Passports with Purpose: Win an Osprey Packs Child Carrier!

To kick off this upcoming season on thankfulness, giving, happiness and cheer, I’m joining my fellow travel bloggers in the annual Passports with Purpose fundraiser.  I’m super excited to be participating this year because as a mom and educator the cause is very close to my heart.

The Passports with Purpose team has set a goal of raising $115,000 for the organization, buildOn.  With the money donated, buildOn and Passports with Purpose will construct 3 Primary Schools and fund 3 Adult Literacy Programs in the Sikasso region of Mali Africa.  BuildOn has been around for more than 2 decades, and in that time have built more than 500 schools, 200 of those schools being int he Sikasso region.

What is Passports with Purpose?

Passports with Purpose is an annual fundraiser where travel bloggers unite to give back to the the world they explore and adventure through.  Every year (since 2008) a different charity or nonprofit organization is the beneficiary of the fundraising efforts.  In short, bloggers procure a prize (from hotel stays, to electronics, to travel gear) and readers donate by bidding on those prizes in $10 increments.  Every $10 donated earns the reader one chance at winning the prize; like a raffle ticket.

I’ve teamed with the wonderful folks at Osprey Packs to contribute an amazing Child Carrier to the fundraiser.  Yes, at first glance it’s a backpack carrier to be used for hiking trails with your little tyke, but this carrier is so much more to our family! 

About the Osprey Packs Poco Plus Child Carrier

The Poco Plus Child Carrier starts with an aluminum frame and aluminum hinges.  Then that framing is padded and covered with 210D double ripstop nylon and 600D polyester to create a pack that is comfortable and well ventilated for the child and adult.  Several adjustment points (waist, back panel & chest strap) allow the pack to easily customize to each individual wearer.  Comfortable straps secure the child in the carrier as they sit in a cozy “cockpit” complete with nifty stirrups to rest their feet and legs.

What’s to Love? 

• First and foremost we love that our 2-year old Bergen is comfortable and secure in the carrier thus making him a happy companion.
• While it’s a lot more serious and bulky than a soft carrier, Bergen actually prefers the ride because he is able to see so much more of the world from the high vantage point of the Poco.
• We can “wear” Bergen for longer periods of time without a lot of strain and back ache due to the innovative support system.
• The carrier has a large storage compartment at the base that gives us plenty of room for snacks, extra clothes and other supplies, and the side panels are great for storing our water bottles and other smaller items.
• Carrier weighs just under 7 pounds making it lightweight and easy to tote around and travel with.  In fact, we are able to store the carrier in with our carseat bag when traveling by plane, and prefer it over a stroller.
• We’re able to utilize the carrier for more than just hiking.  Trips to the zoo, walking around the city, concerts, sporting events, parades, and other community events are just a few of the fun activities we get into with Bergen in the Poco!

How to Win! 

Visit the Passports with Purpose website where you’ll see a listing of all the prizes that are being given away (including the Poco Plus Carrier–we’re under “travel gear”).  For every $10 you donate, you receive one entry toward the prize of your choice.

Don’t need a carrier? You’re still going to want to visit the prize catalogue to see what all my fellow travel bloggers are donating! Hotel stays, electronics, and amazing tours are all available for you to enter to win by donating! Just not interested in prizes at all? Passports with Purpose is also accepting direct donations. THANK YOU!

Details

• 1 Poco Plus Child Carrier from Osprey Packs
• Dollar Value: $259

THANK YOU 2013 Passports with Purpose Sponsors

• Platinum: Expedia
• Gold: DK Witness Travel & Rough Guides
• Silver: Collette Vacations & TBEX 
• Copper: Eating London
• Bronze: Home Away, Hostel Bookers & Go with Oh

Disclosure: While we purchased our Osprey Packs Child Carrier (at REI), the carrier being donated for the Passports with Purpose fundraiser is being generously provided by Osprey Packs.  All opinions of the carrier are all my own!

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