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Words by Mary Pyefinch
March 2005
Whether you are globetrotting around the world, commuting
from the suburbs to the city, trekking along the streets of
San Francisco or the plains of the Serengeti, don't
leave home without this bag.
The Drag Bag Streetwinder is perfection
in style, form and function. I have a graveyard full of bags
that either could not survive the wear and tear or caused
me extreme pain when I carried them fully loaded. Believe
me when I say this is one tough, versatile bag.
The Drag Bag is the brain child of Luella Brookes-Inglis,
entrepreneur (designer), who got the idea after watching children,
burdened by heavy school books, trudge home, shifting their
book bags from shoulder-to-shoulder as they walked. Some gave
up carrying them completely and dragged their bags on the
ground - not very good for the books, the bag or the child.
Her goal was to turn the bog-standard-body-straining-but-essential
backpack into a health-conscious-state-of-the-art-functional-cool
hybrid (backpack/trolley). Ms. Brookes-Inglis felt that there
were just too many painful backs and necks and too many unsatisfactory
bags out there.
The design was a little tricky. Trolley bags work well until
a step, a stair or uneven surface is to be negotiated. Then
the bags tip over sometimes jerking your shoulder. If the
wheels jam, you have to pick it up and carry it. Backpacks
work well until you stuff too much in them, and then they
become too painful to carry.
Ms. Brookes-Inglis said, “The standard trolleys and
backpacks both have limitations; it was time to create a 21st
century hybrid - a fusion of health, practicality and
aesthetics.”
Ms. Brookes-Inglis says, “The dozen Drag Bag prototypes
and hundreds of sketches which went before the final 2003
production version, bear testimony to the two and a half years
of ideas, suggestions, improvements and perfections that have
gone in to this unique product.” From padded slung laptop
holder to the wheel covers to the MP3 holder with earphone
hole, every one of the 228 components in the Drag Bag have
been thoroughly thought out. Here are the features of the
Drag Bag:
- Padded and slung laptop holder (yes, even 17")
- 41 inches of brushed satin aluminum handle
- MP 3/I-pod holder with earpiece access
- Mobile phone holder
- Rain cover designed to fit over wheels
- Wheel covers
- Kissing end Zips for padlock security
- Card Holder
- Wallet and passport pockets
- Thermal soft box (Streetwinder design)
- Toiletry bag (Altitude design)
- Key ring
- Reflective piping & stitching for nighttime safety
This bag comes in azure blue, mandarin red and black. The
dimensions are: height - 56 cm, width - 41 cm, depth - 27
cm, weight 3.30 kg. It is made from Ripstop Nylon/2520D Nylon
(inclusive of thermal soft box and/or toiletry bag).
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There is an optional “THAT Sleeve” which perfectly
holds a laptop. It can be used as a laptop bag (shoulder strap
is comfortable) or it can be used as a sleeve that fits in
the Drag Bag to keep your laptop safe. Ms. Brookes-Inglis'
company is producing an additional foam added pouch which
hangs off additional D rings on the side straps, called “THAT
Pouch.” The pouch will be made from the same black nylon
body fabric as the long sleeve. The dimensions are 10”
wide, 7” long and 1 - “ deep and sits perfectly
below the envelope flap of the sleeve. This is an optional
pouch to keep power cords, computer accessories, mobile and
wallet, etc.
The sleeves come in 12”, 15” and 17” and
fit all iBooks and Titaniums. There are two color trims: olive
and checkered gray. Pricing as follows:
- 12" $49.99
- 15" $54.99
- 17" $59.99
- Extra THAT Pouch $12.99
In addition to a slick design, Ms. Brookes-Inglis wanted
the Drag Bag to be healthy. The lengthened axle gives
the bag far greater stability both when stationary and
in motion. Therefore there is less chance of twisting.
And the length of aluminum handle (41”) and two
locking positions allow a person of any height to drag
at the 45” to 60” angles recommended for optimal
pulling. The T-bar handle and base support assist the
posture when the bag is loaded and worn on the back. The
back and shoulder strap padding provides supreme comfort
even if it is just thrown over the shoulder. Also the
unique 10-cm polyurethane wheels considerably reduce “drag
strain” with their roller action.
The Centre of Allied Health at the University of South
Australia conducted laboratory tests on the Drag Bag.
The study provides evidence regarding the Drag Bag in
protecting spinal health. Testing comprised of three phases:
laboratory, ergonomic and field study assessments. Twenty-one
subjects participated (11 young people and 10 adults).
The results were favorable. “The Drag Bag offers
a well-designed piece of equipment which works well as
a backpack and as a trolley bag under usual conditions.
It seems to handle heavier weights well in its backpack
version, and its ease of locomotion as a trolley bag suggests
that this is also an efficient way of transporting heavy
loads.” An extra benefit - “it seems that
wearing the Drag Bag as a backpack corrects posture of
young people.”
Another cool feature is that your Drag Bag is uniquely
numbered so that you can register the bag on the Drag
Bag website. Then place the ID tag in the ID window in
the front pocket of the bag. If your bag is lost, you
can then contact Drag Bag to see if anyone has found it.
Buy it now!
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