Help choosing a bag (and accessories?) for a 3 year old

[kathryn]

I am pretty much set on a mini or small Yeoman for my nephew. I know he's not quite old enough to carry it himself, but it will be for his stuff as he moves between his parents' house and his grandparents' for babysitting, as well as to and from the hospital (he has a condition requiring ongoing treatment ).

I put a mini Yeoman, a CQPC, and a standard shoulder strap in my cart, but couldn't quite commit. I am having trouble visualizing the size of the Yeoman and would love some help from others here who have to pack for tiny humans (since I don't have kids on my own).

The CQPC would be for his tiny toys--he has a lot of these he likes to take everywhere, and they need to be corralled. He could put his books, his iPad (it's an old iPad 2 with a big, kid-proof case), and a stuffed toy or 2 loose in the duffle.

What do you think--mini or small for this?

(P.S. I got my niece a Sprout before they were discontinued, so he needs his own TB to keep up LOL)

[sarah_atx]

Sounds like a thoughtful gift for your nephew

I'm not a kid expert, but I think the mini would be a good fit. I found it too small for my needs as an adult gym bag, and the small is just right for that. So I think the small would be too big for a few stuffed toys and the CQPC.

The CQPC sounds perfect for little toys and the zippers are easy to open on those. You might need to loosen up the zippers on the Yeoman, if it's possible. They're pretty stiff to open at first.

[G42]

The new small zip tote might work well too - it's 16.5L vs the mini Yeoman is 17L...and it's lighter. Of course, it's not available for a couple months...

[luvdabags]

Would there be clothes and any stuffed animals going into this bag also? Or a fav blanket? If so, I might tend toward the Small Yeoman, and as he gets bigger, it would give him room for more. If no clothes/stuffies, then smaller bag would be easier for him to carry if he wants to help out! The CQPC seems a great idea for small toys.

[kathryn]

Would there be clothes and any stuffed animals going into this bag also? Or a fav blanket?

No clothes--maybe a blanket? I will have to ask my brother about that. This will be mostly for his "comfort" items to have near at hand, as they are moving around day to day.

Thanks for all the suggestions here, everyone!

ETA: Went with the Mini in Verde and CQPC in Northwest Sky--I think they make a pretty combo, and I hope he likes them!

[backpack]

No clothes--maybe a blanket? I will have to ask my brother about that. This will be mostly for his "comfort" items to have near at hand, as they are moving around day to day.

Thanks for all the suggestions here, everyone!

ETA: Went with the Mini in Verde and CQPC in Northwest Sky--I think they make a pretty combo, and I hope he likes them!

It will be great for the little one, there is nothing better than a sturdy TB Bag and Accessory to carry comfort things at the hospital.

[melminimalist]

I don't have kids so this is just a suggestion, but I would go with either an s19 as he can better organized his toys in the front pockets area of it and have room for a weeks worth of clothes or more since 3 year olds are small, (see packing for Italy video) inside it with a place for a tablet too. or a pop tote with pouches and packing cubes. An A 30 large packing cube could hold clothes and a second one could hold toys. I think he would have an easier time moving around a pop tote or s19 then a mini yeoman with an absolute strap (btw I think A30 large packing cube is the right size for pop tote but you'll need to dbl check).

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[bunchgrass]

I'm late to this party, but I'm curious as to why the daylight bp, the packing cube backpacks and the luminary were ruled out? It seems to me that for a three year old they would be good choices in terms of both size and cost.

[haraya]

I didn't see the original post until just now, and it looks like the OP went with the Mini and a CQPC. But I would say that for a 3yo, the Daylight or PCBP are quite long - they would be almost as tall as the 3yo - and the straps aren't adjustable. The (original) Luminary is probably a better model for a child to grow into, or for an adult to carry it for the child. The Mini seems like a good choice too, since it's ballistic and thus heavy-duty, plus it's not as spendy as the Luminary. There's a picture of a small child carrying a Mini on the Yeoman page - looks like a good size for a little one to carry over their arm, plus it can be a weekender bag while they are still pint-sized.

If brand-new is not necessary (i.e. one is looking for a starter TB bag for your kid), I like the Synapse 19. I've picked up a couple secondhand, from eBay or from other TB fans, and they are in great shape and hold up well to kid handling. I've assigned one to my son for travel since he was six., and he's on the small side so there are probably some tall 3yo's that would be the same height. I like that the straps cinch down and that there's a sternum strap with a whistle. I have my own S19(s), so I know they will work for anything from a 6yo all the way up to adulthood. (Though for school gear, a Smart Alec has worked better for my son. I guess a Brain Bag would be the in-stock equivalent option these days.)

Kathryn, did the iPad fit in the CQPC? I have a hard time picturing even our iPad mini fitting in a CQPC.
(ETA: Duh, saw moriond's post and reread yours - the iPad is meant to go in the duffle!! :P )

I'm late to this party, but I'm curious as to why the daylight bp, the packing cube backpacks and the luminary were ruled out? It seems to me that for a three year old they would be good choices in terms of both size and cost.

[moriond]

The Mini Yeoman Duffel in Verde with Northwest Sky CQPC is awfully pretty. An iPad won't fit into a CQPC, but it will fit into the Mini Yeoman Duffel (which was the original plan). Good job getting a Sprout for your niece before they were discontinued! The combination that I like for young kids is Sprout + Mini Yeoman Duffel (or possibly a Night Flight Travel Duffel, if you wanted the option of Halcyon). That's probably overkill, but gives both a backpack option and a travel duffel bag. (And the Sprout can carry an iPad).

I showed some pack-ups of the Mini Yeoman Duffel in this post [#7] in the thread about Yeoman Duffel Aether Packing Cubes. Excerpting a few pictures:



That's a Steel Mini Yeoman Duffel with 2 Small Western Flyer Packing Cubes filled with clothing, an Aether Mini YD Packing Cube (now retired), capable of holding a lunch box and thermos, and an Aubergine Side Kick.

There are detailed pack-up pictures, and there's room to add some additional accessories (such as an AlphaViolet Cubelet, Medium Double Organizer Pouch, and Luggage Tag). Here's a picture of the Mini YD with a Small (AlphaViolet) Cafe Bag and Aubergine Sprout. (The Sprout looks bigger compared to the Mini YD than it really is, because of it's position closer to the camera).



Again, there are more pictures in the post and the surrounding thread.

[kathryn]

Backpacks were not really in the running for this purchase, for various reasons. I did think about the different types of totes, but I thought he (and his parents) would prefer the form-factor of the duffle, as well as the security over some of the open-topped totes.

Since this is really just for some small items for him to have immediately to hand, and not for his clothes and other toddler needs, I think the size will be just about right. It's whatever the kiddo equivalent of a PLO is, in my mind.

This is his first--but very likely not his last!--TB bag.

Thanks for everyone for the input. You've given me some good food for thought on future purchases for the fam!


ETA:

Good job getting a Sprout for your niece before they were discontinued!

She loves it and took it on her very first plane ride ever not long after it was delivered! It came with a personal note from Tom which was very cool.

My dad contributed dragonfly zipper pulls (as seen in the Sprout blog post). He will be making TMNT ones for the Yeoman: How to Make a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Inspired Paracord Key Fob/Buddy - YouTube

[G42]

Just another random thought... the mini Yeoman is 17L which is still a bit large for a wee lad...

If it's just an iPad and some small favorite toys - maybe you could consider a Daylight Briefcase...especially in halcyon.
It's 8L - so smaller, lighter, and more manageable... it can hold an ipad or similar, a book and/or crayons, action figures, a small stuffed animal or two... the DLBC without the strap is something he could carry on his own when he needs to and adults could tuck it inside other bags and/or carry with the handles or straps. It has zippers, so that solves the problem of things falling out.

I rec'd a Nordic in trade recently and am finding it surprisingly useful for a wide variety of things - especially when I'm not carrying a massive laptop. The halcyon lets it bulge out in the middle if needed.

[tress29]

My dad contributed dragonfly zipper pulls (as seen in the Sprout blog post). He will be making TMNT ones for the Yeoman: How to Make a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Inspired Paracord Key Fob/Buddy - YouTube

Those are so cute!