Kelty Messenger Diaper Bag

We have an Eagle Creek Parent Survival Pack messenger style diaper bag that we love, but the line was discontinued so I cannot get a second for when we each take a kid seperate directions.The Kelty is smaller than our EC bag, which is a little frustrating with all the extra baby stuff I now need to carry, but will be great when we shift to toddler needs. Our EC bag just seemed huge and heavy once our boy needed less stuff. As it is I keep one of the toddler's diapers in the baby's diaper bag and leave his bag in the car if I am out with both kids.The net pouches around the inside make finding things easy because too many zip-up areas make little items (extra pacifier or bottle of baby ibuprofin) hard to find. And the pouches are actuallly big enough to use! The light color of the interior is also nicer for finding things compared to the black of our EC bag.The cooler area for a bottle does a great job. At times I wish for a second one, but given the space needed by the material that keeps it cool I am okay with it. The light weight of the bag is worth it to me. The net pouch on the other side of the diaper bag (outside) has other uses.Having the pocket for the changing pad protected by the front flap of the bag is nice good and I quite like that.I wish Kelty had put no-slip stuff on the strap cushion that to make it actually stay on my shoulder. Instead I always have to wear it across my body and sometimes that just isn't convenient. That is my biggest issue with the bag.My husband's one issue and deal-breaker for him with this bag is the metal closure piece for the front of the bag / the front flap that goes over the main compartment's zipper and the changing pad pocket. He has a hard time trying to manipulate it with one hand while holding the baby and that is quite frustrating when she is crying or you really really need something right now. I found it to be a practice thing, but as a nursing mother I tend to take the baby and Daddy gets the toddler. After getting used to it I like the closure because it stays closed and nothing sticks to it, unlike the velcro keeping the flap closed on our other bag.Would I buy it again? Probably. I quite like the light weight of the bag and the simple arrangment of the organizer pockets. Also nice from my "it should match" obsession is that we use this bag for my daughter and have the matching Kelty FC 3.0 carrier for her. We have the blue one for our son and this way we always know which kid's stuff we are grabbing.

I own two KIDS Kelty carriers that I absolutely love. They are durable (really, really durable), functional, comfortable and backed by a lifetime guarantee. So when I saw that Kelty also makes a diaper bag (that matches my TC carrier too!), I had to give it a try. And it was a steal at $40!My first impression when it arrived was that it was much bigger than I thought it would be, but collapsed nicely when it was less full. It holds my 15 inch MacBook Pro with ease so I ended up using it as a laptop carrier/diaper bag on our last trip out of town. On our family adventure, this is what I found:* The cooler is fantastically designed -- you can access it from the top or side. It's also very easy to clean (the lining pulls out, so you can run it under water).* The cooler is also quite large. I stacked a Foogo thermos, apple sauce container, and Munchkins snack pack. This also means when you don't need the cooler for your kids, it will also fit a full size water bottle!* The pockets are raised to the top of the bag, so it's easy to get to your phone, utensils, bibs, etc.* Beige lining makes everything easy to see.* Holds a lot! I had my digital SLR Canon, Laptop, extra sandwich cooler, blankie, and extra stories and toys along with the usual diaper/food items necessary for any trip.* I never lost anything in my bag -- unheard of in my previous cheapo BrU find.* It slid onto my roller luggage. Brilliant!* Husband didn't mind carrying it aroundThe reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is because the bag lacks stroller clips and it's fairly difficult to get into. With a zip top and a metal L-latch enclosure (which can be opened one handed with some fiddling and will not slip out thanks to a lip on the L-latch), quick access into the bag is only possible if you leave the flap open. That said, this system is a great feature if you're traveling -- there is no way this thing is popping open or breaking on a far-away outing. My personal wish is that this bag had a backpack option like its predecessor; although, I must say that given how many backpack-type luggage pieces we were carrying on our trip, I was happy to have an item that wasn't taking up additional back real estate. While I wish it was a bit more stylish, you really can't beat the price.

My wife and I decided on this Kelty bag so we would not have to juggle between two separate diaper bags. We purchased the green color, but online it looks lime green and silver, which I wasn't crazy about. The actual color is green and more of a tan color, with a silvery sheen to the whole bag.The messenger flap stays closed by looping a small metal hook through a fabric loop, so it does have the potential to come unhooked by itself, but we've not had an issue with that. The padded shoulder strap is comfortable and contours to fit around the neck, and features a swivel at both ends where it attaches to the bag so you can untwist it easily.Overall this is a good quality bag that's just the right size, and hip enough for both parents to carry around.

I really liked this diaper bag because it's gender neutral and both I and my husband can look normal carrying it. What I DON'T like one bit is the clasp. It was a good though making it adjustable to accommodate a fuller/emptier bag, but it is so cumbersome to try and slide it in through the loop. We end up not clasping it half the time and then the flap is hanging loose and it looks sloppy. If they'd find a better closure method it would be great though.

I really liked the look of this bag, its nice with plenty of compartments but very difficult to open and close. You might want to look around before you decide on this. Also, the one strap on top is pretty useless as it keeps tipping the bag over more than anything else. Not the worst of diaper bags but not the best one either.

A great bag, but as everyone else and their mother has commented, the metal clasp to close the bag is SUCH a pain. You can't close it quickly and it takes FOREVER to get it open. Love KELTY, like the bag, hate the clasp.