Phil & Teds Dash Stroller in Travel Bag

**For the actual instructions, scroll down**

I'm spoiled.  I'm going to go ahead and say it now so you don't have to think it later.

Anyway, when we sold our old house, I wanted one thing.  I wanted the stroller that I had been looking at and salivating over for almost a year. 

The Phil and Teds E3. 

However, that's the only one that was available when I looked initially.  Almost a year later, there were three other models in addition to the E3.  The sporty SP, the swanky Vibe, and the streamlined Dash. 

A few months ago, when we were in a position to consider making this purchase, the Dash was actually being introduced in the stores with a free doubles kit.  That made it only a smidge more than the SP with way more features.  Check!  We'll take it.

So we did.  And it's as fantastic as I imagined it would be.  I only had one major gripe.  The instructions?  They are AWFUL.  The makers of the stroller are witty, innovative, and fun, but they are not even remotely clear when it comes to their manual.  The pictures aren't large or colorful enough to be clear and the words are sparse.

No big deal, really.  The stroller was relatively easy to figure out and we didn't have any trouble getting it together. 

So we've been happily using it.  Bean loves it.  C regularly falls asleep in it.  (That's a boon, for sure).  We're all happy.

In preparation for our trip to TX, we ordered the travel bag.  We'd been forever happy with our Combi stroller and carrier bag for trips and always noticed how protected our stroller was.  Because we'd seriously invested in this stroller, we figured we should get the bag for ultimate protection. 

I mean seriously, has anyone seen the beatings that suitcases take when they're checked?  Yeah, exactly. 

(Come to think of it, airplane sturdiness has been a deciding factor on several pieces of baby equipment.  More on that another time).

Anyway, true to form, I opened the box with the bag enclosed and no directions were enclosed at all.  Not unclear ones, just... none. 

Not that huge of a deal, right?  Because this is just a stroller bag, right?

Haha...  no.  It was like rocket science.  After two unsuccessful calls to the sweet people at Regal Lager, visits to countless websites, I decided to go at it alone.  And I had success!

So I decided to document it best I could for all you other new Dash owners who wanted to pulverize the stroller bag into a million tiny pieces because of the frustration. 

Don't worry, I'm here for you.  I'll even give you a hug if you need one.

Ahem.

Anyway, here goes:


How to Fit a Phil & Teds Dash Stroller in the Travel Bag

1.  Unsnap wheel guards on the back wheels, the front child bar, the canopy, and the front wheel.

2.  Put the handle in the middle position, just above the position that will lock the brake. 

3.  Fold the stroller and lock it into the closed position. 

4.  Open the stroller travel bag and place it on the floor with the labels down.  Open the top flap completely.

5.  Place the stroller into the bag with the handle on the bottom of the bag and at the widest part.  The wheels should be at the wide end of the bag.

6.  Wrap velcro pieces around wheels and fasten.  

7.  Place front wheel into the small well made on top of the handle. 

8.  Nestle wheel guards under footrest.

9.  Place canopy on top of the handle end of the bag.  Place child bar wherever you can fit it.

10.  Fold the seat on the doubles kit and put it face down on top of the stroller with the narrow side towards the narrow end of the bag. 

11.  Zipper bag, fasten velcro, and boom, there you are!  You can now wheel the bag wherever you need it to go. 

This is VASTLY different than the instructions for the SP or the E3, which is what made it so ridiculously confusing.

12.  If you've reached the gate and you'd like to store the wheels when you check the bag, detach them from the stroller by depressing the silver button.  Continue pressing the button while holding the silver stick and you can take them out to store in the bag.  Store the wheels with the front wheel and zip the bag. 

It's a lot to do to store the stroller, but to me, it's totally worth it to protect an investment we hope to keep for years to come. 

If you've stopped by searching for these instructions and you have questions about specifics, please comment and I'll get back to you as soon as I can with the answers.