An Inside Look at the Caribou Gear Bullet Wallets

Over the past couple of hunting seasons, we’ve enjoyed seeing customer photos and receiving feedback on the Caribou Gear Bullet Wallets. It’s great to see our customers putting them to the test out in the field.

If you’re not already familiar with our Bullet Wallets, here’s a quick overview – in this blog post, we’ll explain why we designed a new bullet wallet. We’ll provide a breakdown on the materials and the design concept. We offer the Caribou Gear Bullet Wallets in three different configurations to help meet the needs of hunters in a variety of situations…

Photo courtesy of Mike Hill, @hillsandhighwater

WHY WE CREATED THE BULLET WALLETS:

Every Caribou Gear product was developed to address specific needs in the field. It all started with our flagship game bags. Caribou Gear founder Ted Ramirez spent nearly a decade researching, testing and perfecting the game bags. Driven by the demands of his DIY hunting adventures in Alaska, Ted needed game bags that were lightweight, packable, durable, and able to keep meat in prime condition on long float trips of two weeks or more. The result: the only game bags to receive a patent in the U.S. and Canada.

The same is true of our other Caribou Gear products, including the much more recent bullet wallets. We were simply looking for a better way to carry bullets in the field. There wasn’t an available option that met our needs. So, we set out to design a bullet-carry system that would live up to Caribou Gear standards. 

THE MATERIALS AND DESIGN:

There were a number of things that we specifically wanted to see in a bullet pouch. First, bullets are heavy enough on their own. So it had to be very lightweight. On the other side of that coin, it had to be extremely durable to endure backcountry environments and all-season hunting conditions. 

To address that tension between weight and durability, we turned to Cordura ballistic fabric. We knew that a wallet-style bullet holder made with Cordura had the potential to be very lightweight, yet tough-as-nails. But we still had to find the right design.

Ballistic Cordura is a stiff fabric – great when you’re talking about durability. But the design concept is essential so that it’s easy to open and close and to keep the profile of the wallet as slim as possible without any bulging when it’s folded up.

Taking this concept a step further, we wanted to make sure that the wallet folded in a way that would protect soft-tipped and polymer tipped bullets. And last but not least, we found that we needed different configurations for different hunting situations. The bullet wallet we’d take on a trip to Alaska is different than the one we’d use here in Colorado. 

After a series of prototypes and testing, we found a folding, wallet-style design that met each of these requirements. While the wallet itself is extremely tough, it folds neatly into a slim profile that is easy to wear on a belt or slide into a backpack pocket. It successfully protects those soft-tipped bullets. And we landed on three unique designs to help meet the needs of different hunting situations…

Photo courtesy of Mike Hill, @hillsandhighwater

THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS:

Whether you’re hunting in grizzly bear country, on an extended backpacking mission or just out for the day with your rifle, we designed three unique versions of the Caribou Gear Bullet Wallets to meet the needs of any adventure:

1. Bullet Wallet With Five Rifle Rounds & ID Pocket

The most lightweight option in the Bullet Wallet lineup carries five rifle rounds and has a convenient pocket to carry an ID and hunting license. This is a perfect option for those day trips into the field. Wear it on your belt or slip it into your backpack’s hip belt pocket for quick access.

This can also be used in conjunction with the higher capacity wallet on longer backcountry hunts. Keep this five-round wallet on hand to quickly reload your magazine. Then keep the ten-round wallet in your backpack. Always carry enough ammo on a backcountry hunt so that you can check/re-sight your rifle in case your scope gets bumped. 

2. Bullet Wallet With Ten Rifle Rounds

The next Bullet Wallet holds ten rifle rounds. This allows you to safely and securely carry 10 shells of up to 300 Weatherby Magnum. Two rows of rifle shells will fold into a slim design with no bulging. When folded, it will protect those polymer-tipped bullets.

This ten-round configuration is perfect for those longer backcountry hunts or anytime you need more ammo on hand.

3. Bullet Wallet With Five Rifle and Ten Handgun Rounds

Finally, we designed a Bullet Wallet specifically for those hunts in grizzly country, which holds five rifle rounds and ten handgun rounds. The rifle slots easily accommodate shells up to 300 Weatherby Magnum. When Ted loads these for his trips to Alaska, he’ll carry five .454 Casull rounds for bear protection, five bird shot rounds for grouse, plus his five rifle rounds.

Here’s a close-up look at the Caribou Gear Bullet Wallets:

LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP 

If you have questions or if you need help ordering, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

As always, we’d love to hear your feedback and ideas. Be sure to tag us in your adventure photos on Instagram at @caribougear! We always love to see how gear is performing in the field.