On the Maxwell Falls Trail outside Evergreen, Colorado, Oren fell into some truly nasty creek mud. Muddy clothes, a sopping wet diaper, the works. This is where the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite earned its keep. Everything went straight into its lined dirty-gear compartment, zipped shut, and we dealt with it at home. That pocket sums up this carrier pretty well: it’s got a spot for everything, and it came this close to being our top pick.
Take me back to the child carrier full guide
Best for features and organization
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite
The one with a pocket for everything, even the muddy stuff. Tons of storage, smart little features, and a torso you can adjust while you're wearing it. Buckling in a wiggly kid takes some patience, though.
Weight: 7 lb 4 oz · Max load: 48.5 lb (kid, gear and pack) · Child weight: 16 to 40 lb · Torso fit: 15.5 to 21 in · Volume: 26 L · Tested with: Oren, age 2, about 29 lb, plus short rides with Cypress at about 39 lb
Good for: families who like everything organized, parents who trade off carrying, long days with lots of gear, and messy kids.
Skip if: you won’t use all those features (why carry the extra bulk?), you run hot and want a back panel that breathes better, or your kid is already pushing 40 lb, Kelty’s maximum child weight.
Is the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite worth it?
If you’ll use what it offers, yes. It’s the most feature-packed carrier we tested, with way more storage than the Deuter Kid Comfort, a sunshade that stows in its own pocket, and a soft harness our kids were comfy in. It scored dead even with the Osprey Poco Premium, which gets the nod because our kids were more comfortable in it. What held it back is how hard it is to buckle a kid in.
How easy is it to get a kid in and out?
This is its weak spot. Clipping and adjusting the harness once your kid is in the cockpit can be a real challenge. And every time we lifted Oren out, it pulled his shoes right off. It’s not terrible, but it’s a clear step behind the Deuter’s side entry.
How comfortable is it for the kid?
Comfy. The harness is nice and soft, and the stirrups give their legs somewhere to rest. Our kids rode happily in it.
How comfortable is it to carry?
Very, once you’ve got it set up. It came in second for wearer comfort, just behind the Deuter. The one knock is the back panel. It doesn’t breathe nearly as well, so you’ll feel it on hot climbs.
What features does it have?
Plenty. Besides the dirty-gear compartment, you get zippered hip belt pockets (one stretches out into a water bottle holder), stirrups, a hydration sleeve, and extra grab handles that make it a lot easier to lift on and off. The sunshade tucks into its own pocket when you don’t need it, which is exactly how we like it. The one thing it doesn’t have is a mirror. We use ours more than we expected, but your phone’s selfie camera does the same job.
What doesn’t work
The harness. It’s soft and comfy, but buckling and adjusting it with a kid already in the cockpit takes patience.
The back panel runs warm. It doesn’t vent nearly as well as the Deuter’s.
Water your kid can’t reach. One of the hip belt pockets stretches out into a water bottle holder, so you’re covered. But there’s no bottle pocket your kid can reach from the cockpit, so the hydration sleeve is your best bet for them.
Care instructions
Kelty says hand wash with a mild soap, with one nice exception: the drool pad can go in the washing machine. Everything gets air dried. And that dirty-gear pocket just wipes clean.
Packability
The Kelty isn’t huge, but it’s not as streamlined as the Deuter. All those zippers, straps and handles that make it so useful on the trail also mean more stuff when it’s off your back. It doesn’t collapse as narrow, and in a packed car there’s a lot more to snag on things as you wrestle it in and out.
Sizing guide
- For you: Kelty lists a torso fit range of 15.5 to 21 in, and you can adjust it on the fly.
- For your kid: Kelty lists a minimum child weight of 16 lb and a maximum of 40 lb, with a 48.5 lb limit for kid, gear and pack combined.
Who it’s for
Families who carry a lot, like everything in its place, and trade off carrying duties. If you’ll use the pockets, this is a fantastic carrier.
Pro tip
Don’t overlook the PerfectFIT torso straps. This is the only carrier we’ve used where we could adjust the torso length while actually wearing it, with a kid on board. It makes dialing in a great fit ridiculously easy, especially when you’re trading off between caregivers.
How the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite compares
| Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite | Deuter Kid Comfort | Osprey Poco Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.5/5.0 | 4.8/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 |
| Price | $399.95 | $330 | $450 |
| Carrier weight | 7 lb 4 oz | about 7.1 lb | 8.34 lb |
| Volume | 26 L | 14 L | 36 L |
| Torso adjusts while worn | Yes | No | No |
| Sunshade | Included, own pocket | Included | Included, mesh sides |
Ben Dawson
I'm Ben Dawson: dad of two, former full-time van liver, and co-author of three Falcon Guides, including Hiking with Kids: Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks. I've worked in outdoor media for more than a decade, and I've been testing gear with Roxy since 2017 as a gear reviewer and analyst. These days most of my testing happens with a kid on my back or a tent full of them. I've carried and hiked with my kids more miles than I can count, from Canada to Mexico and plenty of places in between. My rule is pretty simple: if the kid is uncomfortable, or you are, nobody's having a good time out there. I tell you what works, what doesn't, and who it's actually for.
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