skip*hop dash

[LCNJ]

I received a skip*hop Dash for my baby shower and it's much smaller than I expected. Can anyone share their "skip*hop" experience with me - especially fitting everything you may need for a newborn in it.

[Melaine]

In my experience, SH bags carry a lot more than it looks. I have the duo and the duo double (I have 2 year old twins). I haven't seen the Dash IRL, but have heard good things. If you take a look at the pockets, you may find it will hold more efficiently than you thought....I'm sure someone will respond who actually has the Dash though. If you decide to trade it out I would highly recommend the Duo (I actually had the spark from target, very similar).

[codex57]

You're packing too much in it. New parents pack way too much stuff in both strollers and diaper bags. We still pack too much stuff but slowly we're paring the excess away.

What exactly are you putting in there?

We've got an extra change of clothes, a few diapers, pack of wipes, tubs of cheerios and other foods, empty bottle, sippy cup, bottle of water on one side (to make formula), little thermos with hot water on the other side (for the formula), travel packets of formula, various travel sizes of lotion (eucerin, etc), travel pack of Kleenex, and a few other minor things in it. And that's pretty overkill already. Nowadays, we just leave the diaper bag in the car when we go out instead of bringing it along. I might grab a diaper and a pack of wipes on occasion. Not sure what else you need to put in.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Wow, that's a lot (what PP said). We pack stuff for 2 DC in it and it works well when we need to take a whole bag. Most of the time, I can get away with throwing the sippy cups/bottles in the stroller and the Skip Hop Pronto in the bottom of the stroller. If I need a change of clothes, etc on board, I'll take the whole bag, but most of the time I'm flexible enough to go back to the car to get the more rarely used items. I feel like the Dash is too big for things like the church nursery, etc., so each DC has LE Little Tripper/LL Bean diaper bag for their nursery bags.

Just depends on what your needs are, really. I'm just not a fan of the big ol' stuffed, heavy, in the way bag, though.

[mdb78]

This is what we pack in our dash if we're going to be out for hours including lunch:

Inside: We usually have 3 extra diapers, wipes, a brush, and suntan lotion already in there. Then we add in an extra shirt and shorts, up to 3 sandwiches (for the 3 of us) or small container with food for dd, container with fruit, ziploc with cheerios and crackers, another ziploc with spoon, bib, and napkins, water bottle for me and dh, and our DSLR camera.
Our wallets, cell phones (well, usually mine), and dh eyeglasses go in the zipper pocket.

In the outside side pockets we put a sippy cup in one and dd shoes in the other. We usually put her shoes on when we get to where we are going since in the car she still pulls them off and puts them in her mouth.

Changing pad goes in the outside back pocket.

If we take the stroller, we usually throw the water bottle in the cup holder.

[Canna]

We have had 2 duos and we love them. I believe it's pretty much the same size as the dash but shaped differently. I can fit everything I would need for a newborn. Plus now that we have two I could fit my newborn stuff plus a change of clothes for my potty training toddler.

Newborns don't really need that much. My list would be:
diapers
wipes
change of clothes (1-2) I deliberately pack non-bulky outfits
changing mat
burp cloth
extra nursing pads
purell

And that's pretty much it - my wallet and phone. Newborns don't typically need any diaper ointment or anything like that, they won't need any snacks or drinks or toys, their clothes are itty bitty. You'll probably have room for an extra receiving blanket or sling.

[MontrealMum]

I have the Dash, and am less than pleased with it, though not because I can't fit enough in it. I carry about the same things as pp above, but I don't like how it doesn't close properly (no matter how empty it is) and how it tips over so easily. I also have the Duo Double (total score at TJ Maxx). Obviously, with only one child, this is too big for everyday, or fastening to the back of the stroller. But it's nice for trips, or longer outings in the car.

[DietCokeLover]

I have the Dash, and I have two children under 2. I wouldn't trade mine for the world!!!! I love how it attaches to my stroller so it saves the stroller basket for other things. The pockets on the sides (when not holding bottles and sippy cups) also works great at holding a drink for Mom. I would think with one child, you should be able to carry plenty in there with room to spare.

[almostamom]

I used my Dash for nearly 3 years and loved it! I like for everything to have a specific place. I tried a backpack first, but the "big black hole" drove me nuts! DH uses the Dash now when he takes DS out, and I'm looking for more of a purse option.