Aaron Rose

Ideal for both average joes and pros, the Raide LF 40L Backpack comes with many features and puts pressure on other ultralight brands with a lower MRSP of $399.

In the fall of 2023 Kyle Siegel, founder and owner of Raide Research, promoted a pre-order sale in the Colorado Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Facebook group. The rapid responses to Kyle’s preorder sale showed people’s desire for an ultralight backpack at lower price points. It didn’t hurt when backcountry meme accounts gave Raide a boost. I noticed more LF 40Ls on the skin track by January and now at least three of my touring partners have their own pack.

After 50 days this season with the Raide Research LF 40L, I can say this backpack that gets the job done from daily tours to hut trips and overnighters. The Raide LF 40L, coming in hot at 1090g, can be stripped down to 900g without the frame and removable back panel insert, which also can serve as a seat, sprint, and sled. I typically use the 50d ripstop nylon rolltop as a separate gear compartment on my daily tours, aka the “gear garage.”  The zipper rolls smoothly so I can get in and out through the back panel easily. The hip straps feature a pocket compartment on the right side, and a loop on the left side.

I opted for the white version of the Challenge Ultra 400X woven which also comes in black. The white fabric certainly shows that I’ve dealt with a lot of dirt on my tours, whether in the parking lot or from transitions in the alpine. The claim of “2x more tear resistant and 8x more abrasion resistant than similar ultralight fabrics” seems legit though given the amount of transitions I’ve had on rough surfaces and sharp edges.

Aaron setting the bootpack – photo: Seth Linden

The minimalist straps are deceivingly strong and hold up pretty well to ski and splitboard edges. From A-frame to board carry, the Raide LF 40L holds up pretty well for those who spend a lot of time in bootpack mode. From a splitboarder point of view, it’s been practical to put my Phantom bindings under my helmet on top of the gear garage so I don’t necessarily have to dig into my bag if I’m looking for a quick transition.

Several overnight trips gave me the opportunity to push the Raide LF 40L’s extended capacity to 50L and see how it handled heavy loads in excess of 45-50 pounds. Raide’s design reinforces the practicality of choosing 50L for most quick overnighters and hut trip. There’s minimal impact on the riding experience since it also serves extremely well as a day touring backpack. I’ve come to find that I had less issues with the Raide backpack in terms of shoulder strain compared to other brands since the removable frame helps redistribute weight.

Now that we’ve talked about all the roses of the Raide 40L Backpack, there are a few “thorns” to point out. Be assured though, you’re covered by a 5 year warranty. The 7mm aluminum tubing has enough of a pointed tip that it managed to weave its way through the tightly woven fabric holding the tubing in place. It happened twice before I finally put some duct tape on the ends to keep it from popping through. One of my touring partners commented though that the same thing happened to him with another brand’s backpack. We laughed at the absurdity of this annoying issue across multiple brands.

The avalanche pocket zipper could be a bit wider to accommodate larger shovels like the BCA Dozer 2H, my go-to shovel for avalanche courses and digging pits. When the backpack is fully loaded, it gets a little wonky putting the shovel blade back so this may be a limiting factor for those who plan to demonstrate or practice beacon searches.

Ice can build up inside the various plastic clips and prevent them from locking in. Because the clips are small, there’s some concerted effort to heat up and blow out the ice. The metal buckle on the hip belt can be frustrating with thick gloves, but otherwise I have more confidence in not having to deal with a buckle blowout as I’ve been 3 for 3 with different brands on breaking the plastic hip buckle until I got to Raide. The stash pocket for the top strap to carry skis/boards could use a bit more security as the strap tends to sneak out mid-descent, perhaps with a patch of velcro.

The lycra/nylon woven helmet carry could use some modifications to be a bit more secure. I’ve had to make the habit of threading the strap through my helmet to minimize the potential of losing it on the skin track. At least one friend has lost a helmet to this design.The only thing I’ve actually broken is the ice axe carry plastic clip on the back, most likely from interaction with rocks during transitions. It’s something that is easily replaceable though and perhaps not a bad idea to carry an extra clip in your spare parts bag.

Aaron getting ready to drop into Heimes at Loveland Pass – photo: Seth Linden

Given that LF 40L is Raide’s first iteration of an ultralight backcountry pack, it’s pretty solid. I would rate this a 9 out of 10 for functionality. If the top carry strap was a bit more secure and the shovel pocket a bit more practical for reloading, I’d give that extra point. As someone who likes to be prepared with overnight gear, the Raide LF 40L is also my go-to pack for alpine scrambles.

For those interested in a smaller size, check out the Raide LF 30L.

Aaron Rose