Meet PJ
Patrick "PJ" Powell is the founder and chief designer of BULBAG USA. He has run it since 2019 and still sells most bags himself, at trade and fan shows across the country, where the bag gets strapped on, loaded and argued over before anyone buys one.
Every design decision comes from wearing the bag: on the hip in the barn, on the chest in the woods, on the leg on a bike. If something on a BULBAG looks unusual, it is because the normal version got in the way. The ten-pocket layout, the magnetic gate and the strap system have all been changed by what customers said at a booth.
You can find him at the shows on the schedule, or call or email and you get PJ, not a call center.
The system
One bag, five ways to carry it
The things you need most should be within reach without taking a pack off, unzipping anything or setting the bag down. That is the whole idea. One bag, one set of straps and HK clips, five ways to wear it: hip, cross-body, chest, leg and side. Zero the strap once and change carries in seconds.
Every bag has the same 10-pocket layout, 510 cubic inches, a magnetic gate that opens one-handed and locks itself shut, and an 11-year warranty. Because ours goes to 11.
Materials
What it is made of
Nothing on a BULBAG is there to look rugged. It is there because the cheap version failed.
1000D nylon, ripstop or waxed canvas
Water-resistant shells with a DWR finish and double PU coating. Pick nylon for no-fuss, ripstop for weight, canvas for the patina.
YKK zippers
The same zippers on every pocket, every bag, since the first run. They do not get swapped for cheaper ones on quiet colors.
Full-grain leather and solid brass
Leather lash tabs and pulls on the Saddleback and Brookshire, with brass snaps and D-rings that age instead of flake.
HK clips and the magnetic gate
Spring-gate HK clips hold the strap in any carry. The magnetic gate opens one-handed and locks itself shut.
BUL BAG
What the name means
Ballistic
1000D ballistic nylon, ripstop or waxed canvas shells that take abrasion, weather and years.
Utility
Ten pockets mapped for tools, phone, sidearm, first aid or feed-store receipts. Your call.
Lightweight
Carries on the hip, chest or leg with no frame and no pack to shrug off.
BAG
One bag. Not a system of pouches you have to buy twice.
Try one on at the next show
Equine Affaire, November 12 to 15, West Springfield, Massachusetts