Paxis - Swing-Arm Backpack - Get to Your Gear Without Removing Your Pack. For Hiking, Fly Fishing, Photography & Travel

You Had Me at Swing-Around Shuttle PodAs a serious amateur photographer and birdwatcher, the Paxis swing-arm backpack is a game-changer for my outdoor projects and adventures. Let's talk comfort first: it's slightly heavier than my other packs but they really nailed the ergonomic design, and I can have this pack on way longer than any of my other so-called "ergo" packs. And it makes sense because Paxis is, apparently, a small family-run business founded by outdoors people from rural Washington state. The story is they designed it themselves in their home shop. That's pretty awesome. On a recent bird shoot, I had the pack seriously loaded and literally had it on all day. The next day I felt zero discomfort or fatigue. Right there worth the money. But, of course, it's that swing-around pod that got me as soon as I saw the product video. It's magic. Really, almost magical how my binoculars appear right in front of me with a simple, fast motion. Why didn't anyone invent this sooner? It's genius. It says the pod can hold up to 5lbs, but I'm sure I had more in there, including my inhaler. Talk about convenience. Finally, let's talk about looks. I bought the camo. Not only does it look pretty slick, but it also helps me blend into the scenery, which is really nice for birding. My fellow bird nerds were all over it and it felt pretty good, for once, being the pathfinder.

So the summary of my experience with this is that this is a very nicely constructed, innovative backpack that provides a lot of details and I really like the backpack overall but don't feel it will be a pack I will reach for too often. This is a very difficult review for me and sat with it to think things through but while it may not be a pack I reach for I do think it will work for specialized uses where you need to get to specific gear throughout your hike but don't want to take off the pack all the way constantly.So first the quality is very good, from materials to straps and features. Everything feels solid, quality and in that regard you are getting what you pay for with this but you would expect that at ~$245 price point. This thing is not cheap, but it is quality construction and innovative with the pull around swing arm that works quite nicely in truth both pulling out and putting back.The capacity is split so the 30 liters is ~20l in the top half and ~10l in swing around pack. This limits the size of things you can put in there but there are several loops to use to hang or lash down some larger items that may be too long to fit in the pack.Usage, this is where I struggled to find solid cases for me, but I am very specific when I go on outings or trips. The only time I have opted for this pack is when going on a picturesque hike, or one in which I want to test out my travel cameras. so I could get to accessories and items quickly without having to take the pack off. This is likely the most obvious case for most considering this pack. Other than this use case I will not take if for the following with the reason why:- Quick Hikes: I prefer to have a light backpack with some structure, this pack is needlessly heavy for this use case for me and usually not needed quick access to items.- Travel: I prefer to have larger capacity for fit in tablets and other gear for the plane and this is just not practical for that since the capacity is split and the pack cannot accommodate longer items in either chamber. Additionally, I prefer to have Backpacks that can collapse down to fit in a larger capacity pack for all my clothes...rarely check items and take advantage of my two carryon's. This will also take up Then between places I often empty everything into main pack and fold up smaller pack inside the larger one. Not sure how fun it would be to go through airport security with this as carryon given all the metal, but may not be an issue.- Beach Trip: Again, prefer to have larger chambers in a 30l for managing longer items but if I don't have any and can fit item in then maybe. Problem is I am 6'4" so need a pretty large towel and despite having a packable one, it takes up a good portion of the top chamber still. My regular towel take up over half of the upper chamber.All that said, for those with smaller camera's (swing pouch is not going to hold any large cameras and lenses) and their accessories this could be ideal if you are often finding yourself going on short outings for photography, videography, etc.. Another group that may find this useful are those hiking with toddlers or young kids that may need bottles, snacks, etc. often during the outing.Ultimately, I truly like the pack, admire the quality construction and the innovation. It works great for the specific purpose I discussed, so I am rating as such, for that specific purpose and only took one star due to the value to versatility/usefulness for myself. For those hikes, I want to take my action or 360 cams this will be the pack I reach for. I do feel that the $245 price point, at time of this review, will likely be too steep most, but there is a price for innovation...perhaps in future iterations they can find efficiencies without sacrificing function to bring that cost down.

This is a very weighty bag , not good for long distance hiking or travel as there is much main compartment space. It's a good gimmick to impress easily impressed people ..didn't open it in time to do a return, so now I'm stuck with it .

This backpack has a distinctive design. Its capacity is limited, making it unsuitable for extensive camping gear transportation. However, it is ideally sized for day hikes. The material feels somewhat thin, raising concerns about its long-term durability. The lack of small pockets necessitates the use of pouches to organize smaller items.One notable feature of this backpack is the Arc Swing technology, which allows for quick access to the lower section without removing the bag. This is achieved by pulling a switch with the right hand, unlocking the mechanism and swinging the smaller pack forward. This feature is particularly useful for frequently accessed items such as fishing tackle, providing easy access to terminal tackle and soft baits.Ultimately, this bag lacks specialization for a specific hobby but offers versatility for various uses. At its current price point, it is regrettable that the company charges additionally for a rain cover and compartment dividers for the swing-out pack. Furthermore, it would be advantageous if the company either provided the swing-out feature for left-handed individuals or designed a convertible mechanism. Despite these considerations, I believe most users can find utility for this backpack based on their specific requirements.

As a creative individual it’s great to find new products that are both inventive and useful. I purchased the Paxis pack to use as a photography backpack after seeing how the bottom part of it swings to the front. It’s been great for getting to my camera and lenses without having to stop, open a bag, and dig through it to find what I need. The top part of the pack has room for my accessories, extra layers of clothing, and my iPad. I absolutely love this pack and my husband’s friends are hoping they can borrow it for their fly fishing outings!