DIS Dads Dad Gear

[MantaRider]

Hello fellow Dads,

I'm looking for some recommendations on gear and thought I'd start a general thread to discuss what we take to the parks with us. To be more specific, I'm looking for a backpack. I have a Columbia bag that I got several years ago that is currently relegated to work use.

Pros:
-Looks Cool
-Water Resistant, has held up on every water ride sans waterparks
-Laptop pocket is great for holding maps
-Holds water bottles
-Fits in rides
-Comfortable all day with a full load

Cons:
-Too Small (Too many pockets). It's a 30L bag, but put something in one pocket and the others get squashed, making packing ... interesting. Also I find that with DW and I's gear it's quickly full to bulging, leaving no room for souvenirs. I'll cover what we usually bring down below
-Too Squishy - as mentioned above, only the laptop compartment is secure, everything else bulges and gets bulged into very easily
-Falls over. This bag doesn't have a flat bottom, so it has to be propped up at all times, which is no fun at a restaurant. The poor servers have enough to worry about already

So basically I'm looking for a larger bag, probably < 50L, preferably water resistant, that is comfortable for a day of racing back and forth between fast passes. Bonus points if it fits well on rides. I'm looking towards hiking backpacks since they tend to be more durable, come with raincovers, etc. My outdoor inclined Cousin pointed me towards Osprey, and I really like the look of this one. For a cheaper option if DW yells at me I am considering this Mountaintop Bag.

My main concern here is really durability - I want to beat this thing up multiple times a year for a couple decades, and it will be used for daytrips to other places in the interim between Disney trips. Osprey has a lifetime warranty, but the bag seems a little large. I'm wondering how well it will fit on rides. Also, what even happens if you can't fit your stuff on the ride? (Such as in the pockets/under seats like they usually provide). Do they ask you to leave it off to the side? Honestly I feel a lot better about that at Disney than I would at most places, what are your experiences?

So, why do I need a giant backpack? Well, we have a little son now, and he will need all kinds of stuff in the park. Instead of having 3 different bags I like to haul things so DW can enjoy the park more. I love Disney, but she's the fanatic. And to be honest she has a mild heart condition so I privately like to carry whatever I can. On previous trips, we take:
-Rainjackets/hooded sweatshirts for cold nights
-Flip flops to change into when it rains, as well as bags to keep tennis shoes dry (So at this point, two pairs of shoes in a bag)
-Ponchos for heavy rain (Last time I was there for a serious rainstorm, they let us ride A Bug's Life 4 times in a row. Bugs still got me)
-Chargers/Phone Batteries
-Camera. I have a FujiFilm XP that I'm using because it can get wet, take a beating, and keeps me from using my phone in front of the kid.
-Ears/Hat. Usually I wear a baseball cap for most of the time. I switch into the ears for photos / when it isn't too hot out. Now that I'm a Dis Dad I suppose I have to get one of these
-Snacks/Water for the day. As I write this line I'm realizing that one of the things I forgot to mention is that hiking bags can be outfitted with those hydration pouches. Have you actually used those? We feel like most of the time it's pretty easy to find water, but I usually carry a vacuum bottle or two around.
-Sunscreen/Medical Items/Toiletries. Anything that might be needed throughout the course of a day in the Florida heat.
-And finally, room for awesome souvenirs. Usually we would send stuff to the front or to the resort, but I'm foreseeing carrying around toys for a small child starting very soon here
-For said small child, room for their diaper bag.


So that about covers it. Anyone else ever use a hiking backpack for their families junk? What other park gear do you bring? Personally one thing I like is to use 'fishing' flip flops. They are usually contoured and have nice grips. so you don't fall out of them when it gets wet. Or maybe I'm just clumsy

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Personally, I actually have tried to go the other way over the years, and take smaller bags. My girls are older now and a bit more self-reliant, so that helps.
Last trip I used a small sling bag like this for "larger" items (autograph books, ponchos, sun screen, water) and my wife used a fanny pack for wallet, lip balm/make up/girl stuff
If we felt we needed hoodies for cooler evenings, I rented a locker and kept them there.
I just can't lug around a big pack all day anymore, my almost 45 year old back can't take it.
Smaller bags with fewer packets also create less headache with security.

When we were in the diaper phase, we used a bigger pack but mainly kept it in the bottom of the stroller.

My honest opinion, the 50L back pack you are thinking about is too big. But that's just me.

 

[MantaRider]

Personally, I actually have tried to go the other way over the years, and take smaller bags. My girls are older now and a bit more self-reliant, so that helps.
Last trip I used a small sling bag like this for "larger" items (autograph books, ponchos, sun screen, water) and my wife used a fanny pack for wallet, lip balm/make up/girl stuff
If we felt we needed hoodies for cooler evenings, I rented a locker and kept them there.
I just can't lug around a big pack all day anymore, my almost 45 year old back can't take it.
Smaller bags with fewer packets also create less headache with security.

When we were in the diaper phase, we used a bigger pack but mainly kept it in the bottom of the stroller.

My honest opinion, the 50L back pack you are thinking about is too big. But that's just me.

Do you ever feel like its a problem to get to the lockers when you need something? I definitely wish that I could just 'enjoy' the park without having a bag with me sometimes. Really nice to just adapt to the day instead of having to go back to get a jacket/flip flops etc, though

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Yes it’s a problem getting to the locker. I normally would only put things like hoodies in there that we might use later in the day, so I would only go back to the locker once. But I really like being able to enjoy the park and not lug around so much in a pack

 

[declansdad]

I'm with Jeff on this one. Over the years I have really tried to downsize on what I carry. I have a sling camera bag that I use when I want to bring the DSLR with me but that just means things get added for me to carry. If I go without the big camera I try to go without a bag.

Our son was just about 3 when we went the first time so we didn't have to worry about diapers. Even then a 30 L pack would have been about the biggest thing I used.