For young mothers with newborns and toddlers, there are plenty of diaper bags to choose, from the flowery to the pastel. But what about for the first-time father, who wants to protect his child but not sacrifice his masculinity?

Five years ago, Jeff Shepard was facing that dilemma, while caring for his son, Burke.

"I wasn't going to carry a pink, flowery bag," Shepard said.

Right away, Shepard repurposed an ammo bag that he used as a police officer. Soon, other dads wanted a bag and asked Shepard if he ever considered mass producing the product and selling it. Two years ago, Shepard came up with an improved design and founded his company, Down Range Baby. He partnered with Lakewood-based Tactical Tailor, a producer of tactical gear for law enforcement and military, to manufacture the bags.

"I always wanted to make it in the U.S.," Shepard said. "I knew they hired (military) veterans. I liked that. Being in law enforcement, there is a brotherhood with the military."

Shepard said it made sense to partner with Tactical Tailor, because the diaper bag is well-suited for fathers working in law enforcement and the military. Down Range Baby's slogan is "Bottles to Bullets," meaning the bags are made tough enough to go to war.

The bags come in two sizes: the large Got Your Six bag, designed for extended use, and the smaller Point Man bag, perfect for short trips. Both are made with durable nylon and are tactical grade, with plenty of room for diapers, wipes, bottles and food. On the outside, the bags are equipped with molle clips, which allow for fathers to customize with different pouches to carry things like bottles and binkies.

After fathers no longer have use for the bag as a diaper bag, Shepard said they can use it as a carry-on or for their laptop. Shepard said he uses his bag to carry his weapons and ammo when going to the gun range.

As a former firefighter and now a current police officer, Shepard said he considers being a father the toughest job. He likens taking care of a child to going to battle.

"Being a father is masculine and I am proud to be creating products that make other fathers feel strong instead of the other products available that are emasculating and often poor quality," Shepard said in a statement on his website.

In addition to providing a quality product, Down Range Baby also plans to offer workshops on gun safety in the home for first-time fathers in law enforcement and the military. Shepard partners with the national nonprofit Project Child Safe, which provides to him free gun locks to give away to fathers at the workshops.

Down Range Baby is offering a 30 percent discount to military and law enforcement on the Got Your Six bag and a 20 percent discount on the Point Man bag. The bags retail at $290 and $100, respectively. Visit downrangebaby.com to purchase and to learn about upcoming events.