I admit that I kind of dreaded this sequence: I had tried shorty back carries before and it hadn't gone well. BUT I had made the mistake of trying to learn how to back wrap with a shorty. I do not recommend this. It's way too hard to get a good tight wrap job with so little wrap, and both of these carries can be unsafe unless wrapped well. There's no fabric between the baby's legs, anchoring him in the wrap. Instead, you really have to get his knees high and securely positioned above his bum to hold him in the pocket. Max, as I have mentioned several times, is wiggly and tries to stand in the wrap. It isn't that he's trying to escape; he just wants to see! everything! So, I wasn't expecting much of these carries. Also, I should note that I sold the Bara Barn shorty I'd started wrapping with. All I have now are 4's and 5's, waaaay too long for these carries.
Anyway, they went really well! It might be because it's easier to wrap with a longer wrap. But I suspect it's also because I'm a much more practiced wrapper. There was no way he was getting out of the grippy, deep pocket created by my 3.6m Turkish Delight BBSlen. It's an extra-wide wrap (all BBSlens are), and therefore great for RUB. From the COTW thread, I gleaned that grippy yet thin/moldable wraps are best for these carries because accuracy is so crucial. The BBSlen is perfect for them. I don't think I've ever made such a nice ruck pocket. It occurred to me to actually REACH UNDER THE POCKET WITH BOTH HANDS to shove a bunch of fabric practically up to Max's navel. That really did the trick. I'm normally too nervous to let go of the wrap with both hands, but once I have the rails clamped in my teeth, he really isn't going anywhere. The knot was surprisingly easy to tie, but again I'm wondering if the extra-long tails made it that way.
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| RUB. Note crazy long tails! |
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| Well-placed slip knot on RRRR. |
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| RRRR. |
I also have to cop to cheating a little on the second carry, the RRRR. I had created such a great pocket that rather than starting over with one end of my wrap drastically short (the way it would have to be if I'd been using a real shorty), I just rewrapped the RUB as a RRRR. It shouldn't really have made a difference, but I didn't have to deal with anchoring an extremely short rail while wrapping. I liked the RRRR reasonably well. It didn't necessarily feel a lot more supportive than the RUB right off the bat. I did try hiking Max a little higher and pulling the slip knot tight. That worked pretty well--it was nice to have an adjustable back carry, especially since I've had sagging issues with my double hammocks that required starting over again.
I didn't wear Max very long, so I can't rate the comfort of these carries. I think the RUB was a little high, because Max's knees were digging into my sides a little. Not totally uncomfortable, but felt awkward. The knot on the RRRR felt a little diggy on my collarbone, even though I think I had the height pretty perfect. I suspect that I could eke out a chestbelt by tying the tails, even in a 2.7m shorty, which might make the knot more comfy.
Overall, I think I successfully tamed the shorty beast! I'm really jonesing after a BBSlen shorty now! :)
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