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

Molehill Mountain Equipment Backpack (Diaper Bag)

Long Term Report - March 15th, 2006

Reviewer's Information

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Product Information and Description

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Testing Locations and Conditions of the Four Month Test Period

The Molehill Mt. pack has been used almost everyday since it arrived in Oct. of 2005. For the most part either my husband or I have worn it while out and about or day hiking or while transferring kids between our vehicle and home several times a week. We have attached it to the handle of our stroller while zooming around town or walking the path at our neighborhood park on a regular basis. The elevation for most of this use was around 1,500 ft (500 m). Temperatures were very mild between the low 40's F (5 C) and mid to upper 70's F (21 C) with no opportunities for use in foul weather. Other than a recent weekend rain and snow shower, AZ has been experiencing severe drought conditions for longer than I've had the Molehill pack. I did not venture out into the recent storm with the pack as the conditions where just not safe for hiking so the pack is untested in wet conditions.

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Long Term Findings

The main areas I was evaluating during this test series were capacity, fit, function and organization options/ accessories. My four month findings are fairly consistent with my two month report so I will be quoting a few times from my Field Report.

I Prefer to Think of my Pack as Half Full

The Molehill diaper bag is one spacious backpack; at least as far as the day pack portion is concerned. I have filled it to what I thought was capacity several times and I was still able to stuff more into it. Overall, it's nice and roomy, especially the side pockets and the main compartment. Their simple, spacious design made it easy to access whatever type of items I put in them. The diaper bag "half" of this combo pack is a little more on the cramped side but I still found it sufficient for my needs. On the plus side, anything I couldn't fit into the diaper bag section, I could easily fit elsewhere in the pack.

I Must be Padded in the Wrong Places

Comfort is a serious issue to me with regards to any equipment I'm going to be toting around on my body for more than a half an hour or so. I'm happy to fiddle with straps, buckles and the like to find the "sweat spot", but if my tinkering doesn't produce results, eventually the piece is going to end up in a garage sale. Here are my comments regarding the backpack's fit from my Field Report. I think these few sentences sum my experience up pretty well.

"On the outings where I have lugged the pack on my back I have been a little disappointed with overall comfort. With the changing pad in place and the straps properly cinched I haven't felt any of the contents inside the bag so the back panel is fine. The shoulder straps on the other hand just do not feel like they have a sufficient amount of padding."

With all the weight of the pack on my shoulders I felt like I needed more padding and a more customizable fit. I think if the straps were contoured, had a little more padding and maybe even a sternum strap they would be greatly improved. A pocket or two on the straps would be a nice addition as well. This would slightly increase the capacity of the pack and provide a place for smaller, quick grab items, which I didn't feel there was enough room for. (More on that below.)

Double your Pleasure, Double your FUNction

As a diaper bag this pack is aces. It's the only bag I have seen that actually provides me with a completely separate section just for diapering needs. From an accessibility stand point that is wonderful. From an organizational stand point, it's even more convenient. I can't say enough about this idea. I love the removable changing pad. It's wide enough and long enough for my almost 2 year old and thick enough to be used even on a slightly rocky surface. Since it is so easily accessible I don't think twice about using it for other jobs like a sit pad for the kids during a rest/snack break. The pad's material wipes clean with a single baby wipe and so far no little stickers or small twigs have hitchhiked a ride in the padding ready to poke a tender tush on the next use.

The one part of the diaper bag compartment I found less functional were the mesh compartments. In all fairness, the larger pockets did the job I gave them (holding diapers) well enough, but honestly I couldn't really think of what else I could have used them for. I keep a pretty basic diapering kit, disposable diapers, small tube of rash cream, wipes, little bottle of hand sanitizer, and a burby rag or two for emergencies. The larger pockets weren't spacious enough for more than one burpy rag or my wipes so I just stuck with keeping about three disposable diapers in each one. The smaller pockets were less functional in that they are a little too shallow and the smaller items I tried to store in them kept falling out. It would have been nice to have at least one of them seal with a zipper or a hook-and-loop strip.

I will comment more on the "dirty duds" pouch in the next section but I do want to say I like the idea. I used it to store used diapers on a few occasions but no more than two would fit at any given time. Luckily for me, that was the maximum amount I needed to store. I have also used it for food trash and that worked nicely as well. There is still a detectible odor from the contents (the pouch in not air tight) but I think it stifled the smell enough to take the edge off having to lug around dirty diapers and banana peels.

The other side of the Molehill backpack, the day pack feature is also very nice. I appreciate simple gear and the day pack "half" sticks to this principle. There are basically only three compartments, the main bag, the side mesh pockets, and the little front pocket. They all open easily allowing fast access to the contents. They all hold a fair amount of stuff, although I'd like to see the little front pocket expanded. I certainly don't have any reservations about using this bag as the main day pack for a little family outing. It has satisfactorily carried extra clothing, snacks, drinks, a camera, first-aid, and various other items for day trips and day hikes. Other than the issue I had with the shoulder straps it functioned well as a backpack.

A Place for Everything, Everything in its Place

One of the things I think is a true positive of the Molehill Mountain Equipment Backpack is its simplicity. I wouldn't say it lacks special features but its not overflowing with them either. From an organizational stand point I would call the bag average. Overall I think there are a few areas that could be improved and several areas I like just the way they are.

I'll start with the large main compartment in the day pack part of the bag. As I wrote in the section on capacity it is a very roomy bag. I like this, but it's almost too large. Smaller things like socks, bibs, our little first-aid kit, etc…were easily lost amidst all the other gear stuffed inside the one big compartment. I realize there is also a small zippered pouch on the front of the main compartment, which I have a feeling was intended for just what I'm talking about, however, for me, this wasn't an option. I already had quick grab things like sunglasses, sun block, tissues, snacks, etc… in this section and there just wasn't enough room to fit all the items I might have wanted to carry in this pocket. I often thought maybe one large or two smaller mesh pockets added to the main bag would help partition some of the contents and take away some of the tediousness of trying to find these things.

This leads me to the second area of praise and contention, the pockets. Again, the little front zipper pocket was great for those items I wanted quick access to, but it filled up quickly. The little mesh pouch at the front of the smaller pocket is a nice touch too and it served as a great place to store even more minute items like anti-bacterial wipes and my car keys. The side mesh pockets are my favorite as far as compartments go on this pack. They are just really convenient and they hold an incredible amount to stuff. They have proven time and again to be exceedingly useful regardless of what I toss in them. Here's what I wrote in my Field Report…

"…my favorite design feature of this pack so far is the two oversized mesh pockets on each side of the bag. They are just so darn useful I have to say someone was definitely using their noodle when they came up with these. Each one will easily contain a 32 fl oz (1 L) water bottle and a 16 fl oz (.5 L) bottle. What really make the receptacles so functional are the lockable, adjustable shock cords. They allow for a myriad of diverse items to be loaded into the pockets quickly and easily. For smaller items like my camera, I just cinch up the cord nice and tight and it stays put."

The daisy chain is another bright spot for this pack's organizational capabilities. Since I rarely use a daisy chain on the other backpacks I own I was surprised at how often I have used the one on the Molehill bag. It is a nice place to hang my cell phone or affix a discarded ball cap. It certainly adds flexibility to the overall usefulness of the pack.

Switching over to the diaper bag component of the pack, I'd say it has worked for me. There are pockets galore in this section and for the most part they met the needs for which I used them but as I said in my Field Report, the mesh pockets gave me mixed feelings. The larger pouches are pretty good. They do hold up to six disposable diapers or a half container of wipes, or a bottle of diapering powder, etc… I'm sure a creative parent could go on and on. The important part is that they are deep enough to hold larger items and provide easy access. Conversely, the top level mesh pockets located above the larger ones where less useful for me. They do hold small important items, like diaper rash cream, but because they are shallow, if the pack were to tip over whatever I had stored in there would fall out. I think a little hook-and-loop strip would do the trick for this problem.

The "dirty duds" pouch was a nice addition. It works well enough as a used diaper or trash holder and when clean there is no end to what else can be stored in there. I wouldn't have minded if it was a little more spacious though. I could only fit two used diapers in it at one time but for organizing sake I like it.

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Summary of Like and Dislikes

Likes:

• Capacity
• Simple features
• Versatility of the side mesh pockets
• Accessibility and size of the changing pad

Dislikes:

• Discomfort, primarily from the shoulder straps
• Not enough small item storage options
• Shallow mesh pockets in diaper bag section
• No gear storage partition in the large main compartment

Thank you BGT and Molehill Mountain Equipment for the opportunity to take part in this test series.

Jamie J. DeBenedetto
March 15th, 2006

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Report Addendum as of April 4th, 2006

I have now had a chance to try out the changing pad on snow. It worked fine directly on the snow to change my son and as a sit pad for me while we ate lunch. I was wearing light nylon pants with lightweight long underwear bottoms beneath. I sat on the pad directly on the snow and ate lunch for about a half an hour. I did not feel cold at all during this time nor did the pad soak up any moisture from the snow.

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