Geocaching stroller recommendations

[+Team Tired Boy]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a stroller for geocaching? We've got twins on the way, and we want to take them caching with us!

[+Mayeaux clan]

I've had good luck as far as durability and handling tough terrain with the Jeep strollers. In a two seater, you will probably want to look at a front/back seater as opposed to a side-by-side especially if you will be going down trails that may be too narrow for a side-by-side. Personally, when I take both my kids, the 4 year old walks and I put the baby in a Kelty Kangaroo carrier. You face them towards you when they are tiny, but once they can hold their head up on their own pretty good, you turn them around so they can see where they are going. They love it. It is a little warm in the summer with a kid in the front and a backpack in the rear, but I figure I'm getting a good workout. Another possibility for little ones is a Maya wrap. There's too many ways to carry a kid in them to post here, so Google it and you will see how versatile they are. Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

[+Skytracker]

A friend of mine owns the company that makes the stroller featured in this article:

 

http://www.crocodilebaby.com/qs/page/2283/2282/17

 

We build things like this pretty tough down here.

[+Kiwi Nomad]

I found the front/back sitter good on footpaths only.

Had a section of pavement being replaced and with the two year old at the front and baby at the back could not push it over the gravel while lifting the front wheels to get back on the pavement (about 2 inches high).

[+Kit Fox]

We did away with the "side by side" when my wife's family gave our kids a "monster wagon" for Christmas. I never did like the side by side, or the inline double. Of course my kids are two and five so you might stick with something with full baby carriers.

 

Bobbybilt Wagons

[+mousekakat]

No stroller here, we do a lot of rocky trails and it just wouldn't work at all...

 

We used a sling for the baby, it's much better for their spines and development, and then when she got too big for the sling we moved on to a Patapum carrier. It can be placed on front or back and it supports their bum and entire pelvic region instead of leaving them to hang by their crotch, which is very bad for them.

 

Unless it's just really gentle trails I have a hard time seeing taking a stroller, especially with the kinds of trails we take. Maybe I'm wrong, I know some folks do it, but personally, I'd go for a sling like a hotsling until they are about 6 or 7 months of age and sitting well, and then go with a wrap like a Mai Tai or a backpack style carrier like an Ergo or Patapum.

 

Congratulations on the twins! I'm 6 weeks along now, and it had better be just one hangin' out there, hehehe! I've already got a 7 1/2 year old and a 15 month old, twins would kill me at my advanced age of 42, I think!

[+ThreeRushkateers]

I think slings are the way to go. Although 2 babies require 2 adults this way. Here's some info...

Congratulations! We just had Rushkateer #4 in July. :-)

 

http://server.kopteri.net/~kkanava/Kanava_...nstructions.pdf

[+Capaldo]

We've used one like this for a couple years now, and have been happy with it. We're in Florida so there's no elevation changes or rocky terrain. It's mostly been used on grassy fields (disc golf), but I've had it out on single track, rooty trails and it's held it's own. Slings and packs are good in the right application, but the stroller holds 'gear' and makes a good containment device for the kid while you're trying to do things like find a cache. This is real helpful when you're by yourself.

[TopangaHiker]

We have fraternal(B/G)twins. They're 14 now so strollers, slings and carriers are all but a distant memory.

Anyway, being outdoor folks as we are and living in and around park area with trails we went through the same thing you're going through.

For off pavement use a special stroller is mandatory. We did have one of those nifty fold up town strollers and I've seen folks try to use them on paths but those tiny wheels are useless on terrain outside of sidewalks. Also, being designed for urban use and negotiating crowded, narrow spaces the in-line or front seat-back seat style of stroller is so much easier.

For trail use you just have to have something like this:

Note: this is not the exact stroller I had but it's basically the same principle.

They're expensive, heavier, require more maintenance and take up more room but they're worth it.

The pneumatic tires and extra cargo capacity make off sidewalk excursions a breeze. Going "off sidewalk" and down a hiking trail, it wasn't too wide. I found that if a cyclist could negotiate a trail so would the stroller. Obviously there are limitations so you'll have to use your best judgment as to where you can go.

We found that using this kind of stroller also had it's advantages when being used in an outdoor festival kind of event as it required and cut a wider path through crowds.

We wore ours out and at the end of it's life it was beat so we definitely got the wealthy relative who bought it for us monies worth.

BTW- as soon as the little rug rats started walking with proficiency I got them there own little tiny day packs and had 'em packing their own diddies, bottles and such.

[+skisidedown]

I've had good luck as far as durability and handling tough terrain with the Jeep strollers. In a two seater, you will probably want to look at a front/back seater as opposed to a side-by-side especially if you will be going down trails that may be too narrow for a side-by-side. Personally, when I take both my kids, the 4 year old walks and I put the baby in a Kelty Kangaroo carrier. You face them towards you when they are tiny, but once they can hold their head up on their own pretty good, you turn them around so they can see where they are going. They love it. It is a little warm in the summer with a kid in the front and a backpack in the rear, but I figure I'm getting a good workout. Another possibility for little ones is a Maya wrap. There's too many ways to carry a kid in them to post here, so Google it and you will see how versatile they are. Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

I was going to say the exact opposite of your post - stay away from the jeep strollers - they are weaker than a pepsi can.

 

We had bought the Jeep stroller in the fall, but hadn't used it until the spring because the weather turned nasty right after our daughter was born. The first chance she got, my wife was out with our children in the stroller (a jeep front/back version with a 'steering wheel' in front). She turned into her aunt's driveway, pushing the front wheels over the inch high curb. The part of the frame that carried right front wheel promptly bent. Fortunately, my wife had a firm hold on the grips, and was able to catch the stroller before anyone came into contact with pavement. If she had been pushing it casually - one handed maybe - the kids (7mo and 2.5 years ath the time) would have had some nasty bumps - at the least.

 

The story gets better. The company that makes these WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. "Ok, its under warranty, but we aren't going to ship it to you." "So, do you have a Canadian contact number?", I ask as nicely as I can. "No. There is nothing we can do for you. Glad your kids are OK. Bye." When I originally related the problem to her she asked if the kids were alright, I told her truthfully that they were fine - I should have said something like 'My wife has taken them to emerg because we just don't know' - that may have changed the whole tone of this episode.

 

Walmart did take the broken stroller back. This was 4 years ago so I can't remember if I had the receipt or not.

 

Not Jeep strollers. No.

 

NONONONONONONONONO!

[+Mayeaux clan]

"We had bought the Jeep stroller in the fall, but hadn't used it until the spring because the weather turned nasty right after our daughter was born. The first chance she got, my wife was out with our children in the stroller (a jeep front/back version with a 'steering wheel' in front). She turned into her aunt's driveway, pushing the front wheels over the inch high curb. The part of the frame that carried right front wheel promptly bent. Fortunately, my wife had a firm hold on the grips, and was able to catch the stroller before anyone came into contact with pavement. If she had been pushing it casually - one handed maybe - the kids (7mo and 2.5 years ath the time) would have had some nasty bumps - at the least."

 

HMM. Ours is about 4 years old too. Maybe it's just a difference in the model. We have a Jeep Wrangler single stroller and other than one of the hubcaps coming off of the wheels, it has been great. Checked with baggage on planes a few times and been all over the place with us. I hope that people realize when I say rugged terrain, I mean it in context with what you would consider rugged for a stroller, not boulder strewn single track up a mountain.

 

I still agree that some sort of sling or carrier is the best way to go for caching, both hands free and you don't have to worry about setting the brakes on the stroller and watching it roll down the hill with the kid(s) in it. Although you would have to have 2 adults to take both kids.

 

Our neighbor gave us a jogging stroller that they don't use anymore. If I can rig up some way to lock the brakes on it, I might try it the next time we go out.

 

Edit: wording and forgot some text

Edited August 22, 2007 by mary_and_dad