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Too big for his back, but not mine

The plane ride is always a conundrum for us.  I suppose it is for any parent traveling with small children.  We try and pack lightly, we really do.  But in the end, we still manage to have tons of stuff that needs to ride with us - car seat, laptop, not to mention toys, DVD player and games to keep the kids occupied while we're in the air.

I've experimented with a lot of different bags to see what works best for us.  This last trip was over Christmas, we flew to Florida.  Both hubby and I had gotten DadGear backpacks so we each used one and I have to say it's the best option yet for us on the plane.

Here's why:

Size
The bag is massive.  But massive in an unobtrusive way, I suppose because it's a backpack and it's so convenient that I can just strap it on and be hands-free.  This is a biggie for anyone traveling through the airport as you definitely need your hands for a million other things.

Organization
There are tons of pockets that are made for parents.  To start, the front pouch includes a built-in wipes case.  A velcro flap closes shut and opens whenever you need quick access to the wipes.  The compartment right in front of the wipes case is for diapers, it has mesh pockets and I was able to fit 8 size four diapers in there and I'm sure I could have squeezed a few more in had I tried.  I have no other bags that allow me to store so many diapers - and with the kid who poops like it's nobody else's business, this is a necessity for me when I'm traveling all day long and need access to a lot.

The next zippered section is in the middle of the bag and I used this to store small toys and books.  Since it's still close to the front I loved that it was within reach on take off and landing when we couldn't use portable electronics.  Book to my oldest, shaky toy to the baby all very quickly. 

The largest section is padded in the back (the flip side is what rests on your back so the padding provides comfort as well)  Why I loved this:  I used this section to store my laptop.  And since stuff gets banged around when you're going through an airport, I liked the added protection for my laptop.  This compartment is also big enough that I stored a portable DVD player, more books and the DVDs.

Lastly, there's a little pouch up top, two outside bottle holders and two side inside bottle pockets.  What more could you want for? 

I will say this - it's not an every day bag for me.  But that's because I try and pack as lightly as possible now and with a 4 year old and 14-month-old, my needs aren't as great anymore when I'm out and about.  But I see tons of Moms using their Dad Gear backpacks every day and I bet this would be a great one for daily use with a newborn.

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