NRS Paragon Pack System

purchased for Boundary Waters trip in MN
The pack system did exactly what we wanted it to do. Used it for a large tent and six thermarests, all in a large poly liner, as these items would have taken up way to much space in a duluth pack. Weight was less an issue for us than bulk. It carried more like a duffle with good straps than a high quality internal frame pack, but the latter prices out at $300 or more, so $50 was a great deal.

Used to carry a Blue Plastic Food Barrel
Overall the Paragon Pack harness did as it was advertized. We used the Paragon Harness to carry an approximately 55L blue plastic food barrel on a whitewater wilderness canoe trip in northern Canada. We purchased the Paragon harness because the available barrel harnesses are made for specific barrel sizes and this barrel was slightly different sizes and the Paragon Harness could likely carry any size barrel. The barrel when full at the beginning of the trip was just less than 50 pounds at the beginning of the trip. The harness fit the barrel very well, and did a a decent job of comftably carrying the barrel on rocky portages. My only gripe is that the Fast-tex buckle attached near the top of the harness is only sewn through the fabric and not the flexible frame material inside the padded back panel. This was noted to start pulling seams during our 13 day trip. This seems to be a fatal design flaw and surely carrying 50 pounds is not an unreasonable expectation for the harness. In addtion that same Fast-Tex buckle would slowly slip, which loosened the load, and required a knot being tied in the 2 webbing strap to fully secure the load. These two issues realy should be resolved in this product as this is a very critical component on the Paragon pack and would require a significant "jerry-rig" if the sewn in patch pulled through during a trip

purchased for Boundary Waters trip in MN
The pack system did exactly what we wanted it to do. Used it for a large tent and six thermarests, all in a large poly liner, as these items would have taken up way to much space in a duluth pack. Weight was less an issue for us than bulk. It carried more like a duffle with good straps than a high quality internal frame pack, but the latter prices out at $300 or more, so $50 was a great deal.

Used to carry a Blue Plastic Food Barrel
Overall the Paragon Pack harness did as it was advertized. We used the Paragon Harness to carry an approximately 55L blue plastic food barrel on a whitewater wilderness canoe trip in northern Canada. We purchased the Paragon harness because the available barrel harnesses are made for specific barrel sizes and this barrel was slightly different sizes and the Paragon Harness could likely carry any size barrel. The barrel when full at the beginning of the trip was just less than 50 pounds at the beginning of the trip. The harness fit the barrel very well, and did a a decent job of comftably carrying the barrel on rocky portages. My only gripe is that the Fast-tex buckle attached near the top of the harness is only sewn through the fabric and not the flexible frame material inside the padded back panel. This was noted to start pulling seams during our 13 day trip. This seems to be a fatal design flaw and surely carrying 50 pounds is not an unreasonable expectation for the harness. In addtion that same Fast-Tex buckle would slowly slip, which loosened the load, and required a knot being tied in the 2 webbing strap to fully secure the load. These two issues realy should be resolved in this product as this is a very critical component on the Paragon pack and would require a significant "jerry-rig" if the sewn in patch pulled through during a trip