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Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier
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Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier

Item # 765108

$229.95

Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)

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For avid backpackers and hikers, this child carrier is a must-have for year-round family adventures.

  • Auto-deploy kickstand is internally spring-loaded (no bungees) for smooth deployment and retraction
  • 5-point, adjustable harness system is anchored directly to frame and features an easy-to-use central tensioning system similar to car seats
  • Curved, molded foam shoulder straps with load-lifter straps, sternum strap and 2-layer contoured padded hipbelt evenly distribute load for parents
  • Padded, molded backpanel with sliding torso-length adjustment allows easy fitting changes between short and tall parents
  • Removable, washable padded cockpit offers a reclining position, allowing child to sit naturally and comfortably
  • Double-hook seat height adjustment is fast and easy to change
  • Included sun/rain hood protects the little one from the elements and also guards against unruly bushes and branches
  • Removable diaper pack with shoulder strap lets you bring along toys and essentials
  • Under-seat storage compartment accommodates more diapers, toys, snacks and change of clothes—enough for a day's outing
  • Includes changing pad for those unexpected diaper changes while on the go
  • Carrier also features hipbelt storage pockets for small essentials for mom and dad and toy loop attachment points for the little one
  • 3M reflective tape accents provides 360° of visibility
  • Manufacturer recommends a maximum weight limit of 50 lbs. for child and gear
  • Made from durable 600-denier polyester and brushed nylon

    Requirements for your child:
  • Your child must be capable of holding their head upright and sitting up by themselves. Usually a child older than 6 months is able to do this. It is a good idea to ask your pediatrician if they think your child is ready to ride in a child carrier.

Imported.

Item 765108

Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier Specs

Specification

Description

GenderUnisex
Frame typeChild carrier
Approximate volume1,100 cubic inches
Approximate volume - metric18 liters
Average weight7 lbs. 14 oz.
Average weight - metric3.6 kilograms
Dimensions19 x 15 x 30 inches
Adjustable torsoYes
Fits torso12 - 20 inches
Fits waist/hips26 - 62 inches
MaterialPolyester/brushed nylon
Frame materialAluminum
Number of pockets3 + main compartment
Max. weight (child+gear+pack)50 pounds
Hydration compatibleNo

Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier
 
4.1

(based on 14 reviews)

92%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Easy use (12)
  • Strong construction (12)
  • Comfortable (9)
  • Easily accessible (5)
  • Easy setup (5)

Cons

  • Heavy (4)
  • Uncomfortable (4)

Best Uses

  • Toddler (12)
  • Travel (7)
  • Daily use (6)
  • Infants (5)
  • Out & about (4)
  • Reviewer Profile:
  • First time parent (8), Parent of two or more children (5)

Reviewed by 14 customers

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May

26

2008

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

 
4.0

Not for the grocery store

By Natika

from Beautiful Northern Michigan

About Me Active, Hiker, Medical Professional, Parent of Two or More Children

Pros

  • Easy Setup
  • Strong Construction

Cons

  • Heavy

Best Uses

  • Toddlers
  • Travel

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

My husband and I have owned a Kelty "Town" for about 5 years and have used it for everything from the grocery store, crowded airports, to camping and hiking. We thought we would get this different model for a few reasons. #1)We love that it is adjustable for our different sizes for longer hikes. #2)It has room for our waters, snacks, picknic things in the bottom and still room for diapers, ect. #3)It came in red #4) The top pack Zips off for our 5 year old to carry. #5) It came with the sun shield. #6) The child's seating is much more adjustable. Over all, we really like it. I will keep the Town model as well for quick trips. I don't like that it's over 7# with out anything packed in it, but it's the same material that the Town is made out of and very durable and stain resistant.

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

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May

25

2008

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

 
4.0

Better, but still flawed

By hiker bob1

from New York, NY

About Me First Time Parent

Pros

  • Easily Accessible
  • Easy Setup
  • Easy Use
  • Secure
  • Strong Construction

Cons

  • Uncomfortable

Best Uses

  • Toddlers

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

Kelty still hasn't solved the problem that has plagued all of it's baby carriers: the weight is distributed too far back, pulling you backwards. In this respect, the FC3 is not as bad as its forerunners, but you still can feel it. As the baby is secured to the back of the pack, the bigger the baby, the more of his/her weight is shifted forwards, so this problem may not be noticable with a 40 pounder, but it's a problem with a sub-25 lb.

Other than this, Kelty has made a nice pack -- sturdy and well constructed, all hinges and clips covered to protect little fingers, quickly readjustable to fit different length torsos, kickstand works flawlessly, reflective piping, and the best fitting baby harness I have seen. It would be nice if the canopy popped out and folded back in, but that's just nit picking.

In sum, for older kids, this should do fine, but it may not be great for babies or long hikes.

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

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Dec

26

2008

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

 
5.0

LOVE IT

By Dr.Johnson

from Napa, CA

About Me First Time Parent

Pros

  • Adjustable
  • Comfortable
  • Easily Accessible
  • Easy Use
  • Strong Construction

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Not Enough Pockets

Best Uses

  • Infants
  • Toddlers
  • Travel

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

My son is 23 pounds he loves it my wife and I we went on an 2 hour hike with him in the woods at Muir Woods in Marin county California and he laughed and bounced in it until he fell asleep.

A few more pockets would be nice but then you are adding weight so that's a maybe suggestion to the manufacturers. It would be nice a few more pockets for taking him on overnight backpacking trips. But we can make do with our other regular backpacking pack.

The hood is a great add on and comes in handy more than one thinks, it's nice to have it included with the carrier.

But the best thing is how easy it adjusts for use between my wife and I. If she wants to carry him she can adjust the pack in 10 seconds and then we can switch back just as fast.

  • Gift:
  • No

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

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Feb

25

2009

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

 
4.0

Kelty 3.0 vs Deuter III

By WaterFall Hiker

from Pasadena, Ca

About Me Parent of Multiples (Twins etc)

Site Member

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Easy Use
  • Lightweight
  • Strong Construction
  • Stylish

Cons

  • Not Enough Pockets

Best Uses

  • Toddlers

Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

My friend purchased the Deuter III and I purchased the Kelty. THe Deuter looks more impressive and has more padding, but overall the Kelty has better features. The seat is adjustable and the Deuter is not. The Deuter is probably for older toddlers. The only thing that the Kelty needs is a bottle holder which needs to be accessible by the carrier, and a zip pocket large enough for a portable camera.

  • Gift:
  • Yes

Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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Aug

20

2008

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

 
5.0

Awesome!

By jgoulet

from Biddeford, Maine

About Me Parent of Two or More Children

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Easily Accessible
  • Easy Setup
  • Easy Use
  • Strong Construction

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Daily Use
    • Hiking
    • Toddlers
    • Travel

    Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

    I researched a ton of child carriers before settling on this one. We received it on Monday and are already in love with it (three days later). Our 6 month old has fallen asleep comfortably in it each time we've use it. And it adjusts enought to fit our 2 year old too! Amazing! Great features and totally comfortable for parent and child! We loved hiking, but we're quite challenged by taking longer trips with our two youngest - this has made it do-able!

    Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

    (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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    Jul

    6

    2008

    (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

     
    5.0

    Great child carrier!

    By DKColorado

    from Denver, CO

    About Me First Time Parent

    Pros

    • Comfortable
    • Easily Accessible
    • Easy Setup
    • Easy Use
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Daily Use
      • Infants
      • Toddlers

      Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

      I did alot of research on child carriers before purchasing the Kelty 3.0. I found this carrier had the best construction and provided features that have been very helpful while hiking. The pack itself is sturdy and secure. Padding is in the right place for both the parent and the child. Two items that I particularly like: the sun cover and the automatic kick-stand. The sun cover provides full head protection and can be easily removed when not needed. Most of the other child carriers only have partial sun cover or have shades that become too complicated to quickly remove/install. With the Kelty, the head is safely protected from the sun and low hanging branches! The automatic kick stand creates an instant sturdy base for loading or taking out the little guy. It is quick and simple without any effort needed. With other carriers, I found that the stands would not deploy 100% and the pack would collapse when you go to put the child in. This is my first Kelty product and I am very happy with my purchase. Going on hikes has been great and my son loves being in the carrier! This is a child carrier that will last for several years of use.

      Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

      (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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      Mar

      2

      2008

      (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

       
      4.0

      This pack is great

      By crstephens83

      from Victorville, Ca

      About Me First Time Parent

      Site Member

      Pros

      • Comfortable
      • Easily Accessible
      • Easy Setup
      • Easy Use
      • Strong Construction

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Toddlers

        Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

        My wife and I both used this pack on our trip to Joshua Tree, and it worked great! It was easy to adjust and pretty easy to get used too! We both loved it and our daughter also loved it!I do think that my daughter could use a cupholder and also myself on the waist-belt. But other than that it is a great pack!

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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        Jul

        21

        2009

        (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Kelty should pay me for advertising

        By tubeboy

        from Hayward, CA

        About Me First Time Parent

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Comfortable
        • Easy Use
        • Lightweight
        • Strong Construction
        • Stylish

        Cons

        • No mirror
        • No travel case

        Best Uses

        • Daily Use
        • Out & About
        • Toddlers
        • Travel

        Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

        This was an excellent puchase for us. Our baby girl just loves it when I put her in, big smile. She loved the ability to see out better than her Bob stroller. We used the carrier at the Grand Canyon and later in Las Vegas. We received a lot of compliments about the carrier. Random people even asked us where to get it. The carrier is easy to use and comfortable in my opinion. Both my wife and I traded off carrying our baby.

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

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        Sep

        20

        2009

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

         
        2.0

        would not buy this again

        By halfmoonsurfer

        from Half Moon Bay, CA

        About Me First Time Parent

        Pros

        • Easy Use

        Cons

        • Heavy
        • Poor Construction
        • Uncomfortable

        Best Uses

        • Toddlers

        Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

        Did a bunch of research, like the others who commented. It came down to the Deuter II and this Kelty III. The features of the bag are great, but the construction and padding of the shoulder straps is a deal breaker.

        The shoulder strap adjustment pin (they call it the "sliding torso-length adjustment ") pops out ALL THE TIME, changing the height of the straps as you are walking. We don't wear it with all the weight on our shoulders, but we both prefer it to be tight and not have the bag decide what the proper pin location we should use. With our 1 year old bouncing around in the back, it feels more secure when tight, and his weight distribution doesnt drag us around when its tighter.

        My wife and I are both 5'8 and our son is around 24 pounds.

        What sold me on this carrier was:
        * Quick adjustment of the should strap height with the pull of a pin.
        * The bottom storage is bigger than the Deuter.
        * Sun shade: The carrier came with one and it is easier to set up than the Deuter shade.
        * The zip out diaper bag. We bought this for use on a trip to Montreal and were able to gate check the carrier and take the diaper bag on the plane.

        We are going to move to the Deuter. It has much more comfortable shoulder staps than the Kelty. And the waist straps are more comfortable too. The Deuter's shoulder strap adjustment is pretty quick too, so moving between parents is still fast. It's a shame the Deuter doesnt have the the zip out diaper bag, but it does have a place where a small bag could be hooked to the carrier.

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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        May

        1

        2009

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

         
        4.0

        This pack is comfortable!

        By need2getOUTmore

        from District of Columbia

        About Me Parent of Two or More Children

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Comfortable
        • Good design
        • Stylish

        Cons

        • No hydration bladder port

        Best Uses

        • Daily Use
        • Infants
        • Toddlers

        Comments about Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier:

        I am a father of three and this is my second backpack carrier. My first was a Kelty sold under the LL Bean name that was no longer comfortable after nine years. I have taken my 19 month old son on several hikes over the past few months, and I love this pack. I went hiking on a recent 90 degree day, and it was extremely breathable. The sun/rain hood and the mirror are great accessories. I wish the bag under the carrier was a bit bigger, and that it had a port for a hydration bladder, but those are my only complaints. Overall, this is a great value!

        • Gift:
        • No

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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        Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

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