Need Help Choosing a Child Carrier? 

• Why a Tough Traveler?  

Comfort:   Tough Traveler carriers are designed to make carrying as easy and comfortable   for you as possible.  Sturdy internal  frame and superior balance make our top-of-the line carriers as comfortable as the very best backpacks used by mountaineers.

Lightweight:  A heavy backpack can really weigh you down.  Tough Traveler child carriers combine high-tech with light weight.  Even our largest model - the Stallion - weighs only 4lbs, 10oz.  Compare this to the largest Kelty & Madden carriers at 9lbs.

Safety:   All Tough Traveler carriers are equipped with five-point child safety harness, as well as other safety precautions.  L.L. Bean's recent safety recall of   child carriers was in no way connected to Tough Traveler.  We take safety very seriously.

Quality workmanship: Carriers last for years and can be passed down through several children.  Made in the USA with sturdy materials and careful attention.  Seldom rip or break.  Covered by a full life-time warranty against all defects in manufacture.

Reputation:  Our carriers have received rave reviews in many top publications, including "Family Camping," "Backpacker," "Family Travel Forum," and "The Today Show"! 

In a recent review of our Stallion(tm) in the May/June issue of Camping Life Magazine, Editor Stuart Bourdon wrote, "...The child's weight felt like an extension of my own body, making walking, bending down, turning or any striding movement easy to perform...."

Even better, we get thousands of notes from happy carrier-users who tell us such things as:

"The 'Tough Traveler' has been the best expenditure I've made for my child...." (Barb Miller-Sohr, 1995)

"Just another startling testimony to the quality and ... protective character of your incredible product...." (from William Cook, whose child and self were uninjured after being hit by a bulldozer while using the carrier - we were pretty amazed by this one too!)

"Rarely is a product [the Tough Traveler Stallion(tm)] so clearly superior to all of its competition" (Howad Bandler, 1995)

"My wife and I swear by the Tough Traveler packs.  We've bought two... Tough Traveler is clearly the best there is. (No, I don't work for them.)" (Anonymous AOL member)

"The Tough Traveler had the best-designed safety straps for the child, with an adjustable shoulder and leg harness to keep even the most kinetic kids secure.  Of the [different companies'] models we tested, the TT also did the best job of transfering our daughter's weight to the hips, which aleviated a lot of stress on my shoulders and back.... " - Tracey F. Fern

See how comfortable this child is - even when the mother is bending at an awkward angle!

• When can your child ride in a backpack child carrier?

  Until the baby can sit up unassisted, at approximately age six months, a soft front carrier, such as our Pony Ride, should be used instead of a backpack carrier.   Once the child can sit alone, any of our child carrier models, can be worn.

• Which Tough Traveler carrier is best for you?   

To choose a Tough Traveler backpack child carrier, you should first consider these factors: The height of the adult doing the carrying, the weight of the child, the use to which the carrier will be put, and the level of comfort and adjustability that are important to you.  Try this simple questionnaire for suggestions, then browse our catalog!                   
Also, here are some tips on height: Here are approx. torso sizes (remember, there is also variation by your body structure & girth):  Colt:  15.5" - 19.5"; Montana: 14.5" - 17"; Pal'Mino: 12.5" - 17"; Kid Carrier: 11.5" - 17"; Filly: 10.5" - 15.5"; Stallion: 13" - 19". 

• Still can't decide?  Contact Customer Service for personal assistance at: 1-800-GO-TOUGH or e-mail service@toughtraveler.com!

• See a Comparison Chart on our child carriers

• •CHILD CARRIER TIPS
  •FEATURES OF ALL CARRIERS

• Go Back to KidSYSTEMS catalog