01 02 03 Down In My Heart Joy!: Bara Barn Knot Shawl Salsa Review 04 05 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 32 33

Bara Barn Knot Shawl Salsa Review

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Bara Barn Salsa

Bara Barn Salsa


Bara Barn Salsa


This wrap is one of the few I've purchased brand new.  The brand is Bara Barn, and they call it a "knot shawl."  It is a size 2 wrap, which is pretty short as wraps go, giving it the nickname "shorty."  "Salsa" is the name of the color / pattern.

In Europe and other countries where wraps are woven, they call them baby "slings."  The word "wrap" is more common in the U.S., but is unfortunately both a noun (the piece of fabric) and a verb (how the fabric is placed around your body/baby).  In this post, I will refer to the wrap fabric as "sling."

This wrap is 100% cotton and very, very thin.  There's just a handful of ways you can wrap / tie this sling, since it is so short.  Short wraps are ideal for: summer (when you don't want a lot of fabric around you or baby), toddlers (who want to get up / down / up / down, or are only "up" for short periods of time), speed (when you just want to carry the baby quickly without a lot of hassle).

Some people keep a shorty in the car, since it is so quick and easy.  The only downside of this wrap is since it is so thin, and so short, it's not one you can wear for long periods of time and stay comfortable.  The thin fabric can start digging into your shoulders, or pulling uncomfortably.  The baby's entire weight is on your shoulders, versus carries with longer wraps that can put some of baby's weight on your torso, or SSCs or Mei Tais that can put some of baby's weight on your hips.  If baby is 23 pounds, like Jax, I'm only comfortable in this carry for about thirty minutes.  It would not be what I would choose if I were to wear Jax for an hour.

However, this sling can also be worn tied differently.  A great example would be called "rebozo" which is a one-shoulder carry very similar to using a ring-sling, that would be excellent for small babies, or to nurse while carrying the baby.

Here's how I use mine.

It is hot in Texas in the summer.  I like it because it is lightweight, thin, and really doesn't add any warmth to baby wearing, other than what our two bodies already generate being close to each other.

I take my Bara Barns camping, or to the river.  I don't mind if they get wet, because they dry fast.  They are more "grippy" when wet (extra friction of fabric rubbing together making it a bit harder to tie).  When we camped this summer, my Bara Barn is what I used most of the time.  I put Jax in it while I carried our trash up the hill to the dumpsters.  I took it while we tubed down the river and used it as a nursing cover and wet cooling towel and sun shade.  Once we got off our tubes, the sling was soaking wet, and I would tie Jax up in a quick rucksack carry on my back, leaving my hands free to carry tubes or whatever else, while we hiked the mile back to the camp site.

I have sometimes taken one in the car with me when running errands.  I always keep an SSC (buckle carrier) in the car, so I'm never without a carrier, but some days I bring a different wrap with me that I just feel like wearing.

Also, this wrap is the closest to "girly" that I own (or at least, that I own and am keeping).  I figure it's an accessory to me, and as long as it's not overtly girly, I am okay wearing it with my son inside.  There's more orange on this than anything else, right?

I have one other Bara Barn knot shawl, but it is a sad story.  It got ruined sort of.  I am hoping one day to be able to replace it (the color I want is not sold in the U.S.), and when I do, I will tell the story.  Until then, it makes me sad.  I mean, as much as a ruined baby carrier can make you sad.

I am wearing this sling in a "RTIF" carry, the acronym for "ruck tied in front."  I started with a single pass around Jax, tucked nicely under his bum to make a "seat" for him, up and over my shoulders (that is the part called "ruck straps"), then over his leg and under his other leg, making an "x" under his bum, then around to tie in front of me.  If I were any thicker around, or if I didn't get him up really high on my shoulders, or he was much taller, we could not RTIF with this length of sling.  I really like a size 3 wrap for this carry instead.

This size 2 length works best for me in a back carry called RUB or "ruck tied under bum."  However, that is considered a carry for advanced wrappers, as it can be dangerous if not done correctly (baby could straighten legs and slip out, which cannot happen the way I have it tied right now).  I don't consider myself an advanced wrapper, but I've had several awesome people help teach me things, and I feel confident enough to use the RUB carry safely.  It is the main carry I use with this wrap; I was just trying something different today.

I use these short slings often enough with Jax at the age he is, that I'd love to own it in a few different colors.  At the moment, I have three short wraps: this Bara Barn, another Bara Barn (the sad story), and a Hoppediz size 2 which I will post pictures of at some point.  I also have the Oscha size 3 (which I am wearing in the same RTIF carry as these photos).  The size 3 is a better short size for me, but the Oscha is up for sale.  Maybe I will find another size 3 at some point that is a good one for us.

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