There's a lot of crap to buy (or receive via registry gifts or as handouts from neighbors and siblings - thank god for both registries and the fact that other people have done this before) when a first baby comes along. One of the items that I hadn't initially considered but was directly instructed I needed to procure via my own means was a "daddy" diaper bag.
There are actually quite a few gender neutral options and even a couple manufacturers like Diaper Dude that make bags aimed at the involved father. To be honest, I didn't really care for any of these options. I get that bags from Diaper Dude are specifically designed for the purpose, I just couldn't get over the name and the logo just made it feel like they were trying too hard to cater to dads and masculinity, if that makes sense.
I started doing a little research and a little thinking. I asked myself, what characteristics do diaper bags have? Easy to carry, space for stuff and a bunch of compartments. My second thought was to go to my three favorite outdoor specialist manufacturers when it comes to luggage: Osprey, Patagonia, and The North Face. Unfortunately (but expected), they didn't have any bags specifically made for that purpose. Knowing that diaper bags need to be easy to carry, have space for stuff, and a bunch of compartments, I thought a little bit more. What other kind of bag typically has space for stuff, a bunch of compartments, and is easy to carry? A backpack. Who makes backpacks? Osprey, Patagonia, and The North Face. The dream was alive.
I sent an email to a former college roommate, who's much further advanced in this parenting thing than I am (and will probably ever be). I asked what he had done. His response was something to the effect of, "we got a special diaper bag and quickly moved into a backpack." This pretty much sealed it. Why even go through the motions of getting a special diaper bag? Why not just move straight to the backpack?
So yes, I used the excuse of having a child to add yet another backpack to the arsenal. In hindsight, the arsenal may have already contained such a pack, but it just seems so unsanitary to start your child's life with a diaper bag you've dragged across the world. I'd much rather have the diaper desanitized by things produced by said baby.
After careful consideration and hours of painstaking research (I left the unimportant research on things like the stroller and car seat to Lindsay), I finally landed on an answer: The North Face Surge. I figure worst case, even if it turns out to be a crappy diaper bag, I've got a brand new backpack designed for things like carrying a laptop and other suburban pursuits. It's a win-win.
There are actually quite a few gender neutral options and even a couple manufacturers like Diaper Dude that make bags aimed at the involved father. To be honest, I didn't really care for any of these options. I get that bags from Diaper Dude are specifically designed for the purpose, I just couldn't get over the name and the logo just made it feel like they were trying too hard to cater to dads and masculinity, if that makes sense.
I started doing a little research and a little thinking. I asked myself, what characteristics do diaper bags have? Easy to carry, space for stuff and a bunch of compartments. My second thought was to go to my three favorite outdoor specialist manufacturers when it comes to luggage: Osprey, Patagonia, and The North Face. Unfortunately (but expected), they didn't have any bags specifically made for that purpose. Knowing that diaper bags need to be easy to carry, have space for stuff, and a bunch of compartments, I thought a little bit more. What other kind of bag typically has space for stuff, a bunch of compartments, and is easy to carry? A backpack. Who makes backpacks? Osprey, Patagonia, and The North Face. The dream was alive.
I sent an email to a former college roommate, who's much further advanced in this parenting thing than I am (and will probably ever be). I asked what he had done. His response was something to the effect of, "we got a special diaper bag and quickly moved into a backpack." This pretty much sealed it. Why even go through the motions of getting a special diaper bag? Why not just move straight to the backpack?
So yes, I used the excuse of having a child to add yet another backpack to the arsenal. In hindsight, the arsenal may have already contained such a pack, but it just seems so unsanitary to start your child's life with a diaper bag you've dragged across the world. I'd much rather have the diaper desanitized by things produced by said baby.
After careful consideration and hours of painstaking research (I left the unimportant research on things like the stroller and car seat to Lindsay), I finally landed on an answer: The North Face Surge. I figure worst case, even if it turns out to be a crappy diaper bag, I've got a brand new backpack designed for things like carrying a laptop and other suburban pursuits. It's a win-win.
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