GEAR REVIEW - RAIDE LF 5L VEST

RAIDE LF 5L VEST

TESTED : 45 KM trail race in the Japanese Alps

ACCOMPANIED GEAR : RAIDE LF 2L BELT

THOUGHTS

For context I have previously ran with two other vests so alot of these comparisons are relative to the experiences with those. The ARC’TERYX norvan 5L and the WISE 5L .

I was attracted to the fact this vest is white - I get hot and black also gets hot so white seemed like a good option - The packaging is elite - the hand feel of the product screams quality and durability. Raide is a small brand in the grand scheme of things and I really appreciate the thought that goes into their products. From material choices and very minimal offerings, they aren’t flooding their customer with things just for the sake of selling them things. I like that.

Having 2 x 600 ml bottles included is nice. That extra 200ml could go a long way. The vest feels very light and there isn’t much room to reinvent the wheel in this category but they did add some thoughtful elements to their design which I can appreciate. From a stretch dyneema and the chest straps that hug the water bottles closer to little silicone dots in the back pocket to minimize your stuff moving around back there.

While this wont be the most technical review I’ll be practical with who it’s for and little features I think they could improve upon for the second edition.

PROS:

Thoughtful design / looks great / it feels durable / not overly branded / comes with a bonus little stuff sack to help keep you organized / 2 x 600 ml bottles with locking caps / super lightweight

CONS:

Maybe I need to work on my shoulder mobility but smooth access to the back pockets is hard ( I feel thats most vests ) / the tensioning system could use little flat tabs rather than a little shoe lace end to help with sweaty fingers / I feel like the built in quiver idea is nice but as soon as the poles were in there I could feel them becoming an issue if I had them in there for an extended period of time / having some sort of structure on the back could eliminate that and allow for easier entry when moving / I used the belt to carry my poles and that worked perfectly.

WHO IT’S FOR:

I feel its for anybody looking for a new vest ( or upgrade ) that Isn’t Salomon and for the seasoned trail runner who’s partner still doesn’t understand how good Dyneema really is. I see a lot of people just buying cheap vests and bottles bouncing around like floppy udders and I just wish they understood that investing in good gear makes your time that much more enjoyable. I measured my chest as they suggested and the vest fit perfectly. Even if you are a social run club vest person this thing looks great and has enough pockets to hold a tripod / selfie stick / gimble and spare battery packs with room for snacks.

All the cons I mentioned are minor and you probably wouldn’t notice them If I didn’t tell you. The only thing I would take over from the WISE vest to this would be the ability to access your bottles from the side. Taking out bottles is fine on this vest but getting them back intuitively could be smoother.  Coming in 76th place ,this precious time at aid stations lost doesn’t really matter but I’ve got to give feedback where I feel its necessary.

OVERALL :

Raide is awesome and will continue to make excellent products that are built to last while minimizing distractions. They are thoughtful and build their gear to help achieve maximum enjoyment while out in nature. Pair this with their proven LF 2L belt and you have the ultimate kit to take you anywhere from 5km to infinity. Thanks to the team for providing these products for review and we look forward to integrating their brand and products into our global community of running enthusiasts.

Thanks for reading - Hope to catch you for a run soon.

Peace - FB