The Story
I started working in the oilfield in 2006 for a multinational company known for blue coveralls and weird name.
In South Louisiana, offshore was the name of the game, and our gear was put to the test.
I'd pull my bags out of the truck and throw them down in shell parking lots, pick them up and throw them on the back of a crew boat where they would get beat by rain and seawater, get picked up in a basket and lifted onto a drilling rig or platform and throw them directly onto the grating. Regular bags didn't last long. They frayed, straps broke, and your gear got all wet.
But the heavy-duty vinyl ones held up.
The Problem
Offshore bags, PPE, and other gear wasn't built to last or withstand the elements.
You just replaced things as they quickly wore out.
The Solution
Years later, the oilfield moved me to Houston, and I was searching for a side hustle.
I remembered this little shop - the one that was making the heavy-duty vinyl bags that actually held up. I had gotten my first hunting bag from them. Then, my first oilfield bag.
Realizing nothing like that existed in Texas, I started Bad Ass Work Gear to make the toughest gear available. We started with the original Bad Ass Work Bag.
We've grown and shrunk as the oilfield goes through it's crazy cycles. We do well when the oilfield does well, and keep the ship lean so we can sail through the rough water. The oilfield is always feast or famine!
Still - our gear has built a name in this industry. All through word of mouth. People like you who have tried our gear and swear by it.
You Think Your Gear is Tough?
Yes, we use premium materials.
- Heavy-duty 18 oz vinyl
- Premium YKK zippers
- Webbing so strong it can almost act like a tow strap.
Yes, the gear is tough. But it is the ladies behind it that make us truly special.
You see, they care. About every square inch. Every stitch.
And they are tough. These aren't just any old seamstresses. These are swamp hardened, oilfield wives, who've travelled through the swamps through blankets of mosquitos, keeping the alligators at bay with a knock of their paddles.
Think they are afraid of needles? No, way. They eat them for breakfast.
And as tough as they are, they are still some of the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet.