Disclaimer: as an ambassador for Seek Outside I got this pack for free.
A few months ago I was chatting with Seek Outside/Paradox Pack’s Kevin Timm about, among other things, becoming an ambassador and working with them on product development. Kevin mentioned that they were thinking about making a pack which would integrate the Paradox Evo frame into a pack bag, at which point I had to wander over to the kitchen and hit myself in the forehead with a skillet, so obvious was the idea. The frame plus bag plus compression panel concept which is so in vogue in the hunting world at the moment is without question the utmost in versatility, it adds weight and complexity in the service of function very few people will probably ever need. And with obsessive desire to have the cleanest pack possible, the idea of a more streamlined Paradox was even more appealing. Kevin and I threw a few ideas around, and look what showed up in the mail this afternoon.
This is the 3900 size Paradox Unaweep, done entirely in VX-42 because I like to break things. The frame threads through the webbing loops low in each side seam, behind the padded bit in the middle, and into the hypalon slots near the top.
Harness adjustment occurs just like on the regular Paradox; 1″ webbing from the harness goes done through a metal loop buckled (hidden behind the padding) and then up to buckles near the load lifters. Torso length adjustment is as easy as it gets.
The frame is the same as on the regular Paradox, though a lightweight (thinner wall) version is available. The upper encasement is not adjustable, and the Unaweep comes standard with a 26″ tall frame. For me (21″ torso) this is an ideal balance; tall enough for shoulder lift under bone crunching load, and short enough to not hang up on crap or feel odd when the pack is lightly loaded.
The hipbelt and harness are bomber.
The bag has a circumference of 36 inches throughout, and a height of 38 inches when completely unrolled. The bag, with all the encasement stuff and side and bottom compression straps, weighs 22 ounces. Add the harness, belt, and frame, and the pack as shown here is 46 ounces. Take away 2 ounces for the heavy plastic ITW cobra buckle I’ve got on the hipbelt, and from the factory the Unaweep would be 44 ounces as shown here. Remarkable, if I may say so, for so burly a fabric, so much volume, and a suspension system which will carry anything you can lift.
Shown here is the VX-22 base talon I used with the Paradox Evolution. Not shown is a 3/4″ buckle sewn into the center of the front of the bag, which works with the two buckles right above the load lifters to provide a y-strap over the top for tying down additional stuff.
It’s a big 3900 cubic inches.
The Paradox frame is 14 inches wide at the base, narrowing to about 8 at the top. The back panel follows this taper, while the front panel remains the same width, and the side panels get wider towards the top. The result is that the bag is wide and narrow at the bottom, and gets deeper and more cylindrical as the shoulder and above. The way this bag shape tends to distribute weight is awesome. Overall, I could not be more excited about this pack. It’s a hair smaller than the similar bag I built for my Grand Canyon trip back in March, but in a fabric and with a slightly altered feature set which makes it more suitable for year-round use up here in Montana.
Let the fun begin.
Bedrock & Paradox 
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