Raide Research

Engineering first, aesthetics second. Every product solves a specific technical problem for steep skiing. Dyneema construction and ultralight design validated by IFMGA guides in Chamonix. No frills, no compromise on weight.

Kyle Siegel honed his skills at SpaceX before moving to The North Face's Performance Outerwear department. These are two worlds where every gram counts and where the smallest engineering detail can make the difference between success and failure. In 2023, from Carbondale, Colorado, he launched Raide Research. The name is a nod to the French "raide", meaning steep, like the slopes of Chamonix where every prototype is put to the test.

The starting point was simple. The ski touring packs on the market forced a choice: light but stripped-down, or feature-rich but heavy. The LF-40 refuses this compromise. Weighing in at just one kilo for 40 liters (expandable to 55 thanks to the roll-top), it is built from Challenge Ultra 400X, a Dyneema weave fifteen times stronger than steel by weight, naturally waterproof and nearly indestructible against abrasion. Stripped of its aluminum frame, it drops to 900 grams, a figure that sent shockwaves through specialized forums.

The pack is packed with field-born ideas. Back-panel zippered access allows you to dig through the bottom without emptying everything. Side access gives you quick access to your shovel and probe without removing the pack - vital when every second counts after a slide. The Glove Stash, an elastic loop on the shoulder strap, solves the universal ski tourer's problem of where to put gloves during transitions. The removable backplate can even serve as a splint, a seat, or an emergency sled.

Ross Hewitt and Dave Searle, Chamonix-based IFMGA guides, use these packs daily. When your professional playground is Mont Blanc, you don't compromise on gear. Their validation is worth more than any marketing campaign.

The TourTech range extends this approach to clothing. Bibs and hybrid shells designed for high physical activity in the mountains, without the frills of resort wear. No powder skirts here. Every piece answers a specific technical problem, nothing more.

The business model is intentionally direct-to-consumer. Margins usually captured by retailers are reinvested into materials. Dyneema, Kevlar, and constructions that would be financially impossible through traditional distribution channels. Manufacturing takes place in Vietnam, in workshops specializing in technical gear, under Kyle Siegel's direct supervision. A five-year warranty is provided. In the high mountains, it's a promise that carries weight.