VIDEO: Troy Lee Designs Adventure Transfer Vest - DR Tested

Troy Lee Designs is no stranger to the gear market, but the stylish company has been making a hard push lately into the world of off-road. TLD's latest Adventure gear lineup includes the transfer vest, a product that replaces a traditional hydration pack/tool pack combo and offers a single place to carry all of the necessary tools, spares, snacks, goodies, and water that we off-roaders like to ride with. This is not a new idea; OGIO has been offering a similar setup for years. The TLD unit is bigger, which is both one of the best things and one of the worst things about the vest; there is a ton of room for everything you need, but at the same time the additional carry space prompts a tendency to overload on tools! In an attempt to maintain a proper-sized load, I literally just transferred my everyday tool pack straight into the TLD vest, then inserted a topped off a hydration bladder (not included, unfortunately) and stuffed my riding jacket into the large back pouch. One big benefit of the vest is weight distribution; by carrying some of the load on your front, you get a nice, balanced feel that can only be replicated when wearing a backpack by cinching down the sternum and shoulder straps to crazy-tight. I was pleased by how comfortably the vest rode both with and without a chest protector underneath, and mobility was only ever so slightly hindered. That said, crashing with a large socket stowed over a couple of ribs can inflict serious damage if you don’t have armor on, so I’d advise you to pack—and gear up—accordingly. Check out this video for a few more thoughts on the TLD Transfer Vest.