The Hatcher Pack is a Baby Carrier and Functional Hiking Day Pack in One
A few months after our son was born, my wife and I were ready to get back to one of our favorite pre-kid activities (and something that, happily, has become a favorite family activity now that both kids are here and are a bit older): hiking. The problem was, this being a number of years back, we really didn’t have good family hiking gear. So I strapped our baby to my chest in the same baby carrier we used for casual neighborhood strolls, trips to stores, or for when he simply refused to be put down around the house.
This being a number of years back and before our outdoor gear, apparel, and supplies expertise were anything even adjacent to, well, expertise, we didn’t know of any great options for a hiking baby carrier, he being too small at the time to go into a larger baby hiking backpack like our trusted Kelty. And frankly, gear experts or not, even if we had gone looking hard, we would not have found a perfect baby hiking carrier anyway, because at the time none really existed.
Sure, there were baby carriers that were a bit more ergonomic and adjustable and breathable than the one I sweated away in as we trekked up and around the foothills and mountains of Greater Los Angeles, but what even the best baby carrier lacked back then were any of the benefits you get with a purpose-built hiking pack. Our baby carrier was safe and stable for carrying a little body, and that’s it: it had zero other features, thus the parent who was not laden with a baby was left to carry everything needed for a family hike, from water to diapers to wipes to sunblock to a first aid kit and so on it went. And if one of us wanted to head out alone with baby, that meant awkwardly slinging a day pack over the straps of the carrier.
We muddled through, had another kid, got a great baby carrier hiking backpack, and life went on. But if you’re in the place of having a young baby, as in as small as seven pounds, and you are also a family of hikers (or just long neighborhood walkers of park or zoo visitors or travelers), no need for you to muddle through, because with a Hatcher Pack, you can carry your baby and all your gear in comfort and with convenience.
The Original Hatcher Pack is one of those pieces of gear you can tell was designed by someone who wished that exact item existed and then said: “Whelp, better make it myself, then!” The design of the pack is informed, logical, and clever; it fills many needs in one, and without a bunch of needless add-ons, either.
And as Jaclyn Thatcher, CEO of Hatcher Packs explained to Dad Gear Review, it was a spark of inspiration followed by a five-year development phase that led to that design.
“We realized active moms and dads need a diaper bag they can use any day, anywhere for any adventure, so we created the Hatcher Pack,” Jacyln told DGR. “The first ever adventure diaper bag for [parents[ with components and features of endurance packs including a detachable soft baby carrier, hydration bladder compartment, easy access shoulder pockets and so much more! With kids, every day is an adventure, no matter whether you are going to the mailbox or the mountains, church or canyoneering, the art museum or the grocery store, and now you are ready to go at a moment's notice.”
First and foremost, a Hatcher Pack is a baby carrier, and it can carry kids as small as seven pounds, as noted, up through 35 pounds, and in a forward-facing or inward-facing arrangement, with the kid slung on the adult’s chest. Multiple straps allow for adjustment that ensures a secure and comfy fit for the baby (or toddler) as well as for mom, dad, or the other adult toting the little one. The panels and straps that support the child are soft and highly breathable, largely made of mesh, so the kid will be comfortable for mile after mile of trekking along.
And thanks to padded straps, a mesh-covered cushioned back panel, and myriad adjustment points, the adult will be comfortable, too. Said comfort is aided by the fact that they will also be well-hydrated, thanks to an internal pocket that accommodates a water reservoir (bladder not included, but most will fit fine) and/or dual side water bottle pockets. The pack itself has an impressive 40-liter storage capacity, and that’s spread out over about a dozen pockets, including an easy-access area atop the pack, several little stash pockets on the straps that are ideal for a phone, snacks, tissues, and so on, a large main compartment, an interior zippered pocket, and more.
“Many people think adventures and passions have to end once kids are born, but really they are just beginning,” Jaclyn Thatcher said, adding: “The Hatcher Pack will be ready to help you share your passions with your child. No longer do you have to choose: ‘Oh do I bring the diapers or the baby carrier? Wipes or waterbottles? Laptop or snacks? You can have it all! And since the baby carrier is detachable, your family will never outgrow the Hatcher Pack whether your kids are 18 months or 18 years old!”
Long story short, but as a hiking daypack, the Hatcher Pack would be a good bag even without baby carrying capabilities. As a baby carrier, if all the pouches and pockets and hydration capacity and all were stripped, it would be a safe, stable, and comfortable way to carry your kid. But put all those facts together, and you get a brilliant.
Photos c/o Hatcher Packs