I should have known I wasn’t going to have a small baby. I’m 5″11 and both myself and all my sibling’s children to date have been on the higher end of the weighing scales as babies but still, I always hoped I would be able to use my beloved front carrier until well into toddler-hood. By the time my baby had reached seven months and was facing out, even the shortest of walks around the block would cause noticeable wear and tear on my back, so the thought of a week hiking around Cumbria with my in-laws and a tall, heavy baby of ten months of age was honestly quite petrifying.

Luckily, with a little research, I came across the Little Life Cross Country S4 child carrier, and this is how it faired on a week of hiking around Cumbria.

Pack the essentials

Step one is to not forget to pack your carrier in the car, so far, so good, but I’m glad we’ve got a big car. With a dog, a car seat, two adults and luggage for a week in all weathers, we’re still searching for space and this carrier makes itself known in our car. However, the element of the carrier which has quite possibly become my favourite part, is the spacious base pocket which came in extra handy when needing more space and packing the car. Having made it to Cumbria we were all set for a week of wholesome family fun with our new carrier.

Exploring Windermere

First stop, Windermere, and a chance to test out the carrier in the very surprising and balmy temperature of 25 degrees. As new parents we’re of course petrified of the sun touching our daughter’s skin, so our first stop is to install the super lightweight sun shade onto the carrier. Within a matter of seconds, we had worked it out and it stayed put throughout our walk. Not a hint of sunburn in place so we were thrilled, and ever so pleased to have got this part with our carrier, honestly, a must if you’re considering buying. It also folds down to fit in the base pocket if you want to remove it at any point during your walk. I don’t believe that this would give you protection in heavy rain but i’m sure if you came across a light shower it would help protect your little one until you found cover.

Exploring Buttermere

Our next test of the trip came in the form of a day trip to Buttermere, quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been in the UK, where we put the carrier to the ultimate test, the lunchtime nap on-the-go. If you’re a parent to a small child you’ll understand me when I say that this nap is imperative to the rest of the day and well, quite frankly, the night going smoothly, so when my daughter refused her morning nap in the car that day I was pretty concerned that she would be too unsettled to sleep on the go, upright in a carrier. To my utter amazement, she fell asleep within twenty minutes of us setting off, avec sunshade, resting her head peacefully on the padded headrest in front of her forehead. Totally breathable, my baby was secure, comfortable, and honestly I was a little jealous at this point! I cannot begin to tell you the relief.

Style & functionality

I can’t continue without mentioning the fact that this carrier has a plethora of functional additions. The padded straps are extremely comfortable and supportive. Both my husband and I are suffering with long-term pain issues and the daily carrying around of a ten-month-old can really take a toll, but the carrier was a breeze to wear for both of us. There are side pockets, stirrups, a bottle pocket and grab handles making it easy to put on. The padded sides and headrest I mentioned earlier on make a really comfortable ride for your baby or child. The only thing I struggled with a little bit was the ‘x’ strap when securing our baby into place, I found this a little fiddly, but you could see that it was very secure which is more important at the end of the day.

Attempting Wild Boar Fell

The third test for our latest baby gadget, the Cross Country S4, was an attempt to hike up Wild Boar Fell. With a pit stop and a few marital disagreements under our belt, we had to turn back and didn’t make it all the way up. Admittedly, my husband valiantly did most of the leg work with the carrying, while I enjoyed the sensational views. This time, I was so glad we had the sun shade packed in the base pocket as when we stopped for a break we felt that even though it was overcast, it was best to give our baby that extra bit of protection from the shade, being so high up. Alongside our sunshade in the base pocket, we also managed to pack a formula feed rapid cool bottle, a small lunchbox, nappy, packet of wipes, bottle of water and then fold up a fleece gilet too. There is honestly no need to carry another rucksack, much to my husband’s dismay, I thought this was brilliant.

If you’re currently wondering how you’re going to transport your rapidly growing, gorgeous but oh-so-heavy little one around your next holiday, or you live any kind of outdoorsy lifestyle then you really cannot go wrong with the Little Life Cross Country S4 child carrier. It’s well-designed, perfectly equipped, fully adjustable, functional and fit for purpose. I know this piece of kit is going to stand the test of time for hopefully many more glorious family walks, holidays and hopefully, children.