Be Mindful Retro Scout Baby Carrier Backpack in Jungle Green

My husband and I really wanted to find a carrier for our two year old daughter that would perform well during our outdoor hikes and traveling but also with everyday use as she hates being in a stroller and pretty much refuses to get into one. She actually enjoys getting into this backpack which made the whole experience of using this with her, a pleasurable one.I like it most for the trendy army "jungle" green color and how comfortable it is to wear. My husband enjoys it for the convenience of all the little extras on it like the water pack and hose, the removable backpack, the overhead rain and sun guard and the tons and TONS of extra storage space this thing has to keep snacks, diapers, wipes, water bottles, etc. You can fit anything and everything into this one carrier so we don't worry about having anything extra to carry by hand. I'm so glad we ended up getting this one in particular because it perfectly met both of our individual needs and style. I know this is a matter of vanity but I love that either one of us can wear this and it looks/feels great.For reference my daughter is 25 months, 35 inches tall and weighs 24 pounds. She fits perfectly with plenty of room to grow. Definitely a great purchase and would buy again for friends and family that also enjoy backpacking/hiking with their little ones. Hope this helps!

Before I get into the product review, I’d like to make a customer service review...... the company that fulfills Mindful Engineering’s orders for them had some sort of miscommunication and the scout wasn’t actually in stock. I didn’t mind the shipment being late, but at some point, i was leaving for a trip and needed the pack. I contacted Mindful Engineering through amazon and despite the fact that they had two days to reply, within hours I received a very sweet and sincere message with an apology and an offer to send a loaner until the scout was delivered. I got the loaner very quickly and was also sent a return label for it once I finally got the scout. Just a wonderful experience despite a hiccup.As for the scout...... well made, high quality, tons of storage. Rambunctious 7 month loved it and took naps in it. Sun shade was a must. Insulated zipper pocket kept his lunch cool. Pulled him out after 3 hours of heat thinking I would need to change his clothes and he wasn’t sweaty at all. Definitely watch the video on their website on how to make adjustments. I was a little fidgety with my straps and couldn’t get them 100% where I’d like them, but he felt light and my hikes were pretty hard. I’ve never used one of these before so I don’t know how it compares to the more expensive packs or the cheaper packs, but I am very happy with my purchase.

It came broken :/ and we are living over seas right now so trying to figure out how to contact the company

Need more time; like it a lot but don't love it. Here's why:Pros - I really like the look of the dark green, throw back to military green canvas a la Rambo/MASH/etc. Feels nice on the back, well padded, lots of pockets, water sack accessory. The kid seems be very comfortable and enjoys being in the seat. Price - is half the price of the other name brand models. Adjustable - both my wife and I can use it (6ft1, and 5ft 6)Cons - With out a ton of use there is already 3 things that aren't great (hence the 4 stars). 1. The shade cover has an front plastic hook and threaded loop that connect (see picture). Hooking was not an issue, but unhooking was too hard and annoying - especially when you are trying to get the kid out quick during a melt down. I think that I will be cutting off the plastic hooks and replacing with a small key chain metal carabiner.2. To pop open and close the kickstand you have to press 2 buttons on either side (one of my buttons sticks right out of the box - still works but is not great quality. 3. To fasten kid takes a minute to learn (and NO user guide or manual came with unit; just a generic pamphlet of dos and don'ts). 4. Last thing - out kid sneezed a bunch when we put them in it; and my back was a bit itchy - it is not USA made (few things are) - worry about product contamination, chemicals, etc.Will likely add more in future once I have used more - despite the con list I still like this unit and hope to get a lot of use out of.

The carrier is awesome, comfortable to wear. However, the toddler backpack snap on the straps came loose right out of the package. Emailed the address that came with package and it was undeliverable.

Sorry guys, I really wanted to like this BUT there were some big buts on this bad boy.PROS: Looks good, has plenty of storage, can pull the kickstand in with one hand (though that may have been a malfunction since I'm pretty sure you're supposed to have to push both buttons at the same time which would be impossible while wearing the pack).CONS: No zipper closure on the main storage area—not a major deal but isn't a great idea, no water bottle pocket anywhere you could possibly reach it while hiking, and OH YEAH it KILLED my back. My son weighs 25 pounds and I'm used to hiking with him in something non-structured so I am fully aware of the toll hiking with that much weight can take, but this was crazy. Within 10 minutes my back was screaming at me. Sorry guys, not worth it. This was supposed to ease the pain by distributing the weight, but even with a good portion of the weight on my hips, it felt like my spine was being compressed. (I had it set on small as I'm 5'2".)I wanted to love it, but ultimately I had to return it. Boo.