People buy into this????

[Hamster]

My 35 lb load wiggles, shifts her center of gravity wildly with no notice, and often does not want to be held or to proceed.   

I've had that problem with the kids on the trail-a-bike. They don't realize that when they want to lean over and point at things it could bring us all down.

[strider3700]

I've had that problem with the kids on the trail-a-bike. They don't realize that when they want to lean over and point at things it could bring us all down.

Try it on a motorcycle in a corner at 90km/h.   It was an adult. She still got a seriously stern talking to to go with the lecture on physics...  I got a change of underwear..

[Kriegsspiel]

What you need is a mildly potent sedative.  A quick nighttime raid of a vet or doctors office will net you a handy supply for those times when you need docile, relaxed children.

[Erica/NWEdible]

What you need is a mildly potent sedative.  A quick nighttime raid of a vet or doctors office will net you a handy supply for those times when you need docile, relaxed children.

Are you suggesting a binkie-tini? ;)

[arebelspy]

I've had that problem with the kids on the trail-a-bike. They don't realize that when they want to lean over and point at things it could bring us all down.

Try it on a motorcycle in a corner at 90km/h.   It was an adult. She still got a seriously stern talking to to go with the lecture on physics...  I got a change of underwear..

Yikes!

Yeah, I wouldn't let anyone get on the back of a motorcycle as a passenger without a discussion of their expected behavior (only takes two minutes, but could save lives, as you pointed out.)

[BlueMR2]

Yeah, I wouldn't let anyone get on the back of a motorcycle as a passenger without a discussion of their expected behavior (only takes two minutes, but could save lives, as you pointed out.)

Reminds me of a funny story of my first motorcycle experience (single speed dirt bike, MANY moons ago).  The "instructor" thought it would be wise to ride on the back to instruct me.  Of course he kept moving around to see what I was doing, and everytime he'd move we'd go careening off course.  :-)

I finally went to a real motorcycle school just a couple weeks ago and go my motorcycle license done.  Interestingly, the pro instructors don't attempt to ride on the bike with the students.  ;-)  ;-)

[tuyop]

Yeah, I wouldn't let anyone get on the back of a motorcycle as a passenger without a discussion of their expected behavior (only takes two minutes, but could save lives, as you pointed out.)

Reminds me of a funny story of my first motorcycle experience (single speed dirt bike, MANY moons ago).  The "instructor" thought it would be wise to ride on the back to instruct me.  Of course he kept moving around to see what I was doing, and everytime he'd move we'd go careening off course.  :-)

I finally went to a real motorcycle school just a couple weeks ago and go my motorcycle license done.  Interestingly, the pro instructors don't attempt to ride on the bike with the students.  ;-)  ;-)

Are you like, an attractive female? Was the first instructor?

[mm1970]

Our first stroller was $140 jogging stroller.  I liked the big wheels, and I went on a LOT of walks with my son.  We used it for two years.  Well, maybe 1.5 years, from age 6 months to two years.  Before that I used a baby carrier.

It eventually fell apart. 

Fast forward 6 years (never expected to need another stroller), I spent $50 on a Jeep stroller from Amazon.  Not a jogger, but to be honest, I'm not going to run with this puppy.  I walk with it to the grocery store.  It's not great going on and off curbs, but I can work around that.

Just about all the new moms I know have BOBs.  For those who:
run a lot with the baby
walk everywhere
are planning on having another child
got it as a gift

It's probably a useful item.

[snshijuptr]

If you have a crappy carrier or try to use a carrier in a way it was not intended, you will end up with major back pain. We don't own a stroller (our apartment was on the third floor with no elevator) so we carry my daughter everywhere. I have a woven wrap and a Mei Tai carrier and they are both awesome for carrying her around on my back for hours though she is approaching 20 lbs. The Ergo as Erica/NWEdible is also a good option. There are tons of videos on YouTube showing the proper way to carry up to a 40 lb child on your back. The biggest mistake I see parents making is either carrying their child too low on their back (their head should be almost even with yours) or using a carrier/carry that puts most of the weight on your shoulders instead of around your hip. The carriers can get expensive, but I have spent less than $200 on all of my carriers an they are used multiple times a day. I encourage parents to check out thebabywearer.com for much better information than I can give. There are actually parents certified to teach babywearing.

[Undecided]

I should add that I'm a backpacker and a beginning mountaineer. Carrying 30 pounds on my back walking 10 miles per day is no problem when I've been doing it for a few days. Carrying more is a burden but it's doable, besides I consider myself still pretty weak and that needs to change. Mountaineering requires carrying a 50-60 pound pack up several thousand feet over 6-8 hours.

I also hope to do Denali next year, which requires carrying even more weight plus dragging a sled.

...and after all that the plan is to have kids. We'll see how it works out, but it doesn't sound to me like carrying a 30 pound kid 4-5 miles in a day is going to be that bad.

So what? You could carry your hiking load with no backpack, but it doesn't change the fact that using the backpack is more functional and comfortable. Same thing with a stroller in many circumstances. Even though we used them far less than many people might, I'd certainly say they have their place.