You Can't Drag Your Kids Around in a Cardboard Box

You can't just drag your kids around in a cardboard box; despite the fact that they would probably, in all reality, quite enjoy the novelty.

For a start, it is actually highly illegal in many situations and at the very least probably irresponsible and impractical in others. Despite this being a well known fact to parents everywhere, before you have kids you just don't think about these things, or should I say we didn't.

After you've ruled out the cardboard box option once and for all (a wise but more expensive decision) the next step is to investigate what might be a more suitable option. For our lifestyle we're not really talking about the typical, everyday, baby/toddler accessories like strollers, capsules and car seats. We're thinking more about the type of specialized equipment you might use to take your kids camping, cycle touring, ski touring or hiking.

Once you delve into the world of baby carriers, trailers and sleds you realise that there's just not going to be anymore surprises on Birthdays or Christmas' and that you can probably rule out all Mothers and Fathers Day gifts for the next five years as well. In fact, Marty has just come to the realisation that he won't be receiving a Fathers Day present at all this year as Tahlia and Zephyr have given it to him early....a 'Double Chariot'..... our most recent purchase justified as an 'early present to daddy'. It conveniently converts from a jogging pram, to a bike trailer, to a ski sled and last but not least a hiking wheel barrow type thing.

It is a huge and slightly ridiculous looking contraption, especially if you're using it to merely duck out to the local shops and comparing it to the latest and greatest Mountain Buggy, which by the name sounds like it would be perfect, but is actually best suited to city dwellers on concrete paths. The Chariot I would say is absolutely essential for our purposes and we're already getting used to the odd stare from the old ladies in the supermarket! One friend recently told me that she attributes her sanity with two kids to owning a double chariot. I have to admit they work much better than a cardboard box ever could. You can check them out here: http://www.infantfreedom.com.au/collections/types?q=Chariot+Carriers

As soon as we unpacked ours from the box we loaded up the kids and headed off on the Bong Bong cycle trail; from our home in Moss Vale to the nearby town of Bowral. All up a 15km round trip and with the amount of flooding over the pathway the kids got to experience somewhat of a river crossing!  Zephyr slept the entire way and Tahlia thought all her dreams had come true! So we can safely tick the 'Kids like the Chariot too' box and believe it or not, that box, is probably the most important one!