MTPU (Mobile Tactical Parenting Unit)! (Very pic heavy)

[ista_hota]

This began as a reply to this thread: Manly Diaper Bags but as I started compiling it I figured that it would/should probably grow into it's own post.

What follows is a glimpse into my MTPU. Yes folks, Mobile Tactical Parenting Unit.

Before we go further - allow me to impart a little lesson learned to you guys, so that prospective parents looking to explore high-speed childreering can potentially save a headache:

Don't just try to toss the additional baby stuff into one of your current GH/BO bags. Babies - and especially toddlers, are fucking heavy and unwieldy objects. You want to be MINIMALIST when putting your MTPU together. Initially I was hauling around a pack chock full of everything you can IMAGINE for baby and anyone else in the vicinity - eventually (read: as Molly got bigger and heavier) I realized that I was causing myself major headache by doing this so I turned my EDC/GHB kit modular.

So, without further ado: here's the kit - please excuse the pointer, I tried using an actual pointer, but the flash kept reflecting off the metal, heh...



This first picture shows the master bag alongside my daughter's first GHB!



Here is detail of her bag. It's just one of those backpacks that allow the parent to keep a leash on the child - it's only used in high traffic areas such as the Zoo or friday night Walmart - there's no real room inside (nor could she carry much) so inside the pouch you see is emergency "fuck I got lost halp!" info that reads thus:

Hello, my name is *********

I go by Molly

I live at ******************

My home phone number is ***-***-****

My Mommy's name is *****, her phone number is ***-***-****
My Daddy's name is ***, his phone number is ***-***-****

My Uncle **** and Aunt **** live at ****************** and can be reached at ***-***-**** or ***-***-****.

I like to color, my favorite drink is apple juice and my favorite snack is chocolate.
I don't have any known food or medicine allergies.
My date of birth is **/**/****.
My blood type is **.



Now lets start going through the main bag - we'll go a pocket/pouch at a time, so as to keep it easy to follow. In each case the first pic shows the pouch, the second the contents of that pouch:




2 Cliff Bars
2 Pr. Rough Use Gloves
1 2AA Maglite




Spare Clothing for Molly (not pulling it right out because it's a cocksucker to get jammed in there).




Sharpie
Ball Point Pen
Gerber Paraframe II Plain Edge




1 roll Kerlix
1 mini axe deoderant
1 BIC lighter




1 pr 2-way radios, primarily in case of losing Molly, to coordinate search efforts




Aspirin




Toilet Seat Covers (if you're potty training - these are VERY important)
Toilet Paper
Kleenex



Organizer - contains info for doctor, dentist, poison control, CDC etc.





Saber Red pocket unit - mostly for critters
MOLLE Travel Pouch (contents follow)
Spare Keys
1 Pr Chemlights
1 Pr Carabineers
1 Magnesium block fire starter w/ ferro rod
550 cord
Sharpie and red marker
(Not shown for obvious reasons) Digital Camera






Diapers
Wipes
Zinc Oxide cream
Topical moisturizer
Hand Sanitizer
Vaseline



Assorted Crayons plus 4 sheets paper
Fierce Creatures



Awful girly water - selected ONLY for bottle compactness.



Two self contained kits - on the left is "I BROKE IT", on the right is "IT BROKE ME".



I BROKE IT contents:
2 Emergency Ponchos
2 Survival Blankets
1 Spectacle repair kit - for my wife, missing a couple pieces as I used it to break into her car, of all things.
1 Sewing kit
Assorted Zip ties
Super glue
Backup multitool (generic I think, don't remember)
Emergency Carbide sharpener
Duct Tape card
Ear defenders (in the Rx bottle)
5/1 survival tool - sorta crappy but weights a LOT less than the kit in the GHB.



IT BROKE ME kit open



Left side contents:
Assorted Rx medications (legally carried)
Infant Tylenol
Tylenol Cold, Allegy and PM samples
Immodium generic
Condom
Sunscreen sample
Emergency Water
Instant Cold and Heat packs
ACE roll and tongue depressors for ghetto splinting fingers
1ea Dayquil and Nyquil
Tweezers
Glucose Tablets
Rolaid antacids
Carmex
Neosporin
Visine
Vagisil anti-itch cream (not antifungal)
Spray pens of sanitizer and topical antihistamine
Bug Spray
1 lg Tampon



Right side contents:

Assorted sutures, closure strips etc
Assorted gauze pads, sponges, eye pad etc
Assorted menstrual pads
1/2" dressing tape
Moleskin patches
Alcohol and Iodine prep pads
Antibacterial prep napkins
Antimicrobial lg. prep napkin
Hand sanitizer
Triple antibiotic
Q-tips
Personal protection kit (non latex exam gloves and 2 masks)



Proof it all fits in the damn pouch!


So, there you have it. In addition to what you see here would be my on body EDC/CCW, but none of that has much to do with Molly. Hope this post helps someone out.

[whisk.e.rebellion]

Beautiful!

We don't exactly have a GHB for our toddler, but we do have a Sterlite bin velcroed into the the trunk with diapers, wipes, towels and spare clothes for the three of us. We had a nasty stomach bug incident while driving through some back roads once. Nothing like two adults and a toddler, all half naked, driving back home with all the windows and sunroof open in late winter.

[Chef]

Wow, that's a lot of stuff . . . I can't wait to have kids . . . .

I can't relate to all of your setup, but I like your "I broke it kit" vs. "it broke me kit" concept. I'm working on a sort of light-duty catch-all "repair kit" for me and my gear that would comprise first aid, meds, and repair items, since there's some overlap in the categories.

[Real_Ale_Act]

I don't even have kids and I'm gonna add "fierce creatures" to my gear!

You never know.

[Baba Brad]

That is very Sweet witha capital 'S'. Some ideas for me in there, thanks. My daughter is 6 and at that age, she doesn't need as much, but needs are still there.

I do have one suggestion. Your aspirin bottle isn't big enough

[DaveJohns]

Fantastic kit! I dont have kids, but I am taking a lot of good ideas from this. Looks like you have a lot of bases covered in a very compact kit. The only thing I could possibly think of, would be perhaps a second / brighter flashlight, but thats just me (since I am pretty much blind in the dark) Congrats!

[ista_hota]

Beautiful!

We don't exactly have a GHB for our toddler, but we do have a Sterlite bin velcroed into the the trunk with diapers, wipes, towels and spare clothes for the three of us. We had a nasty stomach bug incident while driving through some back roads once. Nothing like two adults and a toddler, all half naked, driving back home with all the windows and sunroof open in late winter.

lol yea that sounds like it was a fun day

[ista_hota]

Wow, that's a lot of stuff . . . I can't wait to have kids . . . .

Ha - yea this is kinda light duty too - she's semi potty trained now, back when she was an infant it was twice as many diapers plus bottles, baby food etc. As she's gotten older the kit's been slimmed down in some ways and grown in others (the crayons and animals for example).

[ista_hota]

I don't even have kids and I'm gonna add "fierce creatures" to my gear!

You never know.

The creatures are actually a great way to pass the time waiting for your food in the diner. The best part of having kids is that you get to do all the stuff you've been dying to do for 20 years, but too embarrassed, like do the puzzles on the kids menu.

[ista_hota]

That is very Sweet witha capital 'S'. Some ideas for me in there, thanks. My daughter is 6 and at that age, she doesn't need as much, but needs are still there.

I do have one suggestion. Your aspirin bottle isn't big enough

Haha!

[ista_hota]

Fantastic kit! I dont have kids, but I am taking a lot of good ideas from this. Looks like you have a lot of bases covered in a very compact kit. The only thing I could possibly think of, would be perhaps a second / brighter flashlight, but thats just me (since I am pretty much blind in the dark) Congrats!

Well spotted - but I do carry two other flashlights, a Fenix and a Dorcy (best $10 I think I've ever spent, try one), one on my belt and the other in my trauma kit in the car. I carry the mini-mag because it's nice and soft, so if I'm doing something that involves a lot of waving it around it doesn't constantly blind me/everyone.

[D-Train]

Wow man, that's a hardcore MTPU right there! Do you know the dimensions of the bag? By the way, thanks for taking the time to put that very thorough post together.

[Southron Boy]

I'm going to steal your idea of putting different medications/drugs in a seven-day pill container, all properly labeled. That's ingenious.

[ista_hota]

Wow man, that's a hardcore MTPU right there! Do you know the dimensions of the bag? By the way, thanks for taking the time to put that very thorough post together.

Hm... offhand I do not - I'll measure it and take a scale pic with some assorted crap for you in the morning.

[ista_hota]

I'm going to steal your idea of putting different medications/drugs in a seven-day pill container, all properly labeled. That's ingenious.

Thanks! I simply get ones that don't have big plastic "M-F" markings on them (actually hard to find, Dahls and Walgreens carry them sometimes) and then use a Sharpie to write the abbreviated med name on a sticker, which goes inside the lid.

Using stickers, as opposed to writing on the container, allows you to reorganize later down the road if you need to, and putting them inside the lid, as opposed to outside, allows you to be able to tell at a glance what is what when it's open.

[thorian]

Hey I got a question for ya, What is the spermicidal lubricated condom for, Or did they change the Blue Trojan ENZ into a non lubricated condom.

Sure the rubber would be good for a little mommy and daddy R&R but as a water carrier it would be nasty and something I wouldn't want to drink.

[ista_hota]

Hey I got a question for ya, What is the spermicidal lubricated condom for, Or did they change the Blue Trojan ENZ into a non lubricated condom.

Sure the rubber would be good for a little mommy and daddy R&R but as a water carrier it would be nasty and something I wouldn't want to drink.

Nope, it's for exactly what you think it's for.

Long story short: If we're going away for a weekend or whatever, ideally I carry a spare pack of Ethyl Estridol in case my wife forgets hers at home (that's what the vacant slot in my meds container is for) - however, my wife only fills 3 months at a time (insurance won't pay for more than that) so when we're in month three, I got no spare. Hence, the condom. Just in case.

[airexurb]

Beautiful!

We don't exactly have a GHB for our toddler, but we do have a Sterlite bin velcroed into the the trunk with diapers, wipes, towels and spare clothes for the three of us. We had a nasty stomach bug incident while driving through some back roads once. Nothing like two adults and a toddler, all half naked, driving back home with all the windows and sunroof open in late winter.

it was hell. Don't forget the wonderful bottle of febreze that NEVER leaves the car now.

I think we need to make the munchkin a new diaper bag now, however. Or regular one is poorly stocked...compared to the one shown.

[AeroNautiCal]

Superb!

Really well thought out, its quite shocking just how much gear little humans need to keep em' tip-top!

Great thread.

[LtCmdLeia]

Very nice!

Just a few things I noticed (or didn't) ..

I don't see any children's medications?

Why such a big bottle of Asprin? (and for unknowing parents and non-parents out there, don't give asprin to children)

You said her clothes were hard to pack in there, maybe try vacuum sealing them to compress them and make it easier? As a side note, I don't know exactly what you packed for her but one thing I pack for my kids is tube socks instead of their regular socks, because they'll fit when feet grow (which happens overnight as you know), they go farther up the leg for more warmth and they double easily as kid mittens.

and lastly, especially in a black bag, I'd ditch the crayons for colored pencils (and a little pencil sharpener). You'll have nice melty mess if that bag gets warm.

[ista_hota]

Very nice!

Just a few things I noticed (or didn't) ..

I don't see any children's medications?

Thank you!

The only medication I carry for her in the bag is Children's Tylenol at this stage - she's still a bit young for a med cabinet of her own. Anything more serious will involve taking her home, and/or getting to my trauma bag in the truck.

Why such a big bottle of Asprin? (and for unknowing parents and non-parents out there, don't give asprin to children)

The Aspirin is strictly for adult use. You're correct in that one should never give ANY Salicylate to a child.

You said her clothes were hard to pack in there, maybe try vacuum sealing them to compress them and make it easier? As a side note, I don't know exactly what you packed for her but one thing I pack for my kids is tube socks instead of their regular socks, because they'll fit when feet grow (which happens overnight as you know), they go farther up the leg for more warmth and they double easily as kid mittens.

Yea, originally that's what I did, back when I carried spare clothing for her as 'leak insurance', but she's past that stage now so what I carry is pretty much an 'extra layer'. I got sick of packing and unpacking it every time she needed an extra jacket at the park or whatever so I started just using the 'roll, sit and jam' method of getting it in there. Also, re. socks, she only owns knee high tube socks - I simply cannot see the usefulness of any other type of sock up here.

and lastly, especially in a black bag, I'd ditch the crayons for colored pencils (and a little pencil sharpener). You'll have nice melty mess if that bag gets warm.

Yea, she's still a bit young for that (2-1/2). She GENERALLY colors with crayons, but is not entirely above doing less artful things with them yet. To be honest I hadn't considered the melting thing - she's only started to color over the winter so it hadn't occured to me - I may start putting those in a ziplock now you mention it, before summer comes - thanks for that one.

[LtCmdLeia]

Yea, she's still a bit young for that (2-1/2). She GENERALLY colors with crayons, but is not entirely above doing less artful things with them yet. To be honest I hadn't considered the melting thing - she's only started to color over the winter so it hadn't occured to me - I may start putting those in a ziplock now you mention it, before summer comes - thanks for that one.

They have toddler coloring pencils, short and thick, so she probably wouldn't have a problem with those. My 2 yr old will color with anything (on anything LMAO!)

[ista_hota]

Yea, she's still a bit young for that (2-1/2). She GENERALLY colors with crayons, but is not entirely above doing less artful things with them yet. To be honest I hadn't considered the melting thing - she's only started to color over the winter so it hadn't occured to me - I may start putting those in a ziplock now you mention it, before summer comes - thanks for that one.

They have toddler coloring pencils, short and thick, so she probably wouldn't have a problem with those. My 2 yr old will color with anything (on anything LMAO!)

I did pick up this package of weird deals now that you mention it - I'd forgotten. IIRC they're basically a clear plastic hull with a crayon 'lead' inside... I may have to pick up some of the pencils too, see if she can make it through a day without poking her eye out... worst case scenario I guess I'll have a cool mini pirate.

As for coloring on anything........ yea....... the stories I could tell........

[Ad'lan]

I just love the fact that asprin in America comes with caffine in as standard, assuming from the marking on the bottle as Caffine Free.