TLDR
A modern small backpack that is perfect for everyday use.
- Teardrop-shaped main compartment
- Padded back panel with an interior padded sleeve suitable for an iPad
- 3D front pocket with three vertical sections
- Gently contoured and padded shoulder straps
- Simple webbing grab handle at the top
For a larger version, check out the Paramour.
Full Description
3D Front Pocket
This pocket is a full 3D pocket, having on its own a volume of about 2.7 liters / 165 cu.in. It’s divided vertically into three sections: if you fully unzip the top of this pocket you’ll be peering down into all three of the sections, but if you you only want access to one of the sections then you can simply move the two zipper sliders around in such a way as to only expose that section (much easier to do than to describe!)
Contour Backpack Straps
Our new Contour Backpack Straps were designed to be an upgrade from basic webbing straps. They have minimal foam padding to bump up the comfort factor, while remaining light and proportional to smaller or lightweight packs.
Tom developed the shape and fit of the Contour straps over several months, asking for feedback from friends and crew of all heights and sizes — many different refinements were made to the shape and fit. The result? While no backpack strap design is likely to work for everyone, it’s surprising to all of us how many of us love these straps in particular — folks ranging from 5’0” to 6’0” find them comfortable and well-fitted.
Smooth Back Panel
The back panel of the Paradigm is always smooth 525d ballistic nylon in Black, no matter the main exterior fabric or color.
Padded Device Pocket
The Paradigm's padded compartment offers just-right padding without adding bulk or weight. Don't plan to carry a device? Know that most of the padding and construction of the compartment would be there regardless to offer comfort to your back and structure for the bag itself.
The Paradigm will fit devices up to the size of the 11" iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (but notably not the S7+).
Grab Handle
We added a simple webbing grab handle to the top of the Paradigm. It'll come in handy if you'd like to hang the pack on a coat hook, grab and hoist it up onto a table, or carry it briefly by the grab handle itself.
What's Included
We include the following accessories to give you a good amount of options for your new bag right out of the gate.
One 8-inch Black Webbing Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
A Key Strap is a strip of webbing with plastic snaphooks on the end. The 8” Key Strap in Black that’s included in most of our larger bags is, for many, the gateway to a world of organization via Key Straps and Organizer Pouches. All the members of the Key Strap family are intended to make locating things in your bag easier and more instinctive. Pulling out a small item or pouch tethered to a strap is easier than rooting around aimlessly in the depths of your pack; you can also rest assured that anything hooked to a strap is much less likely to fall out or otherwise be left behind. You can find more Key Strap colors and varieties on the Key Strap page.
A Set of Black Zipper Pulls
Some folks prefer metal zipper pulls. Others prefer cord pulls. So, what to do about that? We think the best solution (in most cases) is to offer metal pulls and include a starter pack of Cord Pulls with most bags.
An adjustable and removable sternum and waist straps with leave-no-trace hardware: if you don't like or don't use your sternum strap, remove it and leave (almost) nothing behind.
This pocket is a full 3D pocket, having on its own a volume of about 2.7 liters / 165 cu.in. It’s divided vertically into three sections: if you fully unzip the top of this pocket you’ll be peering down into all three of the sections, but if you you only want access to one of the sections then you can simply move the two zipper sliders around in such a way as to only expose that section (much easier to do than to describe!)
Our new Contour Backpack Straps were designed to be an upgrade from basic webbing straps. They have minimal foam padding to bump up the comfort factor, while remaining light and proportional to smaller or lightweight packs.
Tom developed the shape and fit of the Contour straps over several months, asking for feedback from friends and crew of all heights and sizes — many different refinements were made to the shape and fit. The result? While no backpack strap design is likely to work for everyone, it’s surprising to all of us how many of us love these straps in particular — folks ranging from 5’0” to 6’0” find them comfortable and well-fitted.
The back panel of the Paradigm is always smooth 525d ballistic nylon in Black, no matter the main exterior fabric or color.
The Paradigm's padded compartment offers just-right padding without adding bulk or weight. Don't plan to carry a device? Know that most of the padding and construction of the compartment would be there regardless to offer comfort to your back and structure for the bag itself.
The Paradigm will fit devices up to the size of the 11" iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 (but notably not the S7+).
We added a simple webbing grab handle to the top of the Paradigm. It'll come in handy if you'd like to hang the pack on a coat hook, grab and hoist it up onto a table, or carry it briefly by the grab handle itself.
We include the following accessories to give you a good amount of options for your new bag right out of the gate.
One 8-inch Black Webbing Snaphook/Snaphook Key Strap
A Key Strap is a strip of webbing with plastic snaphooks on the end. The 8” Key Strap in Black that’s included in most of our larger bags is, for many, the gateway to a world of organization via Key Straps and Organizer Pouches. All the members of the Key Strap family are intended to make locating things in your bag easier and more instinctive. Pulling out a small item or pouch tethered to a strap is easier than rooting around aimlessly in the depths of your pack; you can also rest assured that anything hooked to a strap is much less likely to fall out or otherwise be left behind. You can find more Key Strap colors and varieties on the Key Strap page.
A Set of Black Zipper Pulls
Some folks prefer metal zipper pulls. Others prefer cord pulls. So, what to do about that? We think the best solution (in most cases) is to offer metal pulls and include a starter pack of Cord Pulls with most bags.
An adjustable and removable sternum and waist straps with leave-no-trace hardware: if you don't like or don't use your sternum strap, remove it and leave (almost) nothing behind.
Still Have Questions?
- emailus@tombihn.com
- Call 1-800-729-9607
- Ask in our Forums
Materials
Exterior
bluesign® certified High-Tenacity 630 denier Ballistic nylon
Interior
bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® certified 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop
— or —
bluesign® certified 210 denier Cerylon 6,6 Ripstop nylon
Zippers
2x #8 YKK Raquet-Coil Water-Repellent Zipper
Back
bluesign® certified Black 210 denier High-Tenacity 2x2 nylon exterior
Closed-cell foam
Straps
Contour 1/8" / 3mm shoulder straps (#4 Closed Cell Foam)
Components
Duraflex®, Nexus, and Woojin buckles and related components
Specs
Dimensions
9.8" (w) x 12.8" (h) x 7.7" (d) / 250 (w) x 325 (h) x 195 (d) mm
Weight
18 oz / 511 grams
Volume
9 liters / 575 cu. in. (ASTM Standard Measure)
Device Pocket
Maximum: 11" x 7.2" x .7" / 280 x 180 x 17 mm
Total O-Rings
4
(2 in the main compartment
2 in the front pocket)
- Fahad R.Verified BuyerBought For OtherProduct Standouts Comfortable, Compact, Thoughtful Design, Durable2 days agoBought For OtherProduct Standouts Comfortable, Compact, Thoughtful Design, DurableRated 5 out of 5 starswifey loves it
my wife loves the size and i personally think the front pocket’s dividers are pretty awesome.
Was this helpful? - Fiona V.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Unique4 days agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, UniqueRated 4 out of 5 starsLove it except for the straps
I bought this to use as a "day out" bag for theme parks and sightseeing. I love the size and layout. The front pocket holds all the things I would carry in a small purse on a typical day, and the main compartment holds the extras I would want for a full day outside like a water bottle, umbrella, foldable hat, and sunscreen. Construction is TB's usual high quality. My only complaint is the straps because they do not lie flat on my shoulders. I think it's a combination of them being fairly wide, not very contoured, and not very cushioned or flexible. The inside edge sits on my shoulders and the outside edge floats. This makes it a little less comfortable since the weight is not evenly distributed across the full width of the strap. I think this bag would be perfect if it had the straps of the Luminary. Because the Luminary's straps are a bit narrower and more contoured they fit me perfectly (and seem like they would fit almost everybody well, not just me), and their cushioning makes them perfectly comfortable despite being narrower. I still like using my Paradigm because I love the layout, but I wish I could have the best of both world.
Was this helpful? - Kristi T.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Compact, Thoughtful Design1 week agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, Sewn in USA, Compact, Thoughtful DesignRated 5 out of 5 starsComfortable and practical.
I bought the paradigm to use as park bag during trips to Disney World. I was waiting and hoping that a lighter color might become available. I ended up ordering a black/kiwi version because kiwi is a bright and happy color and the black is practical. I also figured that any color backpack would most likely be hot to carry in the Florida heat. I have not used it at Disney yet, but I did carry it at several local events and it was very comfortable, balanced and held a lot. I carried a medium sized umbrella, a light hoodie, my 16 oz Nalgene bottle, a wallet, phone and a hard sunglass case. It also holds my iPad in the tech pocket. The sternum strap was unexpectedly helpful. I didn’t think a tiny backpack needed one, but it made paradigm exceptionally comfortable to carry.
Was this helpful? - Melinda T.Verified BuyerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings, Durable2 weeks agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts Thoughtful Design, Comfortable, High Quality Craftsmanship, High Quality Finishings, DurableRated 5 out of 5 starsThe best size
This amazing pack is the best size for an EDC as it holds all I need for the day without any bulk.
Was this helpful? - S.Verified ReviewerBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Durable, Versatile1 month agoBought For MyselfProduct Standouts High Quality Craftsmanship, Good Storage Size, Durable, VersatileRated 4 out of 5 starsHave been looking for my perfect mini/small backpack..this is almost it!
I have been looking for the perfect mini/small backpack for a while now and bought a used Paradigm last year. I love the bag, it has gone with me to work, for my travels, even to university for a while as I wanted as minimal a bag as possible. The front pocket is handy with the divisions. The main compartment itself is very spacious. What I feel would make this bag perfect for myself would be an inner liner pocket, like that seen in the now retired Zeitgeist, and an adjustment to the straps. Like someone else mentioned, I do swing the bag on one shoulder often to reach items, or when I am in a rush. The bag does slide off the shoulder and down the arm in these cases.
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Sewn in Seattle
Our bags are designed and sewn right here in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
That allows us to be control freaks in the best way possible; we have direct control and oversight of the quality of our materials, our products, and the jobs and working environment that we help create. It also offers us a unique spontaneity: when we have an idea for a new product or accessory, we can design it, figure out how to build it, add it to our website and be ready to ship it out our front door all within just a few weeks. How cool is that?
Intrigued? You can find out more about the unusual way we do business on our Company Philosophy page.
THE BIHN Guarantee
Everything you buy from us here at TOM BIHN is satisfaction guaranteed. We’ve been in business since 1972 and we stand behind what we make.
If something goes wrong and it's our fault, we'll fix it for free. Repairs due to normal wear and tear or due to other things that are not our fault will be performed, when possible, at a reasonable charge right here in our Seattle factory where your bag was made. Defects in materials or workmanship are uncommon and almost always evident while the product is still new. Keep in mind that bags and packs are often subject to extreme wear in everyday use: do not expect them to last forever. Only true love lasts forever! You can expect a TOM BIHN product to give years and years of hard service.