Using climbing as their inspiration, the designers at outdoor brand Rab have come up with a new ‘lifestyle’ pack. The Adrift pack series is aimed at people who want to carry their everyday kit with them – think laptop, phone, water bottle, sports clothing, etc – in a backpack that is stylishly practical.
Rab state that the Adrift packs have been “designed to adapt to the varied demands of an active lifestyle and survive the rigors of everyday adventure, from post-work bouldering sessions to commutes on two wheels”.
It’s likely to be the sort of pack that will appeal to people who are already sporty and already know about the benefits of durable nylon fabric, comfortable back systems and supportive straps.
Certainly, the Adrift packs, which are sold in 24-litre and 30-litre sizes, would not look out of place in the summer hills and mountains, or at a crag.
They offer functional details, such as 210D nylon ripstop fabric and a close-fitting ContourTM back system that is constructed to “contour with the shape of the spine”. Other features that most outdoors enthusiasts will recognise include a (removable) forward-pull hipbelt for easy adjustment, adjustable sternum strap and shoulder straps, two side mesh pockets for bottle storage, an internal zipped mesh security pocket with key clip and external lashing points.
The lifestyle components include a workspace compartment with padded laptop sleeve, an internal tablet sleeve with additional organization, zipped top pocket for quick access storage and bike light attachment loop for cycling commutes.
Rab, which is owned by Equip Outdoor Technologies Ltd, has also started listing what they call Material Facts, which aims to unravel the complexities of sustainability in the manufacture of outdoor products. There are many accusations of greenwashing across the outdoors industry and Rab claim their initiative is a more honest way forward. So the Rab Adrift 24 is shown as having a total recycled content of 29%.
The Rab Adrift 24l is priced at £80, while the Rab Adrift 30l costs £90. And this is where some buyers might question the hybrid nature of the Adrift packs. We’ve previously pondered whether expensive Rab gear is worth the money and the Adrift lifestyle packs are not cheap.
Will many climbers be looking for a pack that does both – office and climbing – and potentiality buy a pack that could be an overall compromise on the useful features for their actual sport? The jury’s out for for now…
