Straps to convert carseat to "backpack"

[longstocking]

I am toying with the idea to fly from CA to UT (about 1 1/2 hour flight with no layovers) with my two infants who will be around 2 months and 16 months when I am going. Oh, did I mention, I will be by myself? There is a very good reason for this insanity.
I have decided the easiest way to go about this chaos is to carry baby in my Ergo carrier, and push older baby in one of those cheap umbrella strollers, which I will check at the gate. I figured I will have to buy a seat for the eldest, which means I will want to bring his carseat along to contain him. I have a Radian 65 - although heavy I think it will work just great...am I correct in assuming this? My question though was, I swear I saw somewhere a company that sold these strap type things to hook over a carseat so you can convert it into a backpack. Does that make any sense? Can anyone figure out what I'm talking about and where to get such a thing? Or would it be easier to buy a big enough bag for the carseat and just throw that over my shoulder? I know I will have to have my hands free for pushing a stroller.
Aside from the carseat I'll check everything I can beside a small diaper bag.
Anyone else have suggestions for me?

[mom2juliarose]

It's called a cheeky monkey pac back

Never used one, but I've seen people using them...
http://www.pacback.com/

[mom2juliarose]

But since the Radian folds you could also just get a carry strap.

http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-Carry-Strap/dp/B000VWPUSO

Sunshine Kids also sells a carry bag for the Radian:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-Seat-Travel/dp/B000EDH4FC/ref=pd_sim_ba_2/192-1666955-0402959

[SusanMae]

Why not skip the stroller and get a luggage cart? Strap the stroller to the cart and put kiddo in that.

Susan

[ketchupqueen]

You can buy carry straps for the Radian, you can use 2 to carry it backpack-style. Sooo much more comfortable than that pack-back thing looks! If you were using another seat, I'd recommend a nice padded carry bag instead, but with the Radian, no big deal to fold it and use the strap or straps (you can carry it with one strap, slung cross-wise like a messenger bag, or 2 like a backpack, whichever works better for you.)

The Radian carry bag can also be carried multiple ways, but if you're going to use the seat at your destination I don't see the point of having another bag to cart around, unless you need the RF boot for the car to go in the bag with the Radian (I assume you'll FF on the plane since it's just not going to fit RF, but you will want to RF in the car, of course.) But I see no reason why the boot can't just go in your carryon and use the straps for the main part of the seat. :twocents:

Of course, thinking of that makes me wonder, are you going to have a seat for the baby at your destination?

[atsuydam]

Try two luggage straps with the radian as well, if you don't want to wait from them to ship. I tried it with DH's strap from his laptop bag and worked pretty well (I only need one as the XT came with one) :)

[mommycat]

Some travelling suggestions from a previous thread:
http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=772261&postcount=20

[longstocking]

Thank you so much everyone for your advice. I'm thinking just the strap is the way to go, no reviews seem to be too happy with the Radian bag. Plus, as someone said, I will need the carseat as soon as I get to my destination. I'll just hold baby on my lap and FF the other. My MIL has an infant seat I can use when I get there.
Hmmm - A luggage cart is a good idea though.
Has anyone used that rolling cart type thing that you can hook the carseat too? That probably doesn't make any sense. So I can just strap DS in and wheel him behind me? I was wondering if that would work with the Radian.

[mommycat]

This is one of the links from the thread I linked to above. It shows the Radian on a luggage cart loaded with carry on stuff. Imagine a child instead:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=62648

I was sure someone had posted a child in a Radian this way at some point, I will go see if I can dig it up.

ETA this one shows a Boulevard on the luggage cart. http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=50197