Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Molehill Mountain Back Pack Diaper Bag > Jamie DeBenedetto > Initial Report

Molehill Mountain Equipment Backpack (Diaper Bag)

Initial Report - October 23rd, 2005

Reviewer's Information

Back to top

Product Information and Description

Back to top

Arrival Condition and Informational Material

The Molehill Backpack Diaper Bag I received is red and black and upon initial inspection looks to be in fine condition. I checked all the seams, straps, mesh pockets, zippers, draw strings and fabric and I did not find any blemishes or loose threads. I don't know with absolute confidence what the pack fabric is, although I suspect it is a form of nylon. Unfortunately, the pack did not come with any informational material. This was a bit disheartening because it makes writing this report far more difficult and because I like to know as much as possible about the gear I use. Things like the manufacture's recommended use weight, the bag's volume, etc. are important details in my opinion. The particulars included in this report have been taken from the manufacture's website with the exception of the below specifications regarding the packs volume. This I found on a retailer's webpage, which Molehill Mt. has listed in the Retailer Links section of their site. The volume they have listed is 985 cu inches (16 L), regrettably I have no way to verify or disprove this claim so I'm including it purely as reference material and with the disclaimer that I cannot validate its accuracy.

Back to top

Expectations and First Impressions

The Molehill Mt. Backpack Diaper Bag has exceeded my expectations so far, at least in regards to the pack's features. The written description on the Molehill Mt. website is a little lacking and while the pictures did give me a pretty decent idea of what was coming they too did not tell the whole story about this little pack. At first glance the diaper bag looks to be well thought out with several parent friendly features. I have already experimented, out of curiosity, with the bottle pockets to see how large of a container they would hold. As the picture to the left shows, they easily expand enough to hold a 32 oz (1 L) bottle or two smaller 16.9 fl oz (0.5 L) bottles. All the innovations they have included regarding diapering needs look very promising. The day pack features look pretty standard but still useful. As far as first impressions go, I have to admit I'm actually quite excited to give the bag its first field test. The only area of concern I have right now is the padding on the shoulder straps. This looks a little less cushioned than I would like (we tend to load our diaper bag up) but only time will tell. I will comment on this and as many other aspects of the day pack as I can during my next two reports.

Back to top

Expected Field Test Locations and Conditions

Between October and February we will be day hiking at least three days a week around the 1,500 ft (500 m) level in the desert mountain parks near our home. We generally hit the trails in the early morning so temperatures would be somewhere between freezing and 60 F (16 C). During the coolest months of the test period (Dec. - Feb.) we will be making regular trips up to the snow for sledding and play. Temperatures on these outings will be around freezing up to the low 50's F (10 C). Elevation will range somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000 ft (2,100 to 2,700 m). Various types of precipitation and weather conditions are possible.

Back to top

Proposed Test Plan

In a nutshell my plan is to transfer all the contents of my current backpack style diaper bag over to the Molehill Mt. Backpack, assuming they all fit. Over the next four months the pack will be with me whenever I leave the house with my kids. I intend to use it on day hikes, day and overnight trips, and on virtually all our excursions where children supplies are needed. In general I keep extra clothing, diapers, wipes, snacks, toys, travel first-aid kit, tissues, and water in our current diaper bag. When hiking I like to bring a few extra items more specific to the trail, (like my 10 essentials kit, sunblock, sunglasses, larger first-aid kit, etc.) The main areas I will be evaluating are capacity, fit, organization options, and function.

Jamie J. DeBenedetto
October 23rd, 2005

Back to top

Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Molehill Mountain Back Pack Diaper Bag > Jamie DeBenedetto > Initial Report