Paradox Evolution pack frames????

[kickemall]

I think several of those issues have been resolved or have a workaround
- Lid , I much prefer the new Multi Lid, while smaller it is much more aesthetically pleasing. To use the over the top and lid at the same time takes a bit of monkeying around, but the great thing is the multi lid is easy to deploy as a chesty unit so they don't compete for similar function
- Load control on a big bag - We added an attachment on the center of the talon for the OTT strap, which gives a vertical tension to compression and helps keep loads higher. There are also some differences between Evo and Unaweep. The Unaweep the bag goes up as you increase height naturally keeping the load higher. This is probably a benefit for load, but some prefer the ability to keep a bag close to the bottom of the frame like an EVO. It is individual desires here
- Harness , some earlier harnesses this was a common complaint , I think it has mostly been addressed in newer harnesses as very few people have made this comment the last several months
- Hydration , we can do custom ports if desired and retrofit older bags as well. For awhile , we offered it as an option, but less than 3 % of customers purchased it so we do it on a case by case basis. I will admit , I am not a hydo fan, and neither are any of our people involved in pack design. I do carry water sometimes though, or use hydration just to revisit my thoughts. I mostly run a hose out the roll top, its pretty easy when I do have some sort of hydro.
- Thee are ways to close of the bottom of pack bags above the bottle pockets to keep load higher as well.
- Lack of frame sheet , the simplest way is to cut a blue foam pad from walmart to fit in the pack bag or between pack bag and frame. For some , it is an issue for others it is not. We should have a more elegant solution for that soon. It will add a little weight and might bring the weight of some common configurations up to around 4 lbs when using a heavier duty fabric.

Kevin

Very nice! Like I said, Kevin and Nathan are great at customer service and its nice to hear they listen to their customers.

Dave

 

[AXEL]

Thankyou so much, Kevin, I for one REALLY want-need a good frame sheet as I have a twisted spine and fitting me is not simple. I also detest *picky* gear and like packs that one can just dump everything into and hit the trail.

I told Angie, on the phone week before last that the new Unaweep-Exposure was JUST the pack I want-need as I have several DDs and MRs that work well for me, so, I will wait for your new solution for the frame sheet and hope you can offer it soon.

I also GREATLY appreciate you coming here and listening and then working to meet the differing desires of we potential customers, some pack makers seem to act as though they reside on Olympus and none of we users could ever know anything.

 

[hammer0419]

Good to hear more issues and customer suggestions are being addressed. I will keep an eye on theses down the road.

 

[5MilesBack]

I am not a hydo fan, and neither are any of our people involved in pack design.

I'm not even sure I know what that means. Are you saying that you don't usually carry water, or don't hydrate much, or both? That's so foreign to me I don't even know what to say.

I'll go through a gallon and a half of water every day in the mountains. That's the first thing I'm usually thinking about when I look at a pack, is where I'm going to put my 100oz bladder. When I use my Paradox, I put it in the Talon. I've considered just cutting a hole through the top of the Talon so I can slide the bladder in and out and have the tube come out the top because my tube goes over my right shoulder, and the zipper is on the left side of the Talon which is a pain and usually just unzips the Talon eventually.

 

[Kevin_t]

I rarely use a bladder

 

[5MilesBack]

I rarely use a bladder

What do you use?

 

[Kevin_t]

Bottles , sometimes a sawyer squeeze , sometimes a platy bottle , sometimes Gatorade or cheap water bottles. I may have a bladder as a filter system but that is about it

 

[5MilesBack]

I take a 32oz bottle as well, usually to mix up some WA Hydrate & Recover. But if I didn't have the bladder I'd be carrying around 4 or 5 bottles with me which would be a real pain. Not so much an issue if there's lots of water around, but I rarely see lots of water when I need it.

 

[Jared Lampton]

My favorite way to carry my 3L playty was sandwiched between the bag and the talon. Easy to install/remove and secure.

 

[Bighorse]

There's no wrong answer here. Where and when you hunt will dictate your water carry requirments. I will carry when taking an alpine tactical posistion. If I'm low elevation with a known or established camp than I'll have water close at hand and find carry unnecessary. I have additonal clamps and valves on my bag/filter system so that I can attempt to safely put it inside my main bag without leaks. It's not bombproof but has worked well for a couple years. Water in the alpine is a valuable commodity for sure.

 

[chindits]

I used one last year for hunting and scouting. I found the suspension comfortable enough, but I travel pretty light. I found the side pockets primitive and haven't seen a design like that since before the 90s. I cut out the manufactured side pockets and used some 500d cordura to make pockets more similar to modern pockets that are one hand user friendly with the pack on your back. My old Mountain Smith, Gregory, and a frameless Elemental Horizons pack all have much more user friendly side pockets. There also is a carbon fiber torsion type bar at the top of the pack suspension in a sleeve. I found that to creak with movement. This was most noticable with just my hunting gear and trying to lean around a boulder for a shot at buck just below me. I was advised to put paste wax on it in order to eliminate the creak, but that hasn't solved the noise issue. All in all it has been a pretty good pack, but I've made it better with fabricating effective side pockets and adding long sleeves to the side of the pack above the side pockets. I'm not a micro organizer, but there are somethings I like to store on the outside of my pack. I almost never use a bladder anymore except for mnt biking and dirt biking. I don't like carrying a lot of water. I can just use a couple of old gatorade bottles in the side pockets and not have to carry excess water weight. Almost every where in the CO high country you can make it from one water source to your next water source with just 2 quarts, especially if your your base weight is under 30 lbs.

 

[chindits]

I found the original pockets to be low and with a tapered bottom that limited the functionality and storage space at the bottom of the pocket. The cord lock placed in the middle of the pocket was okay for loosening, but tightening the cord lock was not ergonomically intuitive.
See here:

View attachment 24214

I took 500d multicam cordura and made a deeper pocket that I shaped with a half moon bottom mesh material. The loose cord lock I replaced with an elastic cord and grimlock mechanism. I designed the tunnel for the elastic cord to be open at both ends so the elastic cord can be easily replaced if it ever looses its elasticity. The grim lock is attached with an inch of cord. This allows the pocket to be tightened by just pulling on the elastic cord with one hand. The tension on the elastic can be released by just depressing the button on the grim lock. All can be easily accomplished on the go with one hand. See here:

View attachment 24215

Above the side pocket you can see the added sleeve. It is open at both ends, so long items can run along the entire length of the pack. The top and bottom of the sleeves have cinch cords so I can use it for my spotting scope or rain gear and not have to worry about loosing items that might migrate out of the original strap system while I'm riding my dual sport to where I start my scout treks.
View attachment 24216

 

[Kevin_t]

Our original pockets were a static cord center pull mechanism with a pleate. The reason was the pleate can fold essentially flat vs a 3D cut, and the static cordage will always be tight if something of high value is stored in the side pockets. Our "wing bottle" pockets are a 3D / half moon with shock cord anchored to a barrel lock and forward pull mechanism. The shock cord is used through a tunnel and can be replaced if loss of elasticity is ever an issue. Recently on packs, we have adopted the forward pull replaceable shock cord into the pockets but left the pleated cut for fold flat vs 3D cut. In essence we offer both pleated or add on 3D cut now.

 

[Bighorse]

Just wanted to say that the Paradox Evolution withstood a season of hard hunting here in Alaska. From SE to Kodiak Island I put it through the paces. Mt Goat, multiple Sitka Deer, SE Elk, Kodiak Bear, Fly fishing and packrafting. It's a nice functional pack is all I got to say. It's not the only one but I wouldn't hesitate grabbing it for all kinds of load hauling backcountry adventure. Thanks Kevin! Good product.

 

[hammer0419]

I came across this older thread I had started and thought I would give some updates.

I did recently purchase a new Unaweep 4800 and a Revolution with a Perigrine pack. I decided to return Unaweep and go with Revolution as it will be more versatile in the long run and not a whole lot heavier. I will be buying the Fortress 4800 bag and Talon to go on the Revolution frame for long outings. Everything I thought or questioned about these packs. I was completely wrong. By far the most comfortable pack I have ever carried. I don't think k I will ever be looking for a lumbar pad again! Besides comfort. I noticed I did not have to choke myself to get pack tight enough not to slide. The articulation in the frame is simply awesome. The pack bags which I had huge doubt over are the bomb!!! Definitely noisier than cordura but the level of weather proof will be invaluable. I also added two belt pouches and a guide lid on my Perigrine pack. Super happy with my decision.

 

[Akicita]

By far the most comfortable pack I have ever carried. I don't think I will ever be looking for a lumbar pad again! Besides comfort. I noticed I did not have to choke myself to get pack tight enough not to slide. The articulation in the frame is simply awesome.

Couldn't agree with you more!!! I have used a great many packs in my day but few as comfortable as my Seek Outside Unaweep 6300 Fortress. I honestly think you have to try one to believe it. At a glance they look pretty minimalist in padding and comofort but the design and nearly infinite adjustments made a true believer out of me.

I personally put them at a top tier level with any other pack out there in it's size range. My Fortress has proven to be very resilient to weather and hard use while allowing me to go heavier and farther for most outings. I have culled all my other packs down to two and I'm guessing this one is going to be in the gear closet for a long time.

 

[Lockster]

I came across this older thread I had started and thought I would give some updates.

I did recently purchase a new Unaweep 4800 and a Revolution with a Perigrine pack. I decided to return Unaweep and go with Revolution as it will be more versatile in the long run and not a whole lot heavier. I will be buying the Fortress 4800 bag and Talon to go on the Revolution frame for long outings. Everything I thought or questioned about these packs. I was completely wrong. By far the most comfortable pack I have ever carried. I don't think k I will ever be looking for a lumbar pad again! Besides comfort. I noticed I did not have to choke myself to get pack tight enough not to slide. The articulation in the frame is simply awesome. The pack bags which I had huge doubt over are the bomb!!! Definitely noisier than cordura but the level of weather proof will be invaluable. I also added two belt pouches and a guide lid on my Perigrine pack. Super happy with my decision.

Not trying to be contentious, just interested in how you compare it to the hunter frame with aluminium stays?

 

[hammer0419]

Very different. The So belt is 100 times more comfortable. No comparison. But that is for me. Maybe not for someone else?? Every inch of the belt touches my body. No gap to left or right like with a huge lumbar pad. The frame is also more comfortable As it moves/ pivots. I can bend over and easily pick something up with a pack on. I feel no restriction in this pack. Kifaru is truely the Cadillac of packs. Quality through and through. But for me. Every aspect of the So works MUCH better. I honestly believe most think like I used to. "Kifaru end of story"! Plus it is hard when you can't see and try things on. I can't even fathom the amount of money I have spent on return shipping over the years???? Only way to find this very out.

 

[Outdoorsman3830]

I'm going to echo what hammer0419 stated.

Just switched from the Kifaru Hunter frame (aluminum stays) and couldn't be happier. The hip belt, harness, and suspension are super comfortable. It's an extremely simple design that simply works. The best part is that my Unaweep 6300 came in at $500, which is less than my previous Kifaru Bikini/Highcamp and Kifaru Hunter/AMR (plus accessories) came in at.

Do not let the more affordable price tag and unconventional pack design deceive you, it is a premier pack that keeps up with (if not exceeds) Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, Stone Glacier, Exo, and McHale packs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lockster]

Wow, ok, thanks for the honest feedback guys, I guess it will have to factor into my next purchase decision...