Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Exceptionally well built and durable
- Designed for various different types of use, from office to the outdoors
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- The slightly plastic looking finish that provides waterproofing may not be everyone’s tastes
- Doesn’t offer full back support system of some other daypacks
I’ve really loved using the Rab Adrift 24L daypack so far. It fits well and feels comfortable for day to day hiking. The back system, whilst not a full suspension system is very comfortable and sits the pack close to you, meaning there is no movement when it’s on.
The waterproof finish on the main body fabric means that through my tests, I’ve found it impossible for this daypack to become saturated or soaked through. This is fantastic for giving you more confidence if you live in a place where it rains a lot!
For the pretty bargain price of $80, I think you’ll be impressed with what this pack offers. It’s functional, multi-use, looks good and pretty much indestructible. The Rab Adrift 24L is the perfect pack for lighter day hikes.
This article is part of our overall guide to the best daypacks, see more in this guide:
You may also be interested in: Best Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
Compare to Similar Products:
Product | Osprey Talon 22 | Gregory Maya 25 | Deuter Speed Lite 23 | Osprey Stratos 24 | Gregory Citro 24 | Rab Tensor 20 | Osprey Daylite/Plus | Mystery Ranch Coulee 30 | Black Diamond Distance 15 | The North Face Basin 24L | Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 20 | Cotopaxi 24L Batac Pack | Granite Gear Dagger Ultralight | Rab Adrift 24L | Adidas Terrex Climacool Daypack | Cotopaxi Luzon Del Dia 24L |
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Buying Options | ||||||||||||||||
Our Award | Best Overall Daypack | Best Overall Daypack - runner up | Best Daypacks For Women | Best Daypacks For Men | Best Waterproof Hiking Daypack | Best Daypack For Hot Weather | Best Daypack For Travel | Best Hiking Daypack With Hydration | Best Lightweight Daypack | |||||||
Type and Style | Lightweight all purpose backpack for hiking, climbing and bikepacking | Active hikes, longer trails, climbing | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Full suspension backpack | Full suspension hiking pack | Lightweight summer pack | Lightweight lifestyle travel/hiking pack | Full suspension backpack/summit pack | Hybrid trail running/hiking/climbing | Hiking and biking | Ultralight daypack | Basic hiking | All round hiking | Fully waterproof hiking | Basic hiking, travel and general day to day use | Basic hiking, general everyday use, travel |
Material | bluesign®-approved recycled 100D x 210D wave check high-tenacity nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating. | 100D 30% recycled high density nylon, 200D 45% recycled high density nylon | 140D and 100D recycled polyamide | 210D recycled nylon body, 420D recycled nylon accents and bottom with a PFC/PFAS-free DWR | 210D Honeycomb Cryptorip Nylon and 420D High Density Nylon body. EVA foam straps, alloy steel frame. 135D High Density and 50% recycled polyester lining | 100% recycled 420D polyester ripstop | bluesign® approved 300D recycled polyester | 210D recycled nylon, DWR | UHMWPE ripstop body fabric and mesh | 210D recycled ripstop nylon and 600D recycled polyester also all with non PFC DWR | 15D high strength nano nylon fabric with silicon coating for water resistance | Offcut material used from other brands production runs, making a sustainable pack | Nylon (100D and 210D) | PFAS Free ripstop nylon | 100% recycled polyester | Offcut material used from other brands production runs, making a sustainable pack |
Capacity | 22 liters | 25 | 23L | 24L | 24 liters | 20 liters | 20 liters | 30L | 15L | 24L | 20L | 24L | 22L | 24L | 32L | 24L |
Breathability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Not as good as some other models | OK | OK | Not as good as some other models | Poor | OK | Good | OK | OK | OK |
Pockets | 6 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6/7 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
Dimensions | 48 x 28 x 23 cm | 50.8 x 28.4 x 23.3 cm | 52 x 27 x 18 cm | 59 x 34 x 24cm | 52 x 28 x 20 cm | 50 x 30 x 23cm | 43 x 26 x 20 cm | 57 x 27 x 24 cm | 47 x 32 x 13 cm | 50 x 27.9 x 17 cm | 48 x 28 x 20 cm | 51 x 28 x 18 cm | 53.34 x 33.02 x 20.32 cm | 52 x 30 x 25 cm | 50 x 26.5 x 17 cm | 60 x 30 x 17 cm |
Rain Cover | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No - but the daypack is already waterproof | No | No |
Durability | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | OK | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good |
Analysis and Test Results
I’ve been testing the Rab Adrift 24L pack out for about 4/5 months at this point and I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve experienced. The pretty much full on waterproof design has really impressed me through some of the winter storms I’ve put it through.
As a hybrid pack that works well for day to day hiking use and commuting, this pack is not the most full on hiking pack I’ve ever experienced. But it isn’t meant to be, it’s designed with functionality in mind, and for many hikers, could be the only pack they need.
My review below goes into detail on all the areas that we look at when testing a daypack for how well or not it’ll perform outdoors. Of course these are my personal experiences, so some of my specific wants from a pack may be different to yours!
See the Rab Adrift 24L daypack in more detail:
Performance Comparison
Type and Style
The Rab Adrift 24L daypack is a hybrid design that takes what you need for a day outdoors and combines it with helpful storage for a commute to work. There are internal pockets that’ll fit your laptop that can also be used for a water bladder, making it mixed use.
From testing, I would say it looks and feels more like a day pack than a work or commuting pack specifically, but I also think it’s stylish enough to be used for work too. I’ve used it when out in the city and looking around town and it feels like it suits well here.
I would refrain from using this for heavy loads and anything other than light day hikes though, mostly because it lacks the full back suspension system I prefer for this kind of hiking. For fast and light though, it’s perfect.
Material
Whilst the product information goes into quite a lot of detail about the sourcing of the materials and the recycled content (which this pack makes substantial use of). I can’t find full information about what this pack is actually made of. They mention ripstop nylon, but I’m not sure if this is the entire pack.
I presume from looking at the pack in front of me in detail that it is entirely synthetic. There do not look to be any animal based products used on the Rab Adrift 24L. Though it’s great to see so much information available about sourcing and supply chain, I do think this information should be more visible.
Breathability
I want to preface this review by saying that I’ve tested this daypack from November to March so far, and so I’ve been testing it at the colder times of the year. That said, I haven’t really experienced any back sweat under the pack on my jacket when I take it off.
I’ll be keen to see how the Adrift 24L handles in the summer months, but I have high hopes for it. It will not give you the same level of breathability as a pack which a much more full on back suspension system. But then that isn’t really the point of this daypack. It’s about being fast and light.
Waterproofing
Whilst it doesn’t actually say on the product information, from my tests, the Rab Adrift 24L daypack is pretty much entirely waterproof. I’m hesitant to say that it is 100% because I’m not sure if all of the zip work was created with this intention.
However, the main section of this daypack is made with minimal seams and is made of the same pretty much impenetrable ripstop nylon. I have tested the Rab Adrift in heavy rainstorms and it has handled really well, never showing any signs of leaking or soaking through.
Dimensions
The dimensions of this pack sit at a pretty comfortable 52 x 30 x 25cm. This sits well on my back, and I don’t feel like any areas of it are too large or seem out of proportion. It does look quite large when in place, but I think considering it’s a 24L, it’s well proportioned.
For most carry on for travel, this pack would not fit with general requirements. Though I would say check this in advance if you planned to use it for this.
Fit
The Rab Adrift 24L is designed to be close fitting to the back. It uses Rab’s ‘Close-fitting Contour’ back system which keeps it feeling like it fits well, even when used for the whole day. I didn’t find myself feeling uncomfortable when I was using this pack, even with my thicker winter layers on.
Even though I haven’t tested this pack outdoors in summer yet, I have tested it indoors with my summer hiking gear on instead. Without heavier jackets, it still feels really comfortable. The cushioning around the shoulders and back help it to stay in place and it doesn’t bounce at all when walking.
Storage
The Rab Adrift pack is a 24 liter offering. Rab do offer this pack in a 30 liter too, but for daypack use, I think the 24 is perfect. This is more than enough to fit all of the gear I generally need for hiking and day use. I can also fit my hiking poles, ice axe and crampons in too.
I’ve got room for extra layers and some camera gear in the main compartment. This feels well sized and easy to access. It also has 2 side pockets which can be used for water. These are deep enough for a 32oz bottle no problem. They also fit hiking poles in really easily too.
Inside you have a laptop compartment/tablet sleeve. This fits my MacBook 13 inch easily, and I’ve also used this for a water bladder too when out on the trail.
There’s also a top pocket which gives extra storage for smaller items, like extra hats, sunglasses, gloves, lip salve etc. There’s also an internal zipped compartment which fits a wallet and keys no problem. Whilst this pack looks minimal from the outside, the pockets are well placed for everything you need.
Comfort
The comfort provided with the Rab Adrift 24L is about what I’d expect from a daypack in this category. It makes use of some padding and a light back system which is suited for carrying lighter loads and day to day use.
When I tried filling this daypack with heavier gear, like some of my heavier camera lenses and winter mountaineering safety gear, I did find it started to get to the limits of what was comfortable. For general use, this is great, but I would be tempted to say keep it at that, where this pack is intended.
Features
I think this pack isn’t particularly featured, but that doesn’t really mean anything bad. Of course, it has pockets than can be used for both work and outdoors and it’s multi use. It also makes use of recycled material.
Other than that, it’s just a good, functional pack that is perfect for day hikes. I love the full on waterproofing, which for me is quite a big deal as I find myself hiking in places where rain is quite frequent.
Durability
Due to the ripstop nylon that is used on a fair amount of the body, I am pretty confident to say that this daypack from Rab feels like it’s built to last. It almost feels like you would need to actively try and rip it apart or cut into it to damage it.
Given its price point ($80/£80) I think this is pretty incredible. Depending on the kind of hiking you do, this may be the only pack you need through the entire year. It may well suit you well for work too, so is a pretty good proposition.
Sustainability
Rab are very obvious and transparent with the process their products go through and they seem to be constantly striving to make this information more available to help you make a purchasing decision. I love to see this!
With the Adrift 24, they’ve made the information about the percentages of each fabric that are recycled (which totals 29%). They also show what percentages were made using renewable energy (0%) for this product and shows that the product was made in Vietnam.
Conclusion
I found myself loving using and testing the Rab Adrift 24L daypack. It’s a great versatile pack for lighter adventures that can also be used for day to day, looking round the city or for work. I liked this mix use feel and think it’s a stylish option.
I was also impressed when I learned it comes in at $80 – which considering it’s a pretty much indestructible pack from Rab that’s all but fully waterproof feels really well priced. The Adrift 24 is comfortable and designed with day hikes in mind.
If you need something for more full on missions, then you may find better options in our best daypacks for hiking guide. But if you want a varied use pack for a bargain price that’s going to last you a long time, the Rab Adrift 24L is pretty much the perfect option.
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