Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

I have a serious problem with this year's new design of this pack!
The harness that holds the child in place slides up and down on a piece of webbing. The back of this harness has velcro in order for it to stick in place once you find the correct vertical adjustment. However, the velcro only has fabric to stick to and the fabric is not remotely sticky to the velcro, allowing the harness free vertical movement once the child is in the pack. The child can actually stand up while riding in the pack because the harness slides upward and doesn't hold him down. This is clearly a design flaw, as it is easy to see the intention of the harness with the velcro, but in practice is does not work. (Last year's model of this pack had a similar design, but the fabric was far stickier and allowed the child harness to stay in place vertically.)

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

My husband and I wanted to find something that was durable, reliable and would grow with our son. We bought it when he was 18 months old and are still using it now almost a year later. From the first time we sat him in it and strapped it on, we loved it. My husband is 6'2" and I'm 5'4" and it very comfortably fits us both and is easy to adjust between us. Our son LOVES it and has never complained about spending all afternoon hiking in it. It's comfortable enough that he could see everything around us and also fall asleep in too. He didn't even mind the attached cover when we used it in the rain. There's room enough for everything you need to take with you on a nice hike as well. We've been thrilled with it and would gladly buy another one.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

This might be a great pack and it seems like they've re-done it all, but make sure you don't get one of the old versions! The quick-torso adjustment-pin FAILS as mentioned numerous times in these reviews - it slips when you are carrying your child and makes hiking practically impossible as you have to take it off, reset it, and hope it doesn't happen again in the next 100 meters. We had this pack and our 1 year old out in the backcountry of CO and it was a LONG slog with the pin failing multiple times each day.

Kelty claims they have fixed this and are in fact doing a "silent" recall for the old product, sending out new packs and asking for proof that you destroyed the old one. In reality, this should have been a full-blown recall as it is definitely a safety issue (imagine being on a class-3 ridge and the pin slips, moving your 30 pound load and possible throwing you off balance...) but I'm afraid they were trying to dodge the bad publicity. I will definitely think twice about buying Kelty baby products again - I'm on to trying some other brands!!!

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

It seems they thought of everything when designing this product! The only complaint I have is that once I tightened it to my liking I had a ton of tension strap excess hanging all over the place. It's an easy fix but for the price how about a bit of elastic! I'm rather short, 5'4, so I don't see many people having this issue.

One thing I didn't expect was the sliding lumbar pad! This pack will fit just about any adult torso! A very ingenious feature. I was also surprised how light the pack actually is. It's got some bulk to it and I expected to weigh a bit more. Overall I'm extremely satisfied with the purchase. You'd be hard pressed to find a better carrier.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

My wife and I were fortunate enough to test this product. It is remarkable. Not only is it well constructed, it also is more versatile than any other child carrier available. My wife is 5'8" and I'm 6'0" and this carrier was comfortable enough for both of us to carry our son on 10 mile hikes and longer. With plenty of pockets, lightweight construction, and several adjustment options it perfect for everyday use as well.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

We have taken our Kelty snow shoeing, hiking, museumes, theme parks, aquariums, and just about any where else one can think of.

When it comes to safety I would trust our children in nothing else. We had an experience with our oldest where we slipped on the ice and the kickstand transfred all the weight from her to the parent carrying her.

I used it at the Monterary Bay Aquarium and where children in strollers were not able to get close to some of the exhibits I would just walk right up to the exhibits turn sideways and she got a prime view of the different tanks, making this the best day trip ever.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

One of my most favorite projects to work on in my 15 years + of design experience, was the Kelty Kids Frame Carriers. This project encompassed what Kelty stands for; Safety, Comfort and Ease of Use. In addition, this project captures one of our core values, to GET FAMILIES OUTSIDE to enjoy nature. Our products enable families with infants to either; start, continue or return to participating in activities that bring families together in the outdoor setting. Providing a quality product that is above all "safe" requires ALOT of time-spent engineering/designing, testing, researching and retesting. We have our own stringent internal protocol for testing and safety. However, we also strive for certification from outside organizations that solely study, test and evaluate children's products. Some of the different "certification" we have received is from private organizations like JPMA (Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association) and governmental agencies like CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act). To be certified means we did our job and created a product that you can feel safe and secure with when out on the trail or just enjoying a walk to your favorite local park.



After we get through the HARD stuff, we get to focus on some of the aspects of the product that are SUPER interesting! Starting from the top of the product; we have a sunshade that provides protection from various elements, but also doesn't impede on your child's view. We also incorporated a stain resistant material in the "cockpit" where the child sits. All though it's a light color, it's super easy to clean and hides stains better than darker colors while keeping your child cooler on those hot summer days. We added necessary organizational features. We beefed up the "cockpit" in general for the child also. There is more padding, soft fabric sidewalls and less chance for the child to experience discomfort for those 4 – 5 mile hikes. Guess what, for the parents we also created a shoulder and waist harness system that not only is our most comfortable and strongest as of yet, but is designed to keep your child's center of gravity RIGHT where you need it to be. This means that your child isn't sitting way over your head, but strategically placed so your child is safe and you are super comfortable. Some of our models are even hydration compatible which is a plus when you want to ensure you don't run out of water for the family. Our colors also reflect who Kelty is. We're about fun! We're about setting trends based on extensive research and validation of colors and materials. We take this serious, as we know you want a product that is an extension of what you like to do and who you are. Nature reveals itself in the most beautiful array of colors. We spent many hours trying to match up the fun that is in nature and fun "family" style.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

I love this pack! My wife and I went back and forth on which carrier to buy for our (at the time) 8 month old daughter. The reviews weren't very helpful as almost all of them for the two leading brands were five stars. Which perfect pack to choose? We went with this one based on the sun shade (It's the little things).

The pack is very easy to adjust between my wife (5'6") and me (6'0"), and very easy to adjust for hiking comfort. The pockets hold plenty of snacks, diapers, bug spray, sunscreen, wipes, etc. I only wish there was a hydration bladder pocket. I have to carry water bottles in one of the pockets, which means I have to set the pack down to take a drink when I am hiking by myself. I solved this by securing a home-made bottle carrier to the hip belt with a webbing strap.

The pack is comfortable to carry with our 21 lb. daughter rocking back and forth. It seems pretty stable, at least for me. I would not fear hiking along a tricky ledge with my baby in this (I also always hike with a trekking pole for balance). Pack weight can be placed mostly on the hips for comfort, which is amazing to me since all the weight is at the top and far back. I wish my regular backpack was this comfortable.

The auto kickstand is a good idea, but you have to make sure the straps aren't tangled when you set the pack down or the stand will not deploy. Picking the pack up is a cinch. The stand retracts perfectly. Overall I would not trade it for a manual stand.

The most important feature is the comfort for the child, and this pack delivers. Our daughter loves to ride in this pack. She gets excited when we pull it out of the closet and set it by the door. The seat seems comfortable, she is very secure and supported and the sunshade is full coverage. One good feature (at least to me) is that our baby's feet don't dangle outside of the pack. There are webbed sides at the bottom of the cockpit that keep the feet inside. This is very reassuring when hiking through thick forests in Tennessee. Keeping track of what the hands grab is hard enough without worrying about what the legs are catching on.

I would definitely choose this model again if I had it to do over again, and I recommend it to all of my friends who are parents or are about to become parents.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

I have last years model 2009 and absolutely love it. I used to be an avid hiker and, thanks to my daughter, am back into the game. This baby carrier is super supportive and comfortable. Great way to carry baby not only on hikes, but with the elevated position she will see more at the zoo and parks. Bring it to the beach so you can have 2 free hands to carry other necessities. The sun shade roof also works well when she is on the beach blanket, just stick the exposed frame ends into the sand. My only complaint is the location of the toy tabs. They are on the side so if she lets go of a toy it falls out of reach for her. Easy fix is to just use an additional strap on the toy to make things more acessible.

When she outgrows this thing I plan on just removing the baby seat and putting a stuff sack or two in its place and use it as a regular backpack.

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Frame Child Carrier:

Kelty has made a fine carrier except for one flaw, which is fatal to its utility: the lumbar belt slides up and down the pack uncontrollably.This means a 15-30 pound load gradually drops onto your shoulders, instead of sitting on your waist like a proper backpack. This is due to a design that rests the pack's entire weight on a metal pin inside the waistbelt. As others have described here, the pin slips out as one walks or takes heavy steps.Kelty sent me a new pack in the mail after I reported the problem. But first I had to email them pictures of the pack. Then I was told to cut off the shoulder straps and mail them to Kelty. This took a few afternoons of back and forth with company via phone and email.A new pack arrived, which Kelty told me had a redesigned pin. It looked the same. We put it on and walked around with our 5-month old, who weighs 15 lbs. Click! Same problem. We're returning ours to REI.It's a shame. The pack is ergonomic and has smart features: the sunshade, the autodeploy kickstand, and a cockpit that can be set to not collapse, protecting the child should parent fall flat on his back. This is a feature I'd like to see in competing packs.But until Kelty finds a true fix for the pin, I can't recommend this product. Furthermore, Kelty should have recalled the pack long ago. The problem isn't new. It was noted on retailer websites at early as April 2009, a year before I bought mine.Kelty's approach seems to be: Keep selling the pack and quietly handle complaints as they come in. That's not an attitude that builds customer trust.