Toddling Time: Take Tots In Tow

Maybe I should've been thinking about the right schools and the safest neighborhoods, but something else had me worried about impending fatherhood: Would this be the end of my active lifestyle outdoors?

As it turns out, there was no need to be so concerned, because there's a slew of bike trailers and seats, jogging strollers, and child-carrying backpacks that enable parents to head outdoors with their babies and toddlers. And all the gear has reached new levels of sophistication and comfort - not just for the child (my daughter often falls asleep on our outings), but for the parent, too - with tough, lightweight construction that makes any load less burdensome.

Before taking your bambino along, though, do use parental discretion. A child shouldn't be strapped into such equipment until his or her neck muscles are sufficiently strong to support a bouncing head. That usually comes within the first four months; eight months beyond that, a baby's neck should be able to support a helmet. At 18 months my daughter, Ariel, was ready for any device I could find for her, so together we came to a consensus on the following products.

CYCLING: TRAILERS AND SEATS

Bike trailers grow on you. What appears cumbersome is actually nimble and functional, and easily carries about 100 pounds of kids and gear. Each trailer I tested has room for two, with the requisite seat belts and shoulder harnesses, and all are available with roofs to keep out sun and rain. Trailers stay upright even if you and your bike do not, but perhaps best of all is that, stocked with toys, they become playrooms, and if Junior gets tired he easily can stretch out and sleep.

To my mind there's no better trailer than the Burley d'Lite (20 pounds; $380). It has a bombproof hitch that attaches to a chainstay in minutes, a comfortable nylon bench seat, ample cargo space, stash pockets for toys, and a sturdy sun/rain canopy. It rides well on 20-inch spoked wheels and inflatable tires, which can be removed easily via quick-release skewers when the trailer is folded down for transport.

Cannondale's Stowaway (24 pounds; $400) also has an excellent hitching system and folds down easily. On the downside, it's slightly narrower than the Burley and thus has less cargo space; the rain canopy costs $35 extra; and the hard plastic bottom is heavy, less comfortable, and causes the Stowaway to rattle on rough roads. The WT-3S trailer from S. Winchester's Originals (27.5 pounds; $360) has offset seats that face each other, alleviating the problem of a bigger child crowding a smaller one, but the trailer is hampered by heavy components.

Less-expensive alternatives to folding trailers are available, but you usually get what you pay for: more weight, less versatility and poor portability. The Kiddie Kart (24 pounds; $170) and Huffy Aerocruiser (28 pounds; $270) are built with big, bathtublike plastic-shell bottoms and attach to the bike's seat post, which compromises handling. Weatherproof canopies are optional, and both trailers rattle on rough surfaces. Consider the Kiddie Kart or Aerocruiser only if you stick to smooth, paved surfaces.

Trailers hardly spell the end of the venerable bike seat, and it's not just because seats are cheaper. Bike seats have evolved into high-tech plastic thrones that secure children far better than the folding seats of yore, and they weigh but a fraction of what most trailers do. My daughter enjoys looking around from the high, breezy perch of a bike seat, too, and we can talk - in a manner of speaking.

My favorites include the Troxel Protege (7 pounds; $100), which has a secure five-point restraint system and a quick-release function that lets you snap it on and off a bike rack (included) in seconds. Purchase another rack for $30 and Mom can carry the baby for one leg of the ride, Dad the other. The Child Seat II from Rhode Gear (7.5 pounds; $120) has a similar quick-release feature, as well as a reclining back - a big help for inducing naps.

Where bikes go, helmets should follow. Louis Garneau's LG-1 Children's Helmet (8.35 ounces; $40) offers plenty of ventilation, while Bell's Li'l Bell Shell (9.5 ounces; $40) has the virtue of easily adjustable straps. Other good infant helmets are available from Troxel, Rhode Gear and the company that pioneered infant helmets, Pro-Tec, based in Kent. All meet Snell and ANSI safety standards.

RUNNING: STROLLERS

I began running with my daughter using a basic baby stroller, but within several months I didn't even have that: It only took so many miles for the carriage to fall apart. Hence my high regard for jogging strollers, designed to take plenty of abuse. Their large wheels roll over imperfections in pavement, and the sturdy metal frames are built to endure hundreds of miles. These strollers have long wheelbases for stability and typically can hold kids as heavy as 50 pounds; most manufacturers also offer versions that accommodate two children. But if you're thinking of using a stroller with in-line skates, think twice: Unless you can stop on a dime, you and your cargo could get into trouble.

The Cadillac of jogging strollers is the Baby Jogger (21 pounds; $300) from Racing Strollers. The Baby Jogger's big 20-inch spoked wheels roll with little resistance, and its seat is made of durable Cordura nylon. The Super Jogger ($375) features quick-release alloy wheels and a wider seat, and is a pound less - but either model is stable and maneuverable and, judging from my daughter's contented chatter while I run, quite comfortable. Options include a sun canopy ($43) or combination rain shield/sun canopy ($72). The Racing Strollers' drawbacks? Only that they don't fold or disassemble easily, a problem when they have to be stowed in a car. The storage pockets could also be bigger.

The Gerry Rollerbaby (21 pounds; $169) is more portable: It folds in seconds and fits into most car trunks without disassembly. The retractable sun canopy is well designed, but the tires on the 16-inch rims have to go: The Rollerbaby I tried rolled unevenly because the tires didn't inflate uniformly. Runabout/USA's Runabout Stroller ($279) has a rigid steel frame and a plastic seat, and weighs a hefty 26 pounds.

Finally, the Weebok Multi (12 pounds; $289) is the lightest and most compact jogging stroller of all, and even has a shock absorber for relieving tired arms, though its 12-inch wheels don't cut it on rougher terrain.

SKIING: PULKS

Credit the Scandinavians for the pulk. Skiing in Norway several winters ago, I saw whole families out cross-country skiing, pulling the smallest children along in a small ski sled, or pulk. Pulks slide easily on groomed terrain, and even if you fall over, the pulk usually doesn't. Mountainsmith's Armadillo (10 pounds; $310) is the most readily available pulk in the United States. The fiberglass sled has a zippered nylon cover and can be fitted with a seat and harness for a small child ($45). The Armadillo is stable on groomed snow, making skate-skiing with my daughter a pleasure. But in looser snow it's tippy, so if you prefer the backcountry, consider a carrier.

HIKING: CHILD CARRIERS

Balancing a heavy backpack is only a warmup for hauling an unruly kid: It's a load that kicks, pulls hair, babbles and laughs when you stumble (but not when you fall). So it's fortunate that the hardiest child carriers sport sophisticated features once found only on more technical packs. To hold 40 or 50 pounds of squirming weight, look for a carrier with reinforced stitching and stress points, heavy Cordura fabric, a well-padded hipbelt, and a sternum strap. Also look for an easily adjustable suspension system so that Mom and Dad can trade the burden; a sufficiently padded child compartment with a restraint system that's easily fastened; and a place for carrying clothing, snacks and toys.

Having tried nine different carriers, I found those made by Tough Traveler to be the most comfortable and trailworthy. The company's two best models, the Stallion ($162) and the Kid Carrier ($137), balance the load exceptionally well, positioning the child high enough to take in the view, while distributing the weight across the hips. Well-executed accessories like the rain/sun hood ($28) and add-on pockets ($32) respectively provided protection for my daughter and 1,500 cubic inches of additional space - enough for a day's supplies. Shortcomings include the strap system for securing the child, which is too involved (but ultimately effective), and the tippy frame stand that's meant to keep the pack upright on the ground. But these quibbles are easily forgotten when you come across details like stitched-on toy loops: Attach the right trinkets and the little one stays entertained for miles.

The Tough Traveler packs are a hard act to follow. Kelty's Child Carrier ($120) gives kids a high perch to enjoy the view, but it's a bit top-heavy, and the shoulder harness proved difficult to adjust for different-size adults. The L.L. Bean Child Carrier ($95) has reflective trim, the easiest-adjusting shoulder harness system of all the packs I tried and simple color-coded straps for securing the baby. I just wish the 360-cubic-inch cargo compartment were bigger. And Gerry's Trail Blazer Child Carrier ($85) isn't as ruggedly constructed as the other models, but features a spacious gear pocket and a high seat.