Overland Equipment Donner Bag

This latest version (2010) of the Overland Donner has a much-improved new front pocket design. Instead of velcro holding the bottom mesh-panel flap in place, it is more of an accordian style front pocket (still with velcro closure). It is much easier to access contents in front pocket now, which I really appreciate. The side bottle pockets still accomodate my thermos and child's sippy - they collapse into the bag when not in use, too. The bottle pockets are tall enough so they conceal the bottles I'm carrying. The back panel pocket fits a paperback or compact changing pad, and the interior slip pocket fits a few diapers (or your wallet). There are still a few things that annoy me about this bag, though. I miss the older matte canvas - the new shinier cordura looks a bit cheapy. I miss the old interior printed fabric too, the newer bags have boring solid color nylon interiors. I guess when they moved production from Chico, California to China, they decided to use cheaper-looking, plain fabrics. The key clip in the front compartment is plastic (wish it was metal, the small plastic clip cannot hold but 1 or 2 keys), and the sunglass compartment only has fleece on one side (wish it had fleece on BOTH sides). But overall, I would still recommend the bag for travel or for use as a sportier-looking toddler bag. Not too many bags on the market have tall side bottle pockets and good organization; the Donner has both and is lightweight.

I read some of the other reviews and felt skeptical due to mention of "plastic key clip cannot hold more than one/two keys"...so naturally I wondered how logical/intuitive the rest of the bag was going to be designed.I'm very glad I bought this bag. Just to clarify, I'm glad the key clip is plastic (good quality too, won't snap/bend) because I have always found that the metal ones hurt my fingers if the tension is too firm, or the metal will knock into my delicate items (glasses/cell). I also want to mention that these key clips are designed to clip a key RING onto, one of which can hold many keys- so I'm having no problem whatsoever. In fact, I'm liking that the key clip is very near a pocket so that you have the choice to tuck away jangling/loose keys away if so desired. Well, enough about the key clip...I adore this bag for many reasons:1.)The durability/water resistance of the outside/bottom of bag is superior- it's glossy, durable construction makes it so I don't have to worry when I put it on the floor of my vehicle after I place my wet feet down after walking through rain, etc.) The bottom wipes down easily and perfectly so that my bag can continue to look nice/clean.2.) SIDE POCKETS are awesome! Not only does it accommodate my water bottle nicely, but it is concealed, keeps the condensation from the inside of the bag so as to keep my camera safe from water damage. I certainly like to keep pretty much all the contents of my purse dry, so kudos to the manufacturer for having a place to put a drink bottle where it stays put, and is easy to access.3.) Relative VERSATILITY: I'm using this as my purse right at the moment, but is perfect for my hiking trips. Convenient to get to water while walking, carries snacks/food, meanwhile still organizing my phone/glasses/mp3 player and keys from main pocket.4.) In situations where you must carry your cell in silent mode, you can slip it into the pocket closest to the body (the one closer to you than the zippered one) and as long as your bag is on your person, you can still feel it vibrate in case you are needing to be reached by emergency. (Makes me feel like I can relax on a date w/my husband at a nice restaurant/theatre knowing that I can still be reached by a sitter in the event of emergency).5.) The side pockets that may have been designed for drinks are good for many other things. They are deep enough, yet easy enough to access without unzipping/opening your bag if you want fast access to a point and shoot camera, a cell, or even an eyeglass case.6.) I like that inside the front compartment(where there are spots for glasses/keys, etc.), there is also a durable mesh zip pocket(you can barely see through it because of it's thickness and small hole size). What is great about this pocket is that I can carry loose cash/cards/ID in a spot where when I open the front flap for something other than what's being concealed in said pocket, nobody can see that that zip-spot even exists. In fact, in the stock photo all you see is the key/glasses/cell phone pocket while they don't even mention one exists on the inside of the front. I don't like when people can see a lot of cash/cards when I'm retrieving something out of the front flap area (like my glasses) as I walk. It makes me feel more secure that I know my cash can't fall out and some random person can't see it flopping around if I'm taking a stroll through the city.7.) The Velcro closure for the front divided compartment is a generous size. It allows me to put either very little or quite a bit more in the front compartment and the Velcro closure will keep it tightly closed either way. I also want to mention that the "grabby" part of the Velcro is on the FRONT of the bag, which I find desirable. This way, when I flip open the front, the soft side touches my clothes, ergo, no catches/damage to my clothes.8.) One of the pieces that is part of the adjustable strap system has a small inconspicuous slit on the side that you can't see. I don't know what it was intended for, but I like that I can unhook it (and leave it unhooked) from the main strap in case I need to accommodate a ridiculously large beverage container or one of those extra-tall reusable water bottles and still have a perfectly usable carry strap for my bag.9.) It's comfortable being carried in front/side/back of the body. The wide strap allows the weight of the bag to be distributed on the shoulder much better than your average purse. Also, the strap is smoother and glossy so that you don't get skin irritation when wearing a tank top, or it won't grab and bunch up your top when you pull it to yourself to access your things.10.) On a vanity level, I enjoy that it looks great with my hiking clothes, but also looks cute when I wear a top and jeans/shorts. I wouldn't go anywhere with it as my purse in a formal dress or anything, but my point is that I don't have to keep changing purses as much anymore. I adore bags/purses and have and still own very many of them. I have a feeling my other bags will be getting the cold shoulder in my closet now that I have my cute "cure-all" bag.

I bought the Grass/Wheat color on Amazon (which I think is no longer available), and I must say that the color is beautiful. The color isn't too bright or too dark -- it really is the perfect shade of grass green, in my opinion.I recently used this bag for the first time about a month ago while on an outing (which is why I can now properly review it), and I LOVED it. I wanted an alternative to my miniature backpack, and this turned out to be the perfect choice for me -- smaller in size compared to my mini backpack, yet big enough to hold everything I needed. I love the roominess inside, and the two side pockets for water bottles (one of which I ended up using for hand lotion instead).As for the inside and back pockets, I personally don't mind that they are not zippered. It makes it easier for me to just grab what I need when I'm in a rush. Besides, both pockets are deep enough, so I'm not afraid of anything falling out or getting lost. The organization under the front velcro-flap compartment is also great. I'm able to keep each of my smaller items organized (hand sanitizer, lip gloss, Tide pen, mints, candy, camera batteries, etc.), and the tiny zippered mesh pocket that's on the inside certainly helps in that respect, particularly with smaller items or tiny valuables. The small padded pocket also works well for my trusty Blackberry -- although I have to wonder if it'll provide enough room and protection for some of the larger phones that are now out on the market (i.e., the latest Samsung Galaxy, etc.). The tiny, stretchable key fob is also a nice feature, too. I probably wouldn't put too many keys on it, though, to be on the safe side. Overall, I also don't mind the use of velcro to secure the front flap. I know some might think the velcro makes the flap compartment noisy to open, but I personally like it that way. Think of it this way: If someone else tries to open and pickpocket that part of the bag, then you'll know all about it because of that loud velcro patch. ;)Finally I love the color options. I ended up buying a couple of different colors directly from eBags, and I love each one. They've all been very vibrant and not too bright for me to worry about them dirtying up and showing. I think the only thing that I would add to this bag is a nice cushy, adjustable shoulder pad. (I ended up adding my own to my bags.) Other than that, it really is a perfectly light bag -- good for either work or travel, in my opinion.