not as comfortable as the Kelty. No matter how much adjusting I did, both my husband and I always had aching shoulders after not even an hour walk. Also, our daughter was able to wiggle halfway out of it, then would cry because she would get stuck halfway. She was just not comfortable in that pack, and would even try to avoid being put in it. Not so with the Kelty! It fits like a dream, both for the wearer and the child! Our daughter literally begs to get in it. We had some very long hikes, and she was always happy as a clam in the pack. We even wore her around the airport. She would be sitting in the airplane for hours, be tired and cranky, yet still got excited about climbing back into the Kelty carrier when we got off the plane. When adjusted correctly, you never feel the weight in your shoulders. I even walked around town for a few hours with my (at the time) 18-month old daughter in it when I was 4 months pregnant, and I didn't feel it at all until I got home. Then, I felt like I just did a 2-hour step workout, but still no shoulder pain (my legs sure did feel that I was walking around with an extra 20-30 lbs, though!).

After using this pack a lot around town (and even around the house while making dinner and such), and taking it across the country for hiking, I still absolutely love it. The storage space is more than enough for your daily needs, and, because the small backpack unzips from the back, I was even able to leave my diaper bag at home and just use the small Kelty backpack. In the small pack, I usually brought fit diapers, wipes, changing pad, lots of snacks, plus personal items like wallet, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, antibacterial gel, etc. Then in the bottom part we would fit lunch for 5, plus sweaters for the baby, hats, a large digital camera, and maybe a few other odds and ends.

The ONLY complaint I have is that the load lifters are accessible to the child, and they can easily pull up on the buckle and release them (quite a shock when you're hiking and all of a sudden you feel all the weight on your shoulders). Our daughter usually can't get to them when the sunshield is on, but when it's off, she always plays with them. Besides that, it is the perfect pack. Our daughter fell asleep in it 3 times while hiking, and she is NOT one of those kids who just falls asleep wherever. I think that says a lot about the comfort of this pack. It is worth every penny.

This is a great looking carrier. When everything is adjusted correctly and you put your baby in and start walking, it feels great too. Then something terrible happens... The part that the baby sits in can move up and down a main "rail" This is what you adjust depending on your height and it determines where you are bearing all the weight. The problem is that for this version 3.0, they use a pin that just pulls out and you adjust the length of the torso and it pops back in. It was meant to be for easy adjusting, however, EVERY single time I go for a walk, the pin comes out and the whole thing drops down my back notch by notch and within a few minutes I have to stop, take it off and readjust it.

I am 6'4" 250 pounds and my wife if 5'4" and the pack fits us well. It is easy to adjust and secures our child in seconds with no fuss. I've read some compaint about inadequate storage space but I disagree. There is enough room for baby and myself for a day hike. The price is a little steep but quality and ease of use makes it worth every penny.

I love this pack and I will tell you why but if you read anything... read the end of my review about the warranty.

I began using this pack when my kid was 21 lb's and 7 months and he is now 1 year and about 25 lb's. He rides safe, secure and comfortable in this pack. When I first began using the pack he would fidget or whine a tiny bit when strapping him in but once in he is quiet and happy. Once I used the pack for a couple of weeks he was thrilled to be put in it. I have carried him around for three hours in a theme park and he was content and excited to see all of the action from a grown-ups point of view. He has fallen asleep in it with his head forward and face turned to the side resting on the very soft and plush dribble pad (removable and machine washable). Security and comfort are certainly not an issue with this backpack. There are circulation worries with some packs because of dangling feet. On the FC 3.0, the childs feet have a resting area. For larger children you can use the optional Kelty stirrup accessory when your childs is tall enough that their feet have to go to the outside of their seating area. The stirrups are an older item but the rings they clip onto are present on this pack. You shouldn't need these until your child is closer to two or older.

Next... I am very comfortable wearing the pack. I am 5'11" and about 180lbs. When I first tried out the pack with the factory settings it felt good. I put my kid in it and tightened some straps up and it was fine although the shoulder and chest area seemed to be carrying the lion share of the load. Then I raised the torso belt some and it was better. I went to a theme park for a day and pulled the shoulder straps even tighter and it raised the pack a little higher on my back. At this point the torso buckle was just about at my belly button and the pack just sort of hugged my back and the weight distributed nicely and I knew I found the sweet spot. This was our first major outing. We logged three hours on a sunny 70 degree day.

On the subject of sun; The sun/rain hood is well designed. The child will have a great view off to both sides. I have heard some grumbles from fans of other brands about the Kelty hoods because they obstruct the front view a little. What these people do not realize is that the child does not need to see straight ahead very well because Mom and Dads head is in the way anyhow. They will have a good view of the back of your head so they are comfortable knowing it's you carrying them and they will have a great view on the sides to see everything else.

The generous storage areas consist of four compartments. One compartment stores the sun/rain hood which is included. One compartment holds an included padded changing pad and has room for a jacket or extra clothes etc.. The third compartment is a small compartment and the last is a very big one at the bottom. I can fit a small picnic blanket in there. You can actually leave the diaper bag at home. I fit diapers, wipes, toys, bottles, extra clothes... I really do not bring a diaper bag with me when I use this pack.

Putting on the pack is generally safe and fairly easy after you practice a few times, take your time and use caution. The FC 3.0 pack is tall so the shoulder straps are higher off the ground. I have very little trouble strapping on the pack from the floor. I can just loosen the shoulder straps, squat down and put the shoulder straps on. Then I lean forward to get him off the ground and shift his weight onto my back (rather than have him flop over to a side) and then stand and buckle the torso and buckle the chest and tighten the shoulder straps. I am a little overprotective yet I feel very confident and safe loading this pack onto my back with my little guy in it. Unloading involves loosening the shoulder straps, squatting down and resting the kickstand on the ground. With that said... Loading and unloading from a raised area such as a bed or the back of an SUV is far easier. Also, you will find park benches make is easy to load and unload.

This pack is perfectly designed for neighborhood walks, a day at the park or zoo and even serious hiking and overnight camping. I originally thought it was overkill for grocery shopping or a mall but after using this pack for several months now I take it and use it everywhere. My kid makes it about 10 minutes in the grocery store/Target shopping cart. He is good for 30 minutes or more in the pack.

Finally; I need to tell you about my warranty experience with Kelty. One of the best reasons to buy a Kelty product is their Lifetime Warranty. I had an older Kelty child-carrier backpack in which a strap and buckle wore out (this was a less important strap not jeopardizing child safety and the new models have a reinforced version of this strap and buckle). Kelty has a lifetime warranty and they advised me that they do not usually repair the child carriers but will replace them. I was instructed to cut the straps off of my pack (making it unusable), the tag from the pack showing the model number and mail them to the company along with a simple form I filled out from their website. One week after mailing the straps I received a brand new FC 3.0 from UPS. The model they replaced was an older and somewhat less expensive model. I was shocked at how fast they shipped it out to me and that they sent me their top of the line carrier. I paid about $5.00 to ship the straps back and they paid the shipping on my replacement pack. Wow. There are a lot of choices out there for child carriers but I have not seen a lifetime warranty on any brand but Kelty.

This warranty experience has made me a big fan of Kelty as a company. My experiences with this pack has cemented that loyalty. This child carrier provides a generous amount of storage, a comfortable carry for Mom and Dad and most importantly a comfortable and safe ride for your child. If this is what you are looking for than you have found your carrier.

Update Feb 1, 2011. My son is now 18 months and and 26 lb's and still likes being in the pack. I put him in it for hiking and walks. It is still a good choice for theme parks because of all the storage it has. He likes to run around a lot more these days but never gripes when I put him in the pack!

We used this pack on a two-week tour of western Turkey. Although our 25-pound 2-year-old wanted to run around unencumbered much of the time, whenever we were able to coax her into this pack, life got much easier. The pack distributed the weight reasonably well, though we thought it should have done a better job of shifting weight to our hips. No amount of adjustment seemed to do the trick there. The kickstand worked just as we needed it to, and made a world of difference any time a person needed to hoist the loaded pack without assistance. The zip-on minipack up top is a great addition. I was worried that it would shift weight too far up and back from the wearer, but we never noticed whether it was zipped on or being carried by someone else in the group. We tended to put heavier things (like water bottles and sunscreen) in the pouch at the base of the pack. The mirror came in handy on several occasions, which was surprising given how stupid it looks. There were times when it was useful for the wearer to be able to see if the child was asleep or merely quiescent, and the mirror did the job well enough. The hip pouch - which we used to carry a pacifier - was tremendously handy, but it is the only pouch that the wearer can easily reach and it is not large enough to hold much of significance. I would have appreciated more features accessible by the wearer. Too much of this pack depends on having a second adult nearby to assist, hence the 4/5 (rather than 5/5) rating. It should be noted that although the pack is really bulky (and, hence, a little scary in tightly-confined stores with lots of breakables), the same places where the pack was a tight fit were precisely the places where it came in super-handy, because it kept our toddler from trundling off and doing damage in places where there was an awful lot that could be quickly destroyed.

the Kelty 3.0 is just fantastic! I purchased it for an upcoming vacation in the Adirondacks where my husband and I want to take our baby hiking with us. He is 8months old and sometimes we take him for walks in it, instead of using the stroller. It's a new view for him, he's high up like we are, and in this, he isn't in the 'sitting' position, so it's a nice change for him in that way too. It's totally cmfortable for him and for us too. My husband is 6.2' and I'm 5'2, and it's completely and easily adjustable.

Kelty had a previous version of this backpack child carrier that they'd called "the 3". Not realizing that they'd changed the product, I purchased the 3.0, thinking it was the same. Unfortunately, the differences between the 3 and the 3.0 are enough for me to return the product. My DH and I rented the 3 for a day hike and loved it. I'm 5'5" and 128 lbs, my DH is 5'10" and 170 lbs. It fit both of us well, and our son (2.5 yrs old, 30 lbs) loved it! Key features of the 3 for me were the easy-to-adjust torso (it adjusted easily at the shoulders) and the zip-off daypack, which made this carrier the ideal one to take on an airplane, as we could gate-check the backpack and quickly zip off the daypack to use as a diaper bag. Both of these features are missing in the 3.0. The torso adjusts by means of a hellish little device hidden behind the lumbar support. It bites my fingers and rips my nails every time I get back there to move it. And there is no zip-off daypack on the 3.0. Why they chose to name their new product version so similarly to the old one, I'll never know. I'm going to check out the Sherpani Rumba child carrier, which seems to have everything I'm looking for, with the addition of a max load of 70 lbs (Kelty stops at 50).

I've seen this pack on 50% off sales several times (each color has different pricing at different times). Wait for that deal.

Having this pack really makes me wish I still lived in the Rockies. It would be fabulous for even strenuous hikes. We still plan on using it in the flat Midwest. Our son will appreciate the higher view (vs stroller view).

There is plenty of storage. I love that it comes with the sun shield, changing pad, and kick stand. The straps are easy to adjust, and the child insert is quickly removed.

I'm 6', 165lbs. My hubby is 6' 4" 250lbs. Our boy is 32" and 30lbs. We all find this pack comfortable, tho I know my shoulders will hurt after long distances (my husband says he can wear it all day tho). We love camping and will be much happier now that we have this pack. If it fits comfortable in your budget, it is worth the splurge.