I’ll be up front about this: I’m not a fan of using tactical gear to achieve the internet’s coveted operator aesthetic. I prefer to wear my range and field gear to the range or field, and to dress like a normal human dad while I’m out running errands or spending time with my daughter. I’m an older guy that’s been married for a long time, so my style choices tend be based on practical utility above all else; and practical utility is exactly what I found in the Tactical Diaper Bag from High Speed Daddy.
This bag functions well because it doesn’t try to reinvent what diaper bags are. My family’s old standby diaper bag is a custom made Wonder Woman bag that, while entirely rad, is little more than a large purse. I’ve never once felt a twinge of embarrassment rocking such a lady-like bag, because my daughter loves it and I can’t find it in my heart to care about what other people think, but in terms of functionality… it leaves something to be desired.
Whether we’re talking about a 3-day pack or a diaper bag, I like to keep my gear organized, and High Speed Daddy’s front pockets are chalk full of storage solutions that offer a great deal more organization than my old diaper bag. In fact, in the past three weeks or so that I’ve used this bag on a daily basis, I’ve found that 90% of the things I needed to access the diaper bag for were easily accessible from right there behind the front two zippers. These front pockets are where High Speed Daddy’s simple design changes really shine: with enough room for diapers, sun screen, a small medical kit, bug spray, car keys, and much more in the larger front pocket and an ingenious baby-wipe holder in the the smaller, top pocket.
To be totally honest, the baby-wipe pocket is my absolute favorite part of this bag–I probably use it a hundred times a day while we’re off running around the local state parks filming stuff for work and pretending dad has a real job.
The assorted pouches and sunglasses pocket on the outside of the bag are also handy, as are the additional straps to hang the bag from your stroller when your kiddo wants to roll in comfort rather than trudge alongside you. It’s worth noting that because of the size of the pack, it’s a better fit on larger full-sized strollers but it still works fine on those cheap collapsible ones you can pick up in any New England pharmacy. Two side pouches are even insulated and can carry two bottles each (or one bottle and an ice pack… or two Red Bulls and an ice pack because we’re all human).
The large main pouch offers a great deal of storage space without any unnecessary doodads. I keep some spare diapers, a woobie for picnics, my daughter’s toys, clothes, and a thin ballistic insert from ShotStop that’s rated for pistol caliber threats in mine (because you can never be too careful these days). Even with all that, there’s still plenty of room for more if I wanted to stock up on other gear for days at the beach or longer trips. Beneath all the stuff you stow, there’s a removable diaper changing pad that’s absolutely essential for dads, seeing as most places don’t offer changing tables in their men’s rooms.
High Speed Daddy deserves a lot of credit for finding creative solutions to common parenting problems (like the aforementioned and brilliant baby-wipe pouch) without compromising the utility of the bag for the sake of novelty. This isn’t a “tactidad” bag meant to serve as a conversation piece at PTA meetings; it’s a well made utility bag purpose-built for the day to day challenges of parenting on the run.
Click the link below to buy this bag from High Speed Daddy!
