You may be just looking for a handy way to carry a laptop. Well, you can get that with the STM Drifter. But you also get a high quality urban and wilderness survival pack.
by Leon Pantenburg
I was not paid to do this review. At the time of publication, there was no advertising or sponsorship relationship between SurvivalCommonSense.com and STM.
At the community college where I work, everybody carries backpacks, messenger bags, brief cases, man purses, gym bags, duffel bags etc. All of us have so much stuff to schlep around that an effective container/carrier is a necessity.
The STM Drifter is a high-end, top quality urban and wilderness daypack.
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So I looked at the Drifter with a combination of experience and skepticism. Backpacks are a dime a dozen, and you can get one virtually anywhere. They go for about $20-$50 at the student bookstore.
So I loaded up the Drifter and started taking it to work. A 15-inch laptop fit in the padded pocket nicely. There was a room for my point-and shoot camera, assorted notebooks and pens, files and junk. The Drifter also carries my lunch, a coffee flask and assorted urban survival items.
In many ways, urban backpacks must be as sturdy or sturdier than those used in the wilderness. For one thing, the urban backpack may get much more continuous and vigorous use.
A 2009 New York Times study found that on average, 6th graders were carrying backpacks weighting 18.4 pounds, although some backpacks weighed as much as 30 pounds. Today, with the proliferation of laptops, smart phones hardcover textbooks and class materials, I bet students are carrying much more.
The average college backpack is really heavy, according to my unscientific research. I walked around the classroom, randomly hefting some of the students’ backpacks. My conclusion was that serious back trouble would occur if I carried one for any distance.
To stand up to the weight and nearly daily use, an urban backpack must be really tough and well-built.
Here are the Drifter specifications:
main material(s): Cottna 320D/640D Water Resistant Poly
lining: 200g Polyester with Brushed Nylex
device space: 10.04 x 14.76 x 1.18 in
outer dimensions: 18.50 x 12.20 x 7.48 in
capacity: 1094.4 cu in
weight: 2.29 lbs
Here’s what the website says about the design:
*Three zippered front panel pockets:
– Top soft lined pocket for sunglasses or phone
– Middle for keys, wallet or other sundries
– Bottom for pens, biz cards, travel docs
*Top load main compartment reveals 15″ padded laptop cell (will hold most 13-16″ laptops)
*Slip tablet pocket with cord and battery storage
*See-through zippered pocket to hold all the doo-dads that tend to get lost otherwise
*Plenty of main compartment capacity for books, shoes, clothing, etc.
*Reflective light loop for better night safety
*Side water bottle pockets with compression straps
*Padded and contoured shoulder straps with sternum strap for a comfortable carry
*Quick grab haul loop
*3D foam mesh back panel with air-flow channel for comfort on hotter days
*Integrated luggage pass through secures the bag to the handle of your wheeled luggage
*Bottom zip pocket holds detachable rain cover in case of a sudden downpour
*Durable yet super light aluminum zipper pulls with large, #10 self-repairing YKK® zippers
*Water resistant 320D brushed poly main fabric with 640D reinforced bottom fabric
What I liked:
Design: the Pockets are handy and work well for my needs. Though I’ve only used it so far in an urban setting, it will go along on some wilderness outings.
Straps: Comfortable for me and easily adjustable. I tend to lengthen the right strap and sling the Drifter over my shoulder. The placement is such that the strap doesn’t easily slide off.
Grab loop: As the mood strikes, I may carry the packlike a briefcase by the grab loop on top. The pack isn’t so long that it or the strap ends drag.
Back panel: I’ve only used the pack in cold weather so far, but it looks like the mesh back panel should be good for cool carry on hot days. I’ll check it out.
Zippers: On any urban pack, the zippers go first. The self-repairing zippers are a good idea, and time will tell how quickly they wear out. So far, they work flawlessly.
Color: My Drifter is slate gray. That’s a good neutral color for most situations. In the wilderness, that color blends in nicely with most terrains. In a setting where you don’t want to attract attention, the muted grey is serious urban camouflage that blends in with just about anything. The Drifter comes in several other colors.
Electronic compartments: I don’t use these much, but for someone who must carry a laptop, tablet, phone and charger, the compartments are well-designed and well-placed.
Size: The Drifter stows handily in the overhead compartment or under a seat in an airplane. You’ll appreciate the luggage pass that secures the bag to the handle of wheeled baggage.
Side pockets: I sometimes carry a bottle of water or Thermos of coffee to the office. The side pockets allow for easy access, and the compression straps keep anything from falling out.
The Drifter retails for about $150. While that’s at the upper end of what I want to spend for a daypack, in the long run the Drifter may prove to be a good investment. Daypacks wear out fairly quickly and a cheap one will inevitably have to be replaced.
When my kids were in school, they each got a new daypack every fall. The zippers either wore out, or the straps separated from the body of the pack. Worse, the cheap models’ designs may be sketchy. A combination of lack of support, poor ergonomics and heavy loads may contribute to back problems later.
I like the Drifter a lot. So far, it has proven to be sturdy and easy to carry and it does everything I need a daypack to do. If you’re looking for a quality daypack that will work well in both urban and wilderness environments, the Drifter is worth considering.
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