Kelty Journey PerfectFit Elite

A strong contender in the "bring your kid along on the adventure in comfort" child carrier niche. Kelty has progressed considerably in this market...and this offering is worthy of your consideration! To be cliché...this is a feature-rich pack for a child carrier.

                       The Kelty Journey PerfectFit Signature Elite Child Carrier

The constant push for better, more comfortable, and supportive child carriers for the adventurer has driven a handful of companies to continually expand, upgrade, and innovate this niche market. Kelty being one of those companies that have been offering child carriers for a very long time.

When my kids were small and we were always off exploring parts unknown, the child carriers of that day were painful contraptions of torture for both the carrier and the carried. Yet we managed, albeit painfully.  Enter today's child carriers...and specifically, Kelty's top offering...the Journey PerfectFit Signature Elite.

Having raised four adventurous children, who now have children of their own to shuttle on these adventures...I purchased several different child carriers...Kelty's Journey PerfectFit Signature Elite being one of them.

What I like in this pack:

• Plenty of adjustability to grow with the children
• Numerous storage pockets
• Numerous grab-strap locations for hoisting or lowering the pack
• Cavernous Hipbelt zippered pockets
• Simple adjustability padded, webbing pull-straps for the carrier torso length
• Beefy padded roll cage for child safety
• Integrated sunshade and specific zippered pocket
• Sturdy, posi-lock folding kickstand
• Sliding sternum strap on 4" rail
• A huge waterproof rear pocket for diapers/wipes/etc...that can be pulled out far enough to wipe down or wash afterwards. Genius!
• Folds "flattish" for packing or storage when roll-bar is loosened and disengaged

What I'd change if I could:

• Narrow the seat area for the child...great for older ones, but splays the legs out too far and they start to whine after a while
• A less cumbersome child harness strap system. Front straps drape beneath the child, so you have to dig a bit to locate them.
• Ambidextrous option on hipbelt pocket waterbottle holder.
• Utilize mesh suspension and foam cutouts for backpanel, shoulder straps and hipbelt...carrier would benefit from greater airflow.

There is plenty of padding for both the carrier and the carried, apart from the child's seat base being a tad wide for infants...great for toddlers. The storage pockets are cavernous and the upper outer zippered compartment has a key clip lanyard and double pocket mesh organizer to keep smaller items within immediate reach. The large, removable, washable drool pad is secured by three plastic snaps 2" hook-n-loop. Mesh side panels maintained good airflow for the child and keeps arms safely inside the pack. Two narrow 8" stretch mesh side pockets allow quick access to items like juice box or a favorite small toy.

Final Thoughts:

Bottom-line, I like the Kelty JourneyFit Signature Elite quite a bit. If you don't have a quality, durable, comfortable, secure/safe child carrier made by a trusted outdoor company...you cannot go wrong with this choice. You will choose to embark on more outdoor adventures with your little one secured safely and comfortably in the Kelty JourneyFit Signature Elite...and you'll be able to bring more gear stuffed in this pack's pockets than you ever imagined.

Background

I've used this Kelty JourneyFit Signature Elite child carrier exclusively with two of my grandchildren on numerous occasions, from outdoor excursions, to neighborhood strolls to shopping mall experiences for hours on end.