With the way many of us go about our day drastically changing over the past year, there’s a good chance our needs in an EDC bag have changed too. With more limited travel, working or learning remotely, more frequent grocery hauls and spending time recreating outdoors, maybe your current EDC backpack isn’t quite up to the task. Mission Workshop looks to an unsung hero in the EDC bag space—the humble tote bag—as a compelling solution. The San Francisco-based brand’s utility-led designs are informed by experience building functional, all-weather gear for urban bike commuters. With the Drift Tote, they’ve taken the convenient grab-and-go tote platform and bolstered it with the materials and functional features to create a bag you can take with you anywhere for years to come.
To call the Drift Tote “just” a tote doesn’t do the bag justice—it’s jam-packed with organizational features, carry options, and a larger total capacity that most other tote bags can’t offer. For starters, the bag’s main compartment measures in at a generous 28L. Its mostly empty layout makes it versatile and roomy enough for camera gear, a change of clothes, packing cubes and gear pouches, or even groceries. A hook-and-loop secured sleeve separates documents, notebooks, and magazines from the rest of your gear. A grid-patterned grey liner gives contrast to the interior for higher visibility and easier identification of your gear, too. Last but not least, the Drift Tote even accommodates laptops up to 16“ in its dedicated laptop pocket. It’s suspended and padded to offer protection from bumps and drops, and it’s even accessible from the exterior thanks to top-access zipper.
Unlike most totes, the Drift features even more organization on the exterior of the bag, making it well-equipped for EDC. The front of the tote features a zippered admin panel with an integrated key leash, zip mesh pocket, two slip pockets, and two pen slots. The pocket sits under a magnetic storm flap, which grants easy access and closure while keeping rain out. Behind the admin panel, you’ll find a flat zippered pocket for a tablet or e-reader. Even the sides of the bag have pockets: on the left is a soft, tricot-lined pocket for smartphone or other delicate tech, while the right can hold your water bottle. Finally, you’ll find a luggage slip-through on the rear of the pack to help take the load off your shoulders when traveling.
The Drift Tote shows its versatility in its carry options, too. For heavier loads, you can sling the adjustable, removable strap over your shoulder. At 2“ wide, the webbing can comfortable distribute load over your shoulder, while the seatbelt material won’t snag your clothes. The same 2” webbing makes up the carry handle, which tapers to a more manageable 1“ to fit your hand. A pair of snap closures keep the handles together for a clean and comfortable carry.
As expected from Mission Workshop, the Drift Tote doesn’t skimp on materials and hardware. And in this Huckberry exclusive version, the Drift Tote sports an American-made, 10 oz waxed olive canvas that combines hard-wearing performance and weather resistance with an organic feel and timeless look that’ll get better with age. Its reinforced bottom offers abrasion resistance and enough structure to conveniently stand the bag up even when empty. Especially important for a bag designed to haul your laptop and other tech gear are the laminated YKK zippers, which help seal out water so you can carry the Drift through all kinds of weather.
The Mission Workshop Drift Tote also comes in multi-cam Cordura nylon and a 500D black nylon if waxed canvas isn’t quite your style. If you’re on the market for a convenient and capable grab-and-go bag for EDC, be sure to check out the Mission Workshop Drift Tote at Huckberry linked below.
