Datsusara’s MMA BP-1 Review

Chris over at Datsusara MMA has released a second effort in the MMA bag market. Take all the great design that went into their PGB2 duffel and turn it into a backpack and you’ve got the BP-1. As always, it’s constructed out of breathable, antimicrobial hemp canvas. It features clean lines and functional design which looks like it’s becoming Datsusara’s calling card.

My first impression of this bag is that again, it’s massive. It’s got enough space to fit the amount of gear necessary for no gi, gi, and MMA training all on the same night. I managed to jam a pair of 16 oz. gloves, my summer gi, rash guard, shorts, knee pads, towel, and my cup into this bag. This configuration pretty much maxes out its capacity. Here’s what it looks like.

Side view loaded

What’s most useful about this bag for guys who train is the way the pockets are configured. On the front face there are two zip pockets designed to fit MMA gloves, and two smaller pockets for your mouth guard and your wallet/keys. Having the glove pockets on the outside encourages quicker drying. The inside has a bunch of mesh pockets to keep loose items that you may not need all the time organized (hand wraps, tiger balm, etc.) On the upper part of the inside is a mesh pocket for an MP3 player with a rubber port to thread headphones through. From the inside the port doesn’t look too polished, but I appreciate the thought in adding this detail.

Headphone port

There’s also a mesh pocket for a laptop, and although there’s some foam protecting it from your back there isn’t anything protecting it from the rest of your stuff inside the bag. If you’ve got a wet gi in there, your laptop will get wet. If you need to schlep your laptop in this bag I’d recommend getting a separate sleeve for it. A 15 inch laptop will fit easily. You could make it work with a 17 inch laptop because the bag is tall enough, but it would overlap the media player pouch. The BP-1 also comes with a vinyl pouch to separate out your smaller wet stuff like your rashguard and knee pads.

Laptop pocket and media player pocket

The main pack straps are nice and wide so it’s comfortable even if your pack is heavy. The undersides of the straps are covered with a non-slip fabric to keep them from moving around. The top sides of the straps have looped webbing in case you need to strap stuff to your um… straps. There’s also an adjustable sternum strap for added stability. How many times can you say strap in one paragraph?

Top-side of the straps.

On either side of the bag are elastic mesh pockets useful for holding water bottles or anything you’d need to access quickly. There are compression straps on the sides so you can cinch your load down for stability. Useful if you’re commuting by bike and have the bag stuffed full. If you’re doing some serious traveling, there are also padded hip straps to distribute the bag weight to your waist. The straps are removable if you don’t need them.

Compression straps for controlling your load

The visual design of the bag falls in line with their PGB2 duffel bag. Its appeal comes from its simple, functional design and the bag’s pockets and features are nicely proportional to the bag size. The hemp canvas has a cool matte texture that feels sturdy, but is surprisingly lightweight. All black design, black hardware, and red logo detail makes for an understated tough-guy look. Also there are a bunch of d-rings distributed around the bag so if you’ve got caribiners, you can strap additional gear to the bag.

The only two nits I have with the bag are the laptop pocket and the headphone port. Like I said earlier, if you intend to carry a laptop in this bag with the rest of your gear I’d recommend getting a separate padded sleeve for it. The headphone port is a fantastic idea, but the execution could’ve been a little better on the interior.

Overall, Chris and his gang have created another great product with the BP-1. It’s well thought-out, looks great, and is built to last. Capacity is not an issue with it, nor is comfort when carrying it at capacity. This bag would be a great option for those of you who ride a bike to training.

Again, the bag isn’t cheap but the amount of effort and money a smaller company spends to make something great tends to reflect on the bottom line. The BP-1 will run you $94.95 exclusively on the Datsusara site. Free shipping for Sherdog users.