First Look: Raide Research’s New LF30 Ski Touring Pack

Powder aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Last season, we (and the rest of the industry, it seems) were pretty obsessed with a new ski touring backpack: Raide Research’s LF40 . Kyle Siegel, the man behind Raide, was on a personal quest to create a better backpack for modern ski touring, and knocked it out of the park with his initial offering. Siegel, and avid ski mountaineer and backcountry freeride skier, spent a few seasons researching some of the other popular pack options out there, and developed a design that incorporated his learnings. This year, Raide returns with an updated LF40 and a new, smaller, LF30 pack. Both packs will be available with or without the new Safeback SBX unit–a breathing system for avalanche burials.

I just received the new Raide Research LF30 pack in for long-term testing. Obviously, I haven’t had a chance to get out into the mountains with it, but have had a chance to mess around with it at home in the Tetons while I patiently wait for the snow to fall.

Specs:

• Volume: 30 liters
• Weight: 1075g (measured) or 1690g (with Safeback SBX unit - stated)
• Available Colors: Black or White
• Material: Challenge Ultra 400x
• Frame Size: S, M, L

On the surface, the new Raide LF 30 pack looks quite similar to the existing LF40–albeit significantly more compact in its 30-liter volume, and with some new pockets and an updated back panel. The general construction and shape remain the same, which is a good thing. Siegel uses Challenge Ultra 400x material, similar to Dyneema, and an excellent choice for a lightweight but durable ski pack.

The Raide LF30 is still very much a pack tailored towards the ski guide or “freemo” crowd who like to go fast and light into technical terrain, but would work really well for everyday powder ski touring, especially in places like the Tetons, San Juans, or Europe, where you can for the most part get away with carrying smaller day packs.

The LF30 isn't quite as ultralight and minimalist like the Samaya Ultra 35 , which foregoes most features in the name of creating a truly ultralight pack for ski mountaineering. The Samaya pack weighs in around 800 grams, and can be stripped down to a paltry 490 grams, but isn't the most functional for skiing. That's where the Raide LF30 and LF40 has it beat by a mile.

Related: Review: Samaya Ultra 35 Pack

I’m able to fit a full ski touring kit including skins, avalanche rescue equipment, my rescue sled setup and first aid kit, a 30m rope and harness, crampons, a snack bag, 1L of water in soft flask, and a few extra layers and inside the pack with some room to spare. Two ice axes and my helmet fit on the outside. The LF30 definitely isn’t the pack to bring on a hut trip or overnight mission, but for day trips it’s perfect.

Some neat features include a novel avalanche safety tool pocket that’s accessible from both the bottom of the pack and inside the main pocket. With some practiced movement, it is possible to remove your shovel and probe from your pack without ever taking it off. That’s not only helpful in a burial scenario where it's definitely advantageous to keep your pack on whenever you can, but also during early season or when you need quick access to your probe to check snow depths for finding a weak layer in the snowpack, or mid-winter when probing for a cornice or crevasse.

Another great feature is the external “wet” pocket, for stashing wet skins on the way down. It's easily accessible, and has a full layer of waterproof material between it and the main internal pocket.

Related: Review: Raide LF 40 Pack

As before, the main compartment is accessible from both the roll top closure and the fully zippered and padded back panel. The back panel contains a small mesh pocket that’s a great place to stash some snacks, a multitool, or your snow study notebook. There’s a small pass-through for a hydration bladder or radio cord at the top center. The frame of the back panel and some of the external straps are removable if you want to lighten up the pack even further.

The hip belt features a stretchy, zippered pocket on both sides, but does not contain much padding, nor do the shoulder straps. A 30L pack shouldn’t really ever get so heavy that you need additional padding, so that’s ok in my book.

The LF30 is also available with Safeback's new SBX avalanche survival unit built-in. The Safeback SBX is a system designed to pump breathable air towards the wearer's airway, much like the Avalung was supposed to do back in the day. It works with an electronic fan and tubes built into the shoulder straps to deliver air to a burial victim. I'm still pretty skeptical about how well this system would work, and sure as hell never want to actually test it's effectiveness in a burial, but Cy Whitling wrote a few words about testing the system in a different pack .

I’m excited to get out very soon and see how the functionality of the new Raide Research LF30 translates on snow.

The Raide LF30 Pack is available now.