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Daddy life has me doing diaper bag carry for a few reasons:

1 - Stopped crossfitting when the baby was born and put on a few lbs and it is harder to conceal under an untucked shirt with the baby gut

2 - So hot that it is easier and cooler

3 - can you say reloads?

4 - carrying our moose of a 6 month old leads to some awkward contortion of the body in and out vehicles/restaurant booths/ church pews. This spares me inadvertently exposing the gun.


I've become a fan. We don't use a typical diaper bag. My wife seized/repurposed and older Timbuk2 messenger bag from my stash because it was one that I would actually wear in public. I can keep a pistol, two mags, diapers, bottles, clothes, chew toy, and all sorts of other baby stuff. I like to think of it as my murse.

It is slower access, but my first movement will be getting the baby behind cover anyway, so that's a bit of a moot point for me.

As long as you don't store the baby's "spent ammo" in the bag, you should be good to go. I would not want to reach in for the gun, and come up with a fist full of something else.


Interesting method of carry, but hey, why not, right? Certainly nobody is going to think that it is anything other than what you're overtly using it for, and innovative concealment is good.

Ahh... the joys of having a newborn! I switched to a j-frame for the reasons you mentioned. The small rounded handle at 3:30 was not an issue for me. With an IWB it literally sucked into me and I could bend any way I wanted with my wife staring at it and she couldn't see anything. I used it until my son was 3 or so. Never spotted, even by family members those that knew I carried - they all asked if I quit carrying since the baby. I never tried the diaper bag but can see it's usefulness at times.

Either way, embrace the next few years!!!

When I worked in an office, I often had a J-frame on body plus a 1911 and reload carried in a briefcase with a built-in holster.

Good adaptation. I remember those years. Enjoy them as they go by very quickly.

Wouldn't figure you to be too concerned about your gun showing.

gigag04 wrote:4 - carrying our moose of a 6 month old leads to some awkward contortion of the body in and out vehicles/restaurant booths/ church pews. This spares me inadvertently exposing the gun.

Yeeeah... this is what I've been dealing with trying to get used to carrying and not feeling self-conscious. I figure the plus side is, it can only get easier from here! I hope. I'm afraid to try diaper bag or purse carry, though, because I'm terrible at setting those things down and leaving them somewhere to keep my hands free for the kids. I even bought a little keychain wallet for my DL and CHL and I keep it clipped to my belt loop with my keys lest I inadvertently go somewhere without the CHL.

I'd be really afraid of using a diaper bag, they are too easy for a well meaning friend to grab and look for a bottle, clean diaper, etc. you've got the baby on the changing table, really messy, realize you need something extra from the diaper bag, stranger in the restroom says "hey, I'll get that for you" and looks in the wrong pocket....

Purses are easy to keep on body, cross-body and private.

SewTexas wrote:
Purses are easy to keep on body, cross-body and private.

Yes Gigag, get a purse.

Carry-a-Kimber wrote:

SewTexas wrote:
Purses are easy to keep on body, cross-body and private.

Yes Gigag, get a purse.

nah, it's a '"murse" for a guy, a nice black Vera Bradley


Seriously, I was aiming that to the ones who say they either do put their purse down, or are afraid of us putting them down.

SewTexas wrote:I'd be really afraid of using a diaper bag, they are too easy for a well meaning friend to grab and look for a bottle, clean diaper, etc. you've got the baby on the changing table, really messy, realize you need something extra from the diaper bag, stranger in the restroom says "hey, I'll get that for you" and looks in the wrong pocket....

Purses are easy to keep on body, cross-body and private.

If you smelled what this kid is capable of, you would understand there is NO danger in someone volunteering to change a diaper. But - having thought through that, I keep it on me (slung) if we're around anyone other than family/close friends. They know I carry and know how to handle guns so its not much of a worry.

Regarding the gun showing, currently don't have an LE exemption as I'm CHL only. If/when this reserve thing goes through, I will, but won't be looking to push it.

SewTexas wrote:Seriously, I was aiming that to the ones who say they either do put their purse down, or are afraid of us putting them down.

Just to clarify -- I do think you can keep a purse secure and on your person if you so choose. However, I've never been a big purse person -- if I really need something, it goes in my pockets. Just old habits, I guess. For me, I feel a purse would be a last resort because it would take conscious effort and a significant change in habits to keep a purse as secure as would be appropriate with a gun in it. For someone else, purse carry could be much more natural than changing a wardrobe to suit on-body carry. I do intend to get a purse suitable for carrying, first as a backup in case of some holster issue and second for occasions when on-body carry won't work. I just don't think it'll ever be one of my first choices because a purse doesn't come naturally to me.

GigAg, I'm guessing you don't drop the baby off anywhere like a church nursery where you need to leave the bag with him? That would be my other problem with a diaper bag... anytime you leave the baby with someone, you're probably leaving the bag. Sounds like you've got a good system, though!

Yeah I make other arrangements for the nursery.

The Annoyed Man wrote:As long as you don't store the baby's "spent ammo" in the bag, you should be good to go. I would not want to reach in for the gun, and come up with a fist full of something else.


Interesting method of carry, but hey, why not, right? Certainly nobody is going to think that it is anything other than what you're overtly using it for, and innovative concealment is good.

I thought about it differently TAM. If he ran out of ammo, he could always throw the "babies spent ammo" at them . Might even be more effective if it is anything like my son's was when he was a little tyke.