Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting The Paradox Pack Thread

Thanks to everyone who has taken advantage of the Labor Day Sale. We've only got a few spots left that we can guarantee by Oct 3rd.

Here's a direct link to the sale page:

Labor Day Sale

Here are a few of the customizations available. Photo quality is not that great as some of these were just ready to ship out.

Side zip access on the 6300


Even in the Multi Cam with the side zip on the 6300 and lid it comes in under 4lbs at 3lbs 14 ounces. Add a base talon and you are barely over 4 lbs for lots of volume and access. Comes complete with zipper garage. One again photo is for example only

PALS on the hipbelt
Several requests for this and here is an example

I want that PALS belt

When are packs shipping? Ordered about a month back I think.

Paradox pack getting bloody:

Hey, bud, what was the weight, overall and how did the pack ride for how long a trip?

+1

Kute beat me to the question.

Congrats, and nice pic.

Kute,

Honestly only about 75-80 pounds in that pack...so not killer but definitely a weight that starts to separate them hiking packs from the hunting packs. The paradox IMO is much better than a lot of the "hunting" packs. Its a great pack for sure as an option for the backpack hunter....won't be swapping up my choice of current pack at this point, but its a great option no doubt.

Hope the rest of the guys trying this pack out start posting pics of the hunting pack in action for sure!

Thanks for posting! Taking mine to CO in a month. Hoping to bloody it then!

For Thanksgiving, we are having some really good specials on pack bags than can save you some coin. Thanksgiving Week Special


Here is Nathan with a 156 Lb load in a Paradox


We have also been working with another pack bag material that will save some weight. It's made from a 210 D and is a rolltop design. This combination brings suspension and pack bag to about 3 lbs give or take an ounce.

I thought I should post this here as well. It was my write up on the Paradox from my 11-12-13 bull post:

I wasn't sure how much weight was in the pack. I knew it was heavier than the day before but it wasn't until I got down that I realized it was 96 lbs. My comments to Kevin on how the pack carried are below:

> My first thought to write you on how the Paradox was with 96 lbs: it sucked....... but it sucked a lot less than most packs with 96 lbs smile
> Overall I liked it a lot.

> <The hip belt is excellent. Stays put and doesn't slide down.

> < Very stable with a big load even on steep loose sidehills

> < Compression system is well though out and overall excellent. Placement of straps is just where you need them

> < The orange Base Talon is perfect for a small amount of gear and works great as a compression panel

> < The frame, after several tweaking sessions fits me very well

> < Shoulder suspension is one area in need of improvement. No matter how I adjusted I had too much pressure on the fronts of my shoulders. I think this is mainly the effect of the suspension
being too narrow to distribute the load. The suspension that comes with the new production packs might have this issue solved.

> < The addition of a Pals waist belt would make this pretty close to an ideal pack. It carries great with small loads yet the frame and suspension will handle a lot more than me

> One change I would suggest is to replace the wing nut attachments with a nylock nut. I put some Loctite on the wing nuts as It would suck to loose one

As I said, overall. I am very impressed with the pack which is an early prototype. I look forward to trying the new lighter frame as well as the wider shoulder suspension with better EVA foam. I also think the new production hip belt with Pals webbing looks great and I look forward to trying this as well.

When Kevin asked my about testing the Paradox, I said sure, I'd like to try it out, but that I wasn't in the market for a new pack. After a lot of days in the field with a prototype Paradox, I have to say that I think I will be carrying one of these for a lot more miles in the future.

I really like my modified Epic, but know it wouldn't have carried the close to 100 lbs as well, it at all. I also worry about how many, 60+ pound loads the Epic has in it. I have no such worries with the Paradox.

Paradox Final Thoughts-
----------------------

Having had the opportunity to spend most of November with a pre-production test Paradox 6300 w/ Day Talon, I thought I'd share my thoughts and impressions of the pack. We hunt a lot of big game from August to the end of November, or, depending on the year, until the end of December. Mainly out of a backpack, but often horses are a part of the mix. This November, many weekends got stretched long, multiple day hunts, 4 days out on elk opener and a 5 day + horse pack trip near the end of this year. So, while I didn't keep a log of exact time under the pack, it was more than a day or two�

First Impressions-
--------------------

Honestly, unpacking and examining the pack, I was skeptical. I'm a longtime Arcteryx and Mystery Ranch user, so this light, little pack didn't seem very confidence inspiring. Very minimalist and very, very light� ( I know, you're all thinking, "Well, anything'll seem light to a MR user!" )

Though Kevin, from Paradox, did stress that this was a pre-production example, quality seemed good. Tight, straight stitching. Flat, wrinkle free seams. No fraying, loose fabric.

I have had trouble in the past with getting a good pack fit, but even for me, the pack adjusted easily for fitting. The suspension is very different from any packs I've used or been around, but it seemed to work. I'm 5' 9", 185-190 with a 30" waist and long torso for my height. That scrawny waist, combined with most of my weight being in the legs and shoulders makes for a tough fit sometimes� Ideally, the belt on this example could've been a little smaller, but the design works so well that it was less of a problem than some other packs I've owned with a slightly large belt. VERY functional load lifters definitely help!

I tried it with 50ish pounds right away on stairs. Hhhmmm� In spite of the super stiff frame, very comfortable�

In Use-
---------

The pack mainly saw use hauling gear/camp in 6-10 kilometres for a spike camp, and then converted for use as a day pack. It saw day use as the complete pack only, though it's a nice option to have, the Day Talon was never used as a stand alone. Loads in the 45-55 pound were the norm. I did pack one, bone-in ( don't ask ) elk quarter with it, for around 6 klicks. The design is very user/role flexible. For example, one of our trips was with horses. For a couple of rides I just pulled the Talon, with my personal gear/emergency gear/tags, off and threw it into my saddle bags. Very handy. Most days we rode, at or before first light, from a large tipi spike camp to high country and ridges above. At the limits of horse country, we'd tie our mounts and hunt the high ridges all day. Those days, I rode with the full frame pack, it handles saddles pretty well, depending on the saddle, some better than others. This saddle capability is a plus and often a consideration, for us anyways...

Overall Impressions-
------------------------

It's been years since I've used a external, and even though the Paradox is kind've a hybrid-improved external, I'd forgotten how well they work. This pack plain old hauls... Very, very well. The frame and suspension is very stiff and comfortable under heavier loads. A few buddies tried the pack briefly. Very experienced backpackers and hunters, with tons of time under various packs, including Kifaru, Arcteryx, Mystery Ranch, Gregory, Lowe Alpine, etc., and they too were pleasantly surprised with the pack's comfort under load.

The XPAC is louder than Cordura. Not so much in wearing and carrying it, as Cordura is loud on branches and twigs anyways, but when loading or unloading. Especially in the cold, it's more 'crinkly'... Not a deal breaker for me, ( I shot my elk this year part way through loading up the pack after a lunch stop... ) but maybe for some guys and how they hunt? Personally, the waterproof claims of the fabric aren't a big plus for me, but again, maybe for some guys and where they hunt? It seems like it should be a pretty durable fabric.

The pack is a very minimalist design and has to be packed accordingly. There is no stay sheet to separate the pack bag from your back, so it must be packed with more care than the internals most of us are used to. After one reminder Via a MSR IsoPro can in my back, this was an easy adjustment for me...

Final Thoughts & Disclaimer-
---------------------------------

Overall, I'm very impressed by this pack. A very light, versatile and capable offering. It is worthy of consideration by anyone shopping for a new, light weight hunting pack.

I've yet to decide if I'll leave behind my trusty MR Grizzly or Bora80 for one. I'm actually planning on a few winter trips with my Grizz to re-familiarize myself with it and then decide. It would be a easy way to cut 5 pounds tho...

And finally, the 'Disclaimer':

I'm a nobody. Not sponsored by, affiliated with, or pro staff for anyone. Just some guy that loves, lives, works and plays in the the outdoors and backcountry. I know, and have gotten friendly over the years, with Kevin and Angie of SO merely as a satisfied paying customer. Angie sees many of my hunting/backpacking pictures thru other social media and so, I think, offered me a chance to try their pack out. I appreciate the opportunity and, as a 'many time unsuccessfully reformed gear-nut', have enjoyed trying this new pack out. Thanks & well done, Paradox!

Great write up Wrongside!

Need to do a write up of the Paradox during my Colorado pack hunt. I was MOST impressed with the Talon's ability to compress the load to my back and not allow a load of meat to "bowling ball" to the bottom of the pack. That, with the load lifter extensions was huge.

Thanks again for the write up.

Thanks for the write up. Sounds like it works fine for day pack use then transitions to haul out an elk & then camp. I have been looking for a lighter pack.

Honestly, I think that ability to transition from heavy hauler role, to 'daypack with heavy hauling capabilities' and so on, while not be a 'poorly comprised' backpack, is one of the Paradox's strengths. It's lighter than many 'pure' day packs, not overly bulky when compressed, and yet has the suspension and stiff frame to really handle weight. They really did their homework on this one!

I guess it's my turn....

I've had a tester here since early September. Unfortunately, we had a project at work go horribly wrong, and I got stuck working. My vacation in the middle of September, I was flat on my ass sick with pneumonia. I spent the last 4 days of that vacation bowhunting rutting antelope in eastern MT. (it didn't totally suck)

I played with the pack quite a bit, and took it for several walks around the neighborhood after work. Right away, I loved the bag on this thing (I think I've got the 7000" monster in Xpack, with a Talon Day) I've never been a fan of packs that require excessive accesorization to get the cubes needed. Nor have I been a fan of bags with zippers into the main compartment, or sleeping bag access points (I've never needed a sleeping bag in a hurry) The fact that it's waterproof could be a huge advantage for me. Springtime in NW Montana is wet and rainy. I love the fact that the bag is big, and bombproof. Also, after taking Kevin and Wes (Big W) advice, I just threw a bunch of [bleep] in there loose and let the compression system do it's job. I'm starting to like that approach, it saves time, and distributes a load better than my current "[bleep] with everything and compress it all in Sea to Summit dry sacks, then stuff those in a pack and compress the whole over engineered pile of [bleep]" method. The layout of the bag works well with KevinT system. It's big inch, but taller and wider, with about a 7" thickness. It's layout just lends itself to good compression on loose loads.

The compression on the Day Talon is the best I've seen on a pack, and it's simple. Two things really impress me here... One, I'm a bowhunter. This thing packs a 60" recurve with a bowquiver on it like it was engineered too. It also packs the Bowtech Assassin I have here with equal ability. Also, us stickburners are going to love the long pocket the Day Talon has. I can pack an EdT cylinder stove in it and not worry about the compression of the pack turning it into something that would look like what Millbillies do to beer cans when they're done with them.

The belt.... Holy [bleep]. That thing just works, and it's comfortable as hell. Even buddies I let try the pack on all make a point to comment on it. It really is the best I've ever encountered. You can put 100 Lbs of sand in this pack and do jumping jacks and it won't slip (yes, I did...)

My only bitch about the pack was the harness. No matter what I did, it bit me pretty good up front. Even with loads of 50 Lbs, it wasn't fun for me. Kevin got me Version 3.0 harness a couple weeks ago, and I got to take the pack for a lap around the Ghetto today.... It's 100% better with the newest harness. Not quite perfect, but given the rest of the packs attributes, it's liveable. I haven't tested the new harness with a load under 50 Lbs. My 3-4 day trips almost never go over 40 anymore, and an overnighter seldom over 35. I'm betting if I had 100 Lbs of meat and horns in it, I wouldn't give a [bleep] about the harness

It's a damn good pack, and I know it's going to get better. I have no affiliation with Seek Outside or Paradox Packworks other than the fact that I've gotten to know Kevin and Angie over the years as both a customer and BHA member.

Great report Dan....wish I could have held on to a tester as long as you got to....but alas they didn't let me run it through the passes as much as I would have liked and wanted it back after hearing my feedback

Luke,

The funny thing is, now that I got a handle on it, and would like to use it... It's sub-zero, seasons over, and they want it back.


Maybe next year.

HAHA bummer man....I hear ya, but atleast you got like 3 months with it....I barely got 3 weeks.

Angie likes guys with beards better