So to start off with being a drifter, you're going to want to get mainly surface materials for a full day. Wood, seeds, wool, food, etc. You're going to need alot of wood, so be sure to get at least 2-3 stacks.
Next, you're gonna want to make a house nearby a main town on the server, but not one that attracts much attention. You won't be living in it often, so make sure you always hide your chest and other valuables, as you are going to want to store your most valuable items in it while you are drifting from place to place. A house nearby a town on my friend's server:
The town is literally directly behind it. Nobody really ventures along this way, so all they see is an odd rock formation.
The ideal "main house" will be by the main town and a cave. Any cave will do really, though I suggest it's deep so you have a better chance of getting lots of coal and iron.
Loot the whole cave, and make full iron tools and lots of torches. Be sure to have leftover coal, because you will need it to cook your food while you're drifting.
Once your ready, leave your house and just run in one direction. Remember which direction you are running, or write down your coords, so you don't forget where the main town is when you're ready to trade.
For my normal inventory for drifting, I take my tools, torches, wood, furnace, crafting table, bed, and food.
You will want to run in one direction all day, and if the area you are running in is flat enough, all night. But if you're in some kind of mountainy area, just take shelter in a tree. Be sure, again, to not attract attention. Pick up all your stuff that you used for your camp and keep running the next day, and just keep repeating the process until you have found a lot of materials from looting caves, dungeons, villages, strongholds, abandoned mineshafts, everything. Once you're ready, return home and trade, get rich, whatever.
This is the system I use for most every server I go to, I hope it helps people. e.e
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