Best Bag I've Ever Owned
Awesome bag. Tons of pockets. I'm 5'7 150 lb and it fits perfect. It does not move around AT ALL when I'm riding. If you don't load it down too much you'll forget you have it on. I think the Drafter would have been too small for me. I like to carry my tools, small first aid kit, tube, extra bug spray, and some power bars. On top of all of this you can fill the bladder full,squash in a clean pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of flip flops. Let me repeat "squash". There is still room for keys, phone and other little stuff and the helmet pocket is still available but does not zip shut. At this point it is heavy enough to feel too heavy for anything longer than 5 miles on the trail, pack it light and you're good for all day. I peeled the awesomely engineered waist straps off the bag and it was the perfect hiking bag/my wife's purse for a weekend at Hocking Hills the last couple days. It is ventilated and while you will still get really sweaty, it will not stick to your back like other bags. All day on the trail and I was dripping but it was comfortable. It does not sit like dead weight on your shoulders when you are riding or hiking it melds to you and you don't even think about it. If you are looking at the Drafter I would definitely recommend getting the Nomad and just not filling it as full. If you are really, really skinny get the Drafter. If you're 100lb+ I think the Nomad will feel more steady on your back and you have the option of putting more stuff in it if you need to. If I would mention a complaint it is that you have to unclip the helmet carrier before you can unzip the rear compartments all the way. The bladder sits in a pocket against your back, not one of the cargo compartments, if you put ice in it(which you can because the opening on the bladder is bigger than a pop can and does NOT leak) it will not keep your back cool, but it will melt in less than an hour if it is less than half ice. If the bladder is full you will need to loosen the waist straps a little, and the bottom of the bag will feel like it is sticking out away from your butt, but it doesn't look like it. Also, when the bladder is full, it will sit differently on your back but will still not move around when you are riding, shift the bag to the left and it will stay there until YOU decide to shift it to the other side. The part that rests against your back is semi-rigid, perforated foam. The ventilation works better when you are biking, not so much when walking, it will keep the center of the bag off of your spine, its weird, but it feels good and keeps the bag feeling light on your shoulders. The straps are well padded and must have been designed by a mountain biker. If you don't need to carry 80lb of gear on your back this bag will impress. I am not considering buying another Dakine bag. The way My Nomad is built I expect it to last many, many years, it is the perfect size for me, when I need a new bag I hope they still make the Nomad. This is my first experience with Dakine, they make high quality stuff and because of my new bag they have just acquired a new lifetime customer.

Perfect for riding!
Really great pack. Room for a shell, tools, tubes, and a sandwich. Don't have any armor to carry but it carries my helmet nicely.

Great for riding
Great for riding, running and adventure racing but not designed as a can do all pack...I doubt any of those exist. It was a bit tight on my frame 5'9 and 175 but it was adjusted to be pretty comfy.