(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
I love backpacks, and Doughnut makes some great ones. I've used a full-size Macaroon for several years, and my husband never leaves the house without the Denver Messenger Bag. They're practical and hardy. And it's widely accepted that Macaroon Mini Backpacks make excellent hands-free purses that balance the weight of your gear on your back. A mini Doughnut is, therefore, a wonderful thing.
The backpack has one main compartment that has a padded sleeve on the back wall for a tablet or e-reader, with one Velcro pocket, a zipper pocket, and two slip pockets on the inside front wall. There are two elastic side pockets on the interior that are big enough for a slim water bottle or pencil case. On the outside, there are also two side pockets, but they are impractically narrow. They aren't big enough for a water bottle, phone, or umbrella. I haven't found a good use for these pockets yet. On the front of the bag is a snap-closure gusseted pocket that is perfect for a phone, keys, etc. The layout as a whole is perfect for a purse or commuter bag.
The material is a textured waterproof twill, and the snap straps are real leather. It comes in a wide variety of fun colorways and all of them look fantastic. It was difficult to select just one! But I settled on this Nature Pale Hazy x Lichen, as it combined the pale blue and green that I like. I am a bit concerned about the beige color showing dirt quickly, but after a few excursions it still looks great.
And by excursions, I mean I took this commuter bag hiking in the winter woods, because I'm me. It's hard to be my backpack.
I always carry a backpack when I go out hiking, but for quicker walks, a smaller bag is much preferred. And quicker walks are necessary in Wisconsin in January. This wee backpack was the perfect size to hold my wallet, phone, wee first aid kit, EDC, water, keys, phone, and camera gear. Everything I need for a chilly jaunt. The straps were comfortable and adjusted enough to fit over my puffiest coat.
I also used it as a purse running errands and going about my day for a bit, and it worked well for that, too. Sometimes a bit too small, though. I can't fit my A5 planner, mittens, big water bottle, and regular stuff all at the same time, but maybe once spring arrives and the mittens leave the equation, it will work better. It's not a bad thing that a small bag forces me to edit my carrying decisions--sometimes that's exactly what I need.
The Doughnut Macaroon Mini Backpacks are either $65 or $69, depending on the color you select. Either is a great deal. I've seen plenty of backpacks that cost quite a lot more that are not nearly as nice as these. I like these enough that I should not be allowed anywhere near the product page, frankly, but if you're in need of a backpack, mini or otherwise, you should definitely check these out at JetPens.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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