I like my diaper bag like I like my LinkedIn notifications, classy when you first see it and full of junk when you open it.

A few months after welcoming out daughter to the world, we decided to go on our first trip outside of the house with her. As most new parents, we had a backpack style bag gifted to us from our registry and we had it packed full of more than would be needed for the days trip. No worries, better to be over prepared than under prepared, right?
After a few successful trips, I begin to realize that the diaper bag wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Any excursion past our front door would require us to have a plethora of items on hand for the many needs of a baby. Not a problem, but I decided that if I am going to have to always have a bag with me, I might as well make it a bag that I WANT to carry with me.
Enter, the Dad Bag.
After searching for the right style, the right size, and the right material – I found the perfect leather messenger bag from Kodiak Leather (links below) that matched every criteria that I had. Not only is it something I love to carry around with me, but I know it will last a lifetime and more.

I know what you are thinking, “but, I love my diaper bag because it has all of the fancy pockets that are made specifically for the items that are kept in a diaper bag.” Believe me, I get it. That was a huge consideration in my choice and in my searching, I found solutions that were honestly better than most options that come on standard diaper bags.
The 2 biggest problems I needed to solve for the Dad Bag were:
1. How do I keep the bottles cold/hot like the insulated pockets on normal diaper bags
2. Most diaper bags have changing mats either attached to them or a specific pocket to easily store/access them, along with wipes.
These may not seem like huge issues, but as most parents know, these things come in very handy on outings. Not wanting to lose functionality for aesthetic I resolved that these problems needed to be addressed before moving forward with the new bag. After some research, I was happy to discover some options that leaned on techniques that we had used for travel packing in the past and had not even considered for a diaper bag – Modular Accessory Bags.
First consideration was bottles. I wanted something that would not only provide insulation for bottles, but would be reasonable on space. I found a small insulated, rectangular cube designed specifically for bottles and baby food by using internal modular barriers. This not only allowed customization for the types of bottles/food storage containers we use, but it managed to do so in a convenient container that only takes up a very small amount of space in the bag. I prep it at the counter and slip it right in bag before heading out of the door! This also makes it easier to clean when a spill happens, unlike pouches that are attached to the side of a book bag style diaper bag.
Second consideration was the diaper changing needs. Once again, looking at a modular style system, I found an all-in-one mobile changing station that would take care of all my needs. Not only would it provide a changing mat with a padded head rest, it also provides a space for wipes and diapers. The entire system rolls up into a conveniently portable package that can once again be easily tossed into the bag as I head out the door, but even more so, can be cleaned easily since it is not attached to anything on the bag itself. Believe me, the cleaning part is a HUGE necessity too, for obvious reasons.

So with the baby gear fully stowed, there was plenty of room left for me to add in other items that would be helpful for travel with a baby – cloths, toys, change of clothes. The bag is also large enough that I am able to pack some mom and dad essentials too (notebooks, laptops, card games, and other every day carry essentials.) 4 months in to traveling with a new baby, and the compliment that a quickly follows “your baby is so cute!” Is “wow, I love the Dad Bag!”

Links:
Dad Bag – Sitka Leather Messenger Bag
Bottle Cube – Insulated Bag for Glass Baby Bottles & Food Containers
Changing Station – Munchkin® Changing Kit